A retired school teacher, Chief Joseph Adewole Gbenga, popularly known as Obanla, has declared his intention to contest the Kwara South Senatorial seat in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections under the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking in Ilorin, Gbenga, from Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area, said he retired after 35 years of service as a teacher, head teacher, school supervisor, and member of the State Schools Improvement Team (SSIT), which develops curricula for primary and junior secondary schools in Kwara.
The 67-year-old said his foray into politics was motivated by a desire to correct perceived wrongs in governance.
“You cannot blame the government if you cannot participate in it. When you see them doing it wrong, and you become part of them, you can at least effect a change,” Gbenga told reporters.
“I believe those in the saddle are not doing what is expected of them. Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, and for the people. That is why I am stepping in.”
Gbenga described the PDP as the most stable political party in Nigeria, despite its defeats in Kwara in 2019 and at the national level in 2015. He argued that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged only as a coalition against the PDP and has not performed better since taking power.
Outlining his priorities if elected, Gbenga promised to ensure proper representation of his constituents, attract federal institutions to Kwara
South, and press for improved infrastructure. He also pledged to address security challenges, particularly kidnapping and banditry, which he said had left many residents living in fear.
“Constituency allowances run into billions, yet I have not seen what is being done with them,” he said. “We do not have federal health institutions, agricultural facilities, or colleges in my constituency. Our roads are in a deplorable state. These are issues I want to tackle.”
He added that he would lobby for youth employment, skills training, and empowerment to reduce overdependence on government.
Kwara South, made up of seven local government areas, is currently represented in the Senate by Lola Ashiru of the APC.
