Consensus doesn’t mean imposition, Bamidele tells APC critics
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele yesterday defended the consensus provision clause in the Electoral Act, dismissing fears of imposition. He spoke shortly after submitting his expression of interest and nomination forms
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele yesterday defended the consensus provision clause in the Electoral Act, dismissing fears of imposition.
He spoke shortly after submitting his expression of interest and nomination forms for Ekiti Central Senatorial District ahead of All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries.
Bamidele, who said the consensus mode of shadow election was designed to prevent “under the table” arrangements, maintained that the consensus model is not a shortcut to bypass the will of the people.
He said: “The law is rigid, even a single dissenting voice can nullify a consensus agreement and trigger a full direct primary.”
Addressing the controversy surrounding the selection process, Bamidele clarified that even a “consensus” candidate must still face the voters at the grassroots level.
The senator said: “In any case, there will always be primaries. Even where you have only one aspirant, there will still be primaries because for someone who has been endorsed by consensus, everybody will still go to the ward, everybody will still participate... there will still be the need to do an endorsement - open endorsement at the ward level.”
He further assured party faithful that the process remains transparent, regardless of the adopted method, saying, “There’s nothing that can be done under the table whether you are doing direct primaries or you are doing consensus.”
The Senate Leader highlighted that the legislature intentionally moved away from the indirect primary model - which relied on a small pool of delegates - to ensure broader participation.
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“We didn’t think a few people in the name of delegates should take decisions on behalf of the people,” he explained, noting that the shift was a deliberate safeguard against the process being hijacked by a select few.
Responding to questions about the friction consensus often breed in Ekiti politics, Bamidele pointed to his own current standing as a model of “coercion-free” consensus.
He revealed that despite submitting his expression of interest and nomination forms, no challenger has emerged from his district.
“Stakeholders within my central district came to me to express satisfaction about the quality of representation that I’ve been able to give... none of us is running against you. I did not have to lobby for it. I did not have to do anything to discourage [others]. It’s just that no other person has obtained the form. And it is not by any form of coercion,” Bamidele disclosed.
The senator expressed confidence in the integrity of the 2026 exercise, noting the heavy presence of the APC’s top brass.
“I could also see that virtually, all the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party are here... it means that they are according a lot of importance to this process and it’s just the way to go. I just think it’s the right thing to do,” he concluded.
