Olunloyo says late father inspired senatorial ambition

By Emmanuella Opara | October 22nd 2026

KEY POINTS

• PDP senatorial candidate Ayobami Olunloyo says his late father, former Oyo State governor Omololu Olunloyo, inspired his political ambition.
• He identifies security, healthcare, education, food, work and heritage as the six pillars of his policy framework.
• Olunloyo promises transparent constituency projects and regular engagement with residents across Oyo Central’s 11 local government areas.
• He says he will prioritise primary healthcare, education, security and flood management if elected.

MAIN STORY

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Oyo Central, Ayobami Olunloyo, has said his late father, former Oyo State governor Omololu Olunloyo, inspired his ambition to represent the district in the Senate.

Olunloyo said his early exposure to politics helped him recognise its potential to improve people’s lives, adding that his ambition was driven by a desire to address the needs of his constituents.

His father, Dr Omololu Olunloyo, who died on April 6, 2025, aged 89, was a mathematician, engineer, politician and administrator who held several public offices.

Speaking with journalists in Ibadan, the PDP candidate said he had participated in politics for years, largely behind the scenes, and had prepared for public office by attending the School of Politics, Policy and Governance.

He said the combination of political exposure and formal training had equipped him with the experience and knowledge needed to seek elective office.

“Politics has never been something that has been far from me. I’ve always been close to politics. And my father’s opportunity in politics was really one of my inspirations because, at a very, very early part of my life, I recognised that politics has the means to change lives,” Olunloyo said.

“But beyond my family name, I also realised that I must take responsibility and attend to the several needs of the people of my constituency,” he added.

Olunloyo identified security, healthcare and education as major priorities for Oyo Central Senatorial District. He said his policy framework was built around six pillars: work, education, food, healthcare, security and heritage, which he wanted to translate into practical benefits for residents.

On healthcare, he claimed that statistics showed someone died every 30 minutes in Oyo Central, attributing the deaths to social challenges, inadequate basic amenities and accidents. However, he did not identify the source of the figure.

He called for improved healthcare services, particularly at the primary level, to ensure residents could access treatment without travelling long distances.

“Every 30 minutes, someone passes away in Oyo Central as a result of serial social issues of lack of basic social amenities. Before you refer somebody to University College Hospital, there must be a healthcare centre close enough to them,” he said.

On education, Olunloyo said improving access required not only building new schools but also expanding existing facilities to accommodate more children.

“Education is the antidote to poverty, so it must be accessible,” he said.

He also called for stronger security measures, including improved intelligence gathering, effective law enforcement and a police force capable of responding more closely to the needs of communities facing security threats.

Addressing flooding and drainage, the candidate said interventions should reflect the distinct challenges of the district’s 11 local government areas. He identified Akinyele and Oluyole as areas where flood and flash-flood warnings had been issued.

“We will address issues in order of priorities. The 11 LGAs would be my focus. Each of the 11 local government areas has peculiar issues,” he said.

Olunloyo acknowledged that a senator could not directly perform the functions of the executive arm of government. He said his responsibility would include identifying underlying problems, pursuing appropriate policies and working with relevant authorities to address them.

He promised to make his representation accessible and accountable, with regular opportunities for constituents across the 11 local government areas to engage with him.

The candidate said that within six months of being elected, residents would be able to assess a register showing completed and proposed projects.

On the contest against the incumbent senator, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Olunloyo said his campaign would focus on persuading voters to support his proposed approach to representation.

“The incumbent is not our focus. The people are our focus,” he said.

He also pledged transparency in the management of constituency projects, arguing that residents should be able to see how public funds allocated to such projects were spent.

“The people should test us for accountability. We are promising radical transparency. We have values to serve the people, not ourselves,” he said.

Olunloyo said constituency projects should address practical needs such as healthcare, education, water and other basic amenities, while legislation should create longer-term opportunities for development.

Explaining his decision to contest on the PDP platform despite the party’s internal challenges, he described it as a party with a record of governance and said he believed it had more to offer Nigeria.

“The PDP is one of the only parties right now that is turmoil-free. The PDP is stable. The PDP is one of the greatest parties that Nigeria has experienced, and it is committed to returning to government to serve Nigerians,” he said.

However, his description of the party as free of turmoil comes amid continuing leadership disputes. Rival camps aligned with Nyesom Wike and Tanimu Turaki (SAN) contested control of the PDP in 2026, with court proceedings and disputes over recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission forming part of the crisis. INEC recognised the Wike-aligned leadership in March, while the Turaki camp continued to challenge the situation.

Olunloyo said his immediate priority was to secure the opportunity to represent Oyo Central in the Senate.

THE ISSUES

Olunloyo’s campaign centres on access to basic services, particularly healthcare, education and security. His proposed approach includes expanding primary healthcare facilities, increasing school capacity, improving community security and addressing flooding according to the needs of individual local government areas.

His pledge to publish records of completed and proposed constituency projects also places transparency and accountability at the centre of his proposed representation.

However, his claim that someone dies every 30 minutes in Oyo Central was not supported by a cited source in the interview, making the figure difficult to independently assess from the available information.

WHAT’S BEING SAID

“Education is the antidote to poverty, so it must be accessible,” Ayobami Olunloyo, PDP senatorial candidate for Oyo Central, said.

“The incumbent is not our focus. The people are our focus,” Olunloyo said.

WHAT’S NEXT

Olunloyo is seeking election to represent Oyo Central Senatorial District in the Senate. He has promised that, if elected, constituents will be able to assess a register of completed and proposed projects within six months, alongside regular opportunities to engage with him across the district’s 11 local government areas.

BOTTOM LINE

Olunloyo says his late father’s political career influenced his decision to seek elective office. His campaign promises to prioritise basic services and make constituency representation more transparent, with the needs of Oyo Central’s 11 local government areas guiding his proposed agenda.