"𝗜 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗡𝗼 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲"--𝗞𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗸𝗲.

𝗕𝗬 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗔 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘,

𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚, 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚.

The National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the All Progressives Congress, Isaacs Kekemeke, has formally declared his intention to contest the Ondo South Senatorial seat ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing sustained pressure and widespread endorsements from stakeholders across the district.

Kekemeke, a former Secretary to the Ondo State Government and ex-Attorney General, said his decision followed months of intense calls from party leaders, youth groups, women associations, and political stakeholders who urged him to step forward and provide leadership for the oil-rich senatorial district.

Describing the development as a “historic and unusual call,” the APC chieftain noted that he initially resisted the pressure but eventually yielded after extensive consultations with key political actors, family members, and associates. According to him, the persistence of the appeals reflected growing confidence in his competence and leadership capacity.

“I could no longer ignore the calls. The more I tried to resist, the louder they became,” Kekemeke said, adding that his aspiration is anchored on delivering “fair, fearless and people-driven representation” for Ondo South at the National Assembly.

In the build-up to his declaration, several groups had openly mounted pressure on him to join the race. Among them is Ondo South Great Minds, which issued a public appeal urging him to contest, citing consultations across local government areas including Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Odigbo, Okitipupa, Irele, and Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo. The group described him as a candidate with the experience and integrity needed to reposition the district.

Similarly, a coalition under the banner of Ondo South Youth Coalition intensified calls on Kekemeke to declare, arguing that the district required a tested and courageous legislator capable of advancing its interests at the federal level. The group reportedly mobilised support across communities, insisting that his entry would galvanise broader participation in the political process.

Another pressure group, Women for Good Governance in Ondo South, also joined in the appeal, urging him to heed what it described as a “collective demand” from the people. The group maintained that his track record in public service positioned him as a dependable figure to champion inclusive development and social welfare in the senatorial district.

Political observers note that endorsements also came informally from party faithful and supporters on social platforms, where he was widely described as a credible and experienced figure capable of uniting the district and advancing its interests.

Kekemeke disclosed that his decision was reached after consultations with the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and other party leaders, signalling alignment with the leadership structure of the APC in the state.

He emphasised that his campaign would focus on building a broad-based coalition that reflects the diverse interests of Ondo South, while prioritising development, inclusiveness, and effective legislative representation.

With decades of political experience, Kekemeke has served as Minority Leader in the old Ondo State House of Assembly, Commissioner for Justice, Commissioner for Works, and APC State Chairman before his current role as Zonal Chairman/National Vice Chairman (South-West).

Unveiling his agenda, he adopted “The People First” as his guiding principle, promising to be a strong voice for Ondo South and to pursue policies that would deliver tangible development and responsive governance.

His entry into the race is expected to reshape the political dynamics in Ondo South, as party stakeholders and constituents begin early alignments ahead of the 2027 senatorial contest.