Adebayo Adenrele
An aspirant for Ekiti North Senatorial District, Ayo Arise, has rejected moves by some political actors to adopt consensus candidates for National Assembly tickets ahead of the 2027 general election, insisting that such arrangements cannot stand without genuine agreement among party stakeholders.
The aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), argued that attempts to impose consensus candidates were largely being championed by individuals who lacked grassroots support and were unwilling to test their popularity through open primaries.
The former lawmaker, who served in the Senate between 2007 and 2011 and is seeking to return in 2027, made the remarks while speaking with journalists during his ongoing consultations with party members across wards in Ekiti North.
According to him, the reception he has received from party faithful during the tour has been encouraging, a development he attributed to what he described as his performance and accessibility while in office.
He said his engagement with party members at the grassroots had reinforced their confidence in his leadership and reminded them of his contributions while serving in the National Assembly, particularly empowerment initiatives, employment opportunities and the facilitation of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).
Arise, however, faulted what he described as a “kangaroo endorsement” being promoted by some political actors, stressing that both the constitution of the APC and Nigeria’s Electoral Act provide clear procedures for candidate selection where consensus is not mutually agreed upon.
He maintained that consensus candidacy should only emerge from genuine agreement among aspirants and stakeholders, not through imposition.
His words, “Some people are putting up what I call a kangaroo endorsement, which cannot stand. The party’s constitution and the Electoral Act provide for voting when there is no agreement among the people. I don’t know how anyone will do consensus in Ekiti without making that consensus person a superman.
“I don’t know what credentials they are bringing to the table that I have not demonstrated better in every way. If it is speaking for the party and defending the policies of the President and the APC, none of them comes close. And if it is grassroots support, they are very far away.
“I control the grassroots here. By the grace of God, we will use the grassroots to send a message that when you are given an assignment, you must do it well for the people so they can recognize it.
“Others are shying away from election simply because they don’t have the popularity. People will not vote for them. I can assure you that in the five local governments that I represented and intend to represent again, there is not one of them that can defeat me. Not one. They are not even close.
“I am not a faraway politician. I do things for my people and they appreciate it. That is why many of them are afraid and are looking for a backdoor”.
As part of his consultation tour, Arise visited several communities across the senatorial district, including Ayegbaju-Ekiti, Isan-Ekiti, Itaji-Ekiti, Omu-Ijelu, Itapa Osi, Ilapeju, Ire-Ekiti and Oye-Ekiti, where he met with party leaders and supporters to canvass support for his ambition.
