The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekanmbi, has urged pensioners to remain vigilant during the 2027 general elections and ensure that their votes are not manipulated.
Adekanmbi said monitoring the electoral process beyond casting ballots was essential to protecting the people’s mandate and preventing electoral irregularities.
He made the call on Monday during an interactive session with the leadership and members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners at Pensioners FM, Agbarigo, Ibadan.
The former Oyo State commissioner for finance urged the pensioners to resist attempts by individuals seeking to manipulate election results or instigate crises at polling units across the state.
According to him, exercising the right to vote is only one aspect of electoral participation, stressing that citizens must also take responsibility for ensuring that their votes count.
“You must not only exercise your voting rights but also take responsibility for ensuring that your votes count. The electoral mandate requires vigilance before, during and after elections,” he said.
Citing the recent Osun governorship election as an example, Adekanmbi said the involvement of pensioners and organised labour in protecting votes demonstrated the importance of citizens’ participation in safeguarding electoral integrity.
He urged Oyo pensioners to adopt a similar approach in 2027 by remaining at their polling units after voting to observe the counting, recording and collation of results.
“Don’t just go out to vote and return home. You must be vigilant and ensure that your votes count. Protect your votes against hijackers. What happens after casting your ballot is equally important. You must remain alert and follow the process to its logical conclusion,” he said.
On his ambition to succeed Governor Seyi Makinde, Adekanmbi promised to consolidate the achievements of the present administration and pursue further development if elected.
He described the first term of the Makinde administration as a period of accelerated development and the second as a phase focused on sustainability, saying his proposed administration would prioritise continued development.
According to him, the next phase should position Oyo State for greater competitiveness, wealth creation and improved standing among Nigerian states.
“Now, my own is being built on continued development. That means there has been acceleration, there has been sustainability, and now you want to position the state for competitiveness, for wealth creation and for getting to the place where it should be in the comity of states,” he said.
The APM candidate maintained that the development recorded under Makinde should not be allowed to decline, insisting that subsequent administrations must build on existing achievements.
“If somebody has done so much over the course of his two terms, the bar must not be dropped. The graph must be up and never flatten out or come down. The graph must continue to grow,” he added.
Adekanmbi, who previously served as commissioner for finance, said his experience in government had provided him with firsthand knowledge of Oyo State’s financial and administrative challenges.
He said he understood the areas requiring urgent attention and would address identified gaps to sustain the state’s development.
“I have firsthand information about the challenges of Oyo State. I know where the problems are, and I know the areas that require attention. I will work on the loopholes and ensure that we continue to move forward,” he said.
The former commissioner also promised to establish periodic meetings with pensioners if elected governor, explaining that the arrangement would enable retired workers to communicate their concerns directly to his administration.
He said the proposed engagement would provide an avenue for pensioners to contribute to discussions on policies and decisions affecting their welfare.
