The Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State has dismissed concerns that the involvement of some of its leaders in President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign could affect the chances of its National Assembly candidates in the 2027 general elections, insisting that voters would make independent choices at the polls.
The party’s State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, stated this on Sunday while responding to enquiries by PUNCH Online on how the party intended to protect its candidates’ interests amid the reported political alignment of some PDP leaders with Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Adewara argued that the grievances of Kwara residents were primarily directed at the state government, insisting that the President was not responsible for the challenges the party alleged people were facing in the state.
The PDP spokesman also accused the state government of actions allegedly affecting traders and small businesses in Ilorin, citing the reported flogging of market women at Oja Oba and the demolition of shops across the metropolis.
He said, “Like we’ve been saying, President Tinubu is not our problem in Kwara. He is not the one who made life difficult for our people despite billions of naira in monthly allocations.
“He’s not the one who asked soldiers to be flogging market women in Oja Oba. He’s not the one demolishing people’s shops and killing businesses across Ilorin metropolis. You all know who’s doing that.”
He noted that the party’s priority ahead of the 2027 elections was to secure support for its candidates seeking elective offices at the national and state levels, including the governorship, rather than allow the presidential contest to define its political calculations in Kwara.
“What matters to us in the PDP come 2027 is Kwara, and when we say Kwara, we mean every person that will represent us in the next dispensation of leadership, from the National Assembly to the State Assembly to the governor,” he said.
Asked whether the involvement of some PDP leaders in Tinubu’s campaign could affect the competitiveness of the party’s National Assembly candidates, who will be on the ballot on the same day as the presidential candidates, Adewara said the central issue was voters’ willingness to support the party.
He also dismissed the possibility that the arrangement would pose a risk to the party’s candidates, expressing confidence that voters would distinguish between the presidential contest and other elections.
“The issue on the ground is not about the competitive capacity of our candidates; it is about the determination of Kwarans to support our party to prove to the current administration that the people have the power to change people in power when they mess with them.
“There is no risk anywhere. Our people are far more politically conscious and sophisticated than you can imagine. When they get to the polls, the voting pattern will speak for itself,” he said.
To buttress his argument, the PDP spokesman cited the 2023 elections in Erinle, where he said voters supported the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate while electing the PDP candidate, Taiye Afolabi, as their House of Assembly representative.
“In 2023, the people of Erinle demonstrated this clearly by voting for the APC candidate for governor while simultaneously electing Otunba Taiye Afolabi, the PDP candidate, as their House of Assembly representative.
“This is proof that our people understand the power of their votes and can make independent choices based on the candidates and the offices involved,” he said.
Adewara expressed confidence that voters would separate their presidential preferences from their choices for other offices.