Former Kwara PDP chairman Oyedepo wins ADC senatorial ticket

A former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, Iyiola Oyedepo, has been nominated as the Kwara South senatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general elections.

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The opposition party conducted its National Assembly primaries in the state on Saturday.

Mr Oyedepo, a lawyer, former commissioner and one-time chief whip of the Kwara State House of Assembly, was a leader of the “Otooge” (enough is enough) movement that mobilised public support against the then PDP-led state government during the 2019 general elections.

However, he fell out with the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq that followed and defected to the ADC earlier this year.

Declaring his senatorial bid earlier, the politician, who holds the traditional title of Akogun of Isanlu-Isin, said he was “stepping out to take his place in history” by contesting for the Senate seat to represent Kwara South.

His nomination is part of increasing political activity across Kwara State following recent governorship and legislative primaries within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and renewed mobilisation by opposition parties seeking to reclaim influence ahead of 2027.

Mr Oyedepo, from Isanlu-Isin in Isin Local Government Area, previously served as commissioner for agriculture and later commissioner for commerce during the Third Republic administration of Governor Shaaba Lafiagi in Kwara State.

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He also served as chief whip of the Kwara State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2003.

The politician has held leadership positions across several political parties over the years, including the PDP, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN), and the All Peoples Party (APP).

Between 2014 and 2018, he served as chairman of the PDP in Kwara State during a turbulent period that preceded the “Otooge” political movement that eventually ended the long dominance of former Senate President Bukola Saraki’s political structure in the state during the 2019 elections.

In his profile, Mr Oyedepo highlighted his political, legal, and community development experience, including his roles in cooperative development, legislative reforms, and grassroots political mobilisation across Kwara South.

He also referenced his involvement in political advocacy and radio sensitisation programmes during his years as PDP chairman.

The declaration comes at a time of heightened political competition in Kwara South, where parties are repositioning ahead of the 2027 elections.

PREMIUM TIMES recently reported growing tension within the APC in Kwara over candidate selection processes, especially during the party’s governorship and senatorial primaries.

Some APC stakeholders in Kwara South had warned that internal divisions and unpopular candidate selections could weaken the ruling party and create opportunities for opposition parties to regain political ground in the state.

Political observers say Kwara South remains strategically important because of its voting strength and influence in the state’s electoral calculations.

READ ALSO: 2027: Ogboru clinches ADC governorship ticket in Delta

Mr Oyedepo studied Political Science at the University of Ibadan before obtaining a law degree from the University of Lagos and qualifying as a Barrister-at-Law at the Nigerian Law School.

He currently heads a law firm, Iyiola Oyedepo & Co, and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Nations Leadership Institute in Ilorin.

Apart from politics, he has authored several books on governance and public affairs, including Shonga and the Looting of Kwara State, Letters to the Emir, and Twenty-One Political Lies in Nigeria.

His nomination is expected to add another layer to the evolving political contest in Kwara South, where both the APC and PDP are intensifying consultations and alliances ahead of the next electoral cycle.