Former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Jumoke Akindele, has officially declared her intention to contest the Ondo South senatorial seat in the 2027 general election under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The declaration, made on Tuesday, puts an end to months of speculation about her political ambitions.
A Proven Leader with a Vision for Ondo South
Akindele, a lawyer from Okitipupa Local Council Area, emphasized that her decision to seek the ticket stems from a genuine desire to serve and deliver purposeful leadership to the district. As the first female Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, she highlighted her track record of leadership and dedication to inclusive governance as key qualifications to address the economic challenges, youth unemployment, infrastructure deficits, and other pressing issues facing Ondo South.
Breaking Barriers: Aiming to Be the First Woman from Ondo South in the Senate
Akindele is positioning herself to become the first woman to represent Ondo South in the Senate, seeking to replace Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who was recently appointed as Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. She appealed for gender inclusivity, noting that since the state's creation, no woman has ever represented Ondo in the Senate. She argued that this must change to align with global trends toward greater female political participation.
“As you’re all aware, Ondo State has never been represented by any woman in the Red Chamber. At any of the republics, we have never had it. Are we saying we don’t have women who are capable? Okay, maybe we all can agree that we have qualified women in terms of the fact that it is on record that women have excelled in various fields of human endeavor. We all know that. But are we saying they’re not capable? These people who have excelled, they’re not capable? They don’t have what it takes to represent us? No, we do have them. We are more than qualified. We are capable. You understand? But we have not been that lucky in the state. And the trend in the world now is inclusiveness, gender inclusivity,” Akindele stated.
Legislative Approach and Key Priority
Akindele stressed that effective legislation must go beyond passing laws to include sustained advocacy for implementation. She referenced the sea incursion ravaging the Ayetoro community as a federal-level challenge requiring urgent attention, promising to prioritize it if elected.
On Primaries and Consensus
When asked about the mode of primaries for selecting the party's candidate, Akindele urged political parties to first explore consensus among aspirants and party leaders. Should consensus fail, she advocated for primaries conducted in line with the APC constitution and the Nigerian Constitution. She warned against unfairly shutting out aspirants, emphasizing that every contestant is qualified.
“Which one do I support between consensus and primaries? Well, right now the electoral laws say that you can either have a consensus or you have direct primaries. Well, I’m a trained lawyer. Even in the law courts, I’m one lawyer that would always advocate for settlement out of court. So because I’m that kind of lawyer, I will also be the kind of politician that says, try to reach consensus first. If you cannot reach a consensus, then go to primaries in the manner outlined by the constitution of the party and the constitution of Nigeria. So which one do I support? All of the above,” she explained.
