2027: Why Ondo South deserves better representation – Ex-Speaker, Akindele
Rt. (Hon.) Jumoke Akindele, Former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, has declared her intention to contest the Ondo South Senatorial District seat on the platform of the
Rt. (Hon.) Jumoke Akindele, Former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, has declared her intention to contest the Ondo South Senatorial District seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027. In this interview with TOSIN TOPE, in Akure, she speaks on her ambition, zoning controversy, gender inclusion, and why she believes her district needs a new kind of representation. Excerpts:
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has declared the Ondo South Senatorial District Seat vacant following the appointment of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim as an ambassador and ordered a bye-election to fill the seat. Are you contesting for the bye-election or the main 2027 general election?
I want to say that what drives my desire for this position is to make a difference in people’s lives. Most importantly, I am seeking election in 2027. As desirable as 2026 may look, because it appears like a low-hanging fruit, the only thing that may come out of it is just a change of title, and that is not why I am here. While there may be a vacancy, my sincere desire is to serve in a capacity that allows enough time to make a meaningful impact. A short tenure would not provide that opportunity.
So, 2027 remains my primary focus. Of course, the final decision does not depend on me alone; it must align with the direction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership. The party is supreme. But for me, I would sincerely love to represent my people for a time longer than ten months or one year. So, conclusively, 2027 is the answer.
There are arguments of a rotation in the Ondo South Senatorial District seat, but how true is it that it's the turn of Ese-Odo LGA in the axis, or what is your position?
It is true there is a debate about zoning, and we are not unmindful of the fact that even though zoning is not recognised by the constitution, conventions have guided political decisions over time. Yes, Ondo South has been represented by almost all the local governments except Ese-Odo, and we cannot shy away from that fact. But we must also consider present realities.
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I’m from Okitipupa LGA, and we have been represented at least once, but the problem is, the governor is from Ilaje LGA, which shares a federal constituency with Ese-Odo.
Traditionally, you do not have a situation where both the Senate and House of Representatives seats come from the same axis. If you zone the Senate seat to Ese-Odo, then automatically the House of Representatives seat goes back to that same federal constituency. That creates a kind of imbalance that does not reflect the realities of the time.
As a matter of fact, because the Governor is from Ilaje, the House of Representatives should ideally go to Ese-Odo. You cannot concentrate everything in one place. Also, when Ilaje held the senatorial seat, it was for multiple terms. And I have not seen a party that fields a senatorial candidate from the federal constituency of Mr Governor. That is against the convention of the party. So, why should other areas not have similar opportunities?
What we think about is federal constituencies, not necessarily state constituencies. So when the federal constituency fielded a person of the late Senator Hosea Ehinlanwo, he was there for two terms. These are the issues we must consider. So, while equity is important, it must align with reality. And the reality today does not favour zoning the seat to Ese-Odo.
In the Nigerian political concept, there has been agitation for more women in elective positions. Ondo has never produced a female senator. What is your take on gender inclusion?
As you are all aware, Ondo State has never been represented by any woman in the red chamber, in any of the republics, we have never had it. Are we saying we don't have women who are capable? 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 endeavour, we all know that, but are we saying they're not capable? Or do they not have what it takes to represent us? No. We do have them. We are more than qualified; we are capable.
But we have not had that luck in the state. And the trend in the world now is inclusiveness, gender inclusivity. The electoral laws provide that 50% of their candidates must be women. That 50% must be women. What is wrong with Nigeria? Why can't we have that? Particularly, what is wrong with the Ondo state? Why can't we have a woman for once?
You know, it's very embarrassing for me, as a woman, as a member of the Fair Agenda, as we call ourselves, to say that no woman has had that honour and that privilege of giving to society at that level. The time has come. Every governor who has done one thing or the other for women has had their name placed in the sands of time. They have had their names cast in gold in the history of the state. When you say, ‘Oh, the first female Speaker,’ somebody made it happen or encouraged it to happen. He didn't make it happen; he encouraged it to happen.
If he had stood against me at the time, it would have been the end of it. Oh, the first female head of service. If somebody had stood against it, it would have been the end of it, but today, when you say the first female Speaker, when you say the first head of service, you remember the man who made it happen. Of necessity, you remember him. I don't even have to ask you.
The one who appointed the first Secretary to the State Government, you would also remember him, and I would encourage Mr Governor to know that whatever he does, one of the greatest legacies he can give is human empowerment and, above all, gender empowerment, which transcends freezers. It should transcend, you know, the things that we share, loans for business and all that. Women are so readily consigned to domestic positions.
Women have excelled in various fields of human endeavour. We are qualified, we are capable, and we have what it takes to represent our people. The global trend today is inclusiveness. Look at Rwanda, where over 60 per cent of parliamentarians are women. Look at South Africa, Senegal, and Kenya - they are all making progress. So, what is wrong with us? Why can’t Ondo State produce a female Senator? It is even embarrassing that we have not achieved that.
The time has come to change the narrative. One of the greatest legacies any leader can leave behind is gender empowerment. Not just giving loans or empowerment items, but actually placing women in positions of authority. Women have always performed creditably well when given the opportunity. So, this is the time to make that statement.
What do you intend to do differently if given the opportunity to represent the people of Ondo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly?
Legislation is not just about passing laws or distributing items to people. It transcends sharing motorcycles or tricycles. I will not be a legislator who warms the bench. My voice will be heard. I will stand up for my people. It is one thing to pass a law; it is another thing to ensure that it is implemented. Many people stop at passing laws, but I will go further to ensure execution.
Our representatives have been like snakes that crawled upon the rock. Nothing to show. Representation transcends sharing motorcycles. It transcends sharing the Keke Maruwa and all that stuff. While representing your people, you are expected to highlight the problems that they may have. And you don't just do that, you do everything in your power to ensure that those problems are addressed, by law and by fact, because it's one thing to pass a law, it's another thing to execute it.
There are critical issues in Ondo South that require federal attention. Take the issue of sea incursion in Ayetoro. If you knew what Ayetoro used to be and what it is today, you would understand the urgency. That is not something a state government can handle alone. It requires federal intervention, and that is the kind of attention I will bring.
I will come up with ideas that will benefit the generality of the people, especially women and children. Ideas that will benefit the generality of the district, but particularly those that will benefit the woman, that will benefit the child and a whole lot more.
I have a pet concern right now. It is the sea incursion in Ayetoro. If you knew what Ayetoro was like, you would cry for what it is today, and unless we want to say that the government or the governor should sink all that we have in the state into that place, I don't think any state government can handle it. So it will call for federal might. And that is the might I'm going to look for, and it is the might I promise it will come home, it will be done.
Whoever replaces our immediate past senator must ensure it's done because that is something that was included. It may not be done, but if I were there, I would ensure that they hit the ground running. Not that we pass it, not that there's a resolution, not that there's a law, and then we now sit back and say we have passed a law, as most of them have done. When I ensure that a law is passed, I ensure that it is implemented. I ensure that it's executed, and believe in me, I'm going to come into that place with ideas.
You are contesting the vacant seat against experienced politicians in the Ondo South Senatorial District. What gives you confidence?
Well, I have made a case against the zoning of the primary to Ese-Odo. It is tantamount to taking the rest of this district for granted. It is tantamount to taking the members of the voting class of that place for granted; it is tantamount to opening doors for the opposition to invade and to harvest the likely fallout of that kind of expedition. That's as far as the gladiators are concerned.
It transcends buying okada for the youth. It transcends buying deep freezers for the women. What have you done to make your locality better? What federal presence have you brought there? What have you achieved for your people? All of us, we achieve something for ourselves. We buy new cars, and we probably marry new wives. We buy new things and all that. We go to more countries than we ever did. And things like that. Maybe that's an achievement.
But how did you impact the generality of the people? And I want to say something here. Most of these so-called empowerments only affect the members of the parties that have sent the legislators. The man who is not a politician, how did he benefit from you? Now that's the key thing.
They all voted for you. So it's what you bring to them as part of the federal presence that they will enjoy; the good roads; the covering of the infrastructure deficits; the new hospitals, those are the things that you can bring that will benefit the woman in the market who has voted for you.
So please, in considering who can do it and who cannot do it, consider our antecedents and then you'll come to your own conclusion.
The APC seems to have adopted a consensus mode of primaries to choose those to represent the state at the National Assembly, do you support that arrangement?
Well, right now, the electoral laws say that you can either have a consensus or you have direct primaries. I'm a trained lawyer. Even in the law court, I'm one lawyer who would always advocate for a settlement out of court, so because I'm that kind of lawyer, I will also be the kind of politician who says let’s try to reach a consensus first.
If you cannot reach a consensus, then go for 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. I want to tell the party that consensus is what is to be determined between the leadership and the contestants.
And I want the party to remember that, you don't lock a person out. You don't shut them out without telling them why you're shutting them out, or you don't pick a person without letting the other know why you think it's better for us to pick that person.
The contestants, the aspirants, they are all qualified. We are all qualified. Maybe one more than the other, but we are all qualified. I want to encourage the leadership of the party to please pursue consensus between the leadership and the contestants.
What were your achievements as a former lawmaker?
I sponsored and supported several bills and resolutions during my time in the House of Assembly. I also facilitated projects, including addressing erosion challenges in parts of my constituency.
I provided transformers in several communities and ensured they were connected to the national grid. Beyond that, I facilitated employment opportunities for many youths at both the local and state levels.
Have you changed since leaving office?
Has anything changed about me? Nothing has changed. I was fully formed. As a former member of the Ondo State House of l Assembly, I was fully formed as a Speaker. I don't think anything can change about my personality.
And I dare say that those who knew me then would say that, oh, she hasn't changed that much. She's still for justice, she's still for equity. She's still playful. I think I'm still a bit intelligent. So I haven't changed. It's still me. Maybe that's why I have not gone too far since I left.
Why is consensus difficult among aspirants from the Okitipupa axis jostling for the Ondo South Senatorial District seat?
We are all leaders in our own rights, and we all believe in what we are bringing to the table. Some are contesting for 2026, while I am focused on 2027. That alone creates differences. So, the party leadership has a big task in managing the situation.
And we are all convinced about what we are bringing to the table. That's why I believe that even to handle this consensus that the party is talking about, they have their work cut out for them. I pity whoever is going to come into that consensus or is going to have to do it because we have not been able to do that in Okitipupa. No consensus. Right now, we have somebody contesting from Aye. We have somebody contesting from Ikoya. We have some of us contesting from Okitipupa. And we have not been able to reach a consensus, I'm afraid.
What distinguishes you from other aspirants?
If there's anything that stands me out in this life, it's my loyalty to whatever I believe in and whoever I believe in. That's me. When it comes to loyalty, nobody can mark me down. I scored 100%. Wherever I stand is where I stand. Regardless of how pressured I am, I stand.
But beyond that is winnability. Leadership is not just about occupying a position; it is about connecting with the people. I have that connection. I have contested before and won, even when I was not resident in the constituency. That shows acceptance. I was able to win in Okitipupa even when I did not reside there because I got in there and was speaking the language. I am their daughter. If I go there today, they will know me. They will know my father. They will know my mother, I mean, that's the way it is, Reality is what I'm talking about.
What is the level of support from leaders like former governor Olusegun Mimiko and Jimoh Ibrahim, because you are close to the two political leaders?
As for my former boss (my oga) Governor Olusegun Mimiko, yes, I did tell him about my ambition and was very much in support. He would call me from time to time to ask how far I have gone, to ask who I have seen, to point me to people I ought to see. So, he's very much on board with this ambition, and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, yes, I have gone to him. I have told him.
He's not opposed to my emergence in any form, shape, or size. I see him as my brother. But I also realise that he's a man to whom everybody, you know, looks up to and because of that, it may be difficult for him to actually hold a microphone and say, " This is the person I'm supporting.” It is only right. It is only political.
He has to be politically correct in this situation. But he knows about my ambition. I've been to him quite a number of times, and he's very much in support of good representation. So, I take it that he will support me.
Why is Ondo South still facing economic, environmental and ecological challenges, despite having people who have been in political power and can change the narratives?
The topography, when it comes to ecological challenges, now. There is what you call global warming. As far as that is concerned, global warming would, of necessity, cause the kind of problems that we have had in some parts of the district. Like the sea incursion now from Ayetoro .
It's primarily caused by global warming. And then the incessant land reclamations from neighbouring states would also affect us. We can't do much about the weather. Except that we stand against it and say, thus far, no more.
Yes, we have had, as I said, we have had governors. We had the former Olusegun Agagu, but I must say, at that time, it's not as bad as it is today. We are all aware that the effect of global warming seems to have picked up speed recently. And therefore, the effect is a lot more damaging now. But we must also agree that many of these problems are not things that a state government can handle.
So, regardless of the fact that we have one of our sons as governor now, I want to say, it's not an excuse, it's a fact that I know, that the extent of these damages is such that no state government can handle them, and I'm not going to also say that I'm the first person that is going to look into this. I want to believe that as we speak, people are looking into it.
I want to believe that as we speak, it's a matter that is being raised at the federal government level, even by the governor. That we have not seen the results of those efforts does not mean something is not being done. And in due course, I'm sure that it will come into place.
