A Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Peter Obafemi, has said that he will harness the vast potentials of the state to accelerate its development if elected governor in the June 20, 2026 governorship election.
Obafemi, a businessman and aviation expert, expressed a desire to deploy his God-given talents and experience acquired as a successful businessman to transform the state from a dependent economy to a self-reliant one.
The PDP aspirant, who spoke in Ado Ekiti on Saturday at a stakeholders’ engagement programme, said, “Our goal is to make Ekiti not just a land of honour, but a land of enterprise and opportunities, a place where ideas meet action and people truly thrive.
He pledged to prioritise the transformation of Ekiti’s Knowledge Zone into “a functional, innovation-driven hub that attracts global investment and creates high-value jobs. The Knowledge Zone will no longer be a concept on paper, but a working reality that will redefine our economy, providing opportunities for research, technology, and industrial growth”
Obafemi said that his administration would harness the state’s natural beauty, rich culture, and historical sites to drive tourism and attract both local and foreign visitors through developing the state into a major tourism destination in a bid to open it to the world.
The businessman and politician, who said, “Ekiti’s future lies in pragmatic collaboration and people-centered governance” assured that his administration would explore regional integration by working “hand in hand with neighbouring states to create economic corridors that expand trade, improve infrastructure and strengthen our shared prosperity.
“Development cannot thrive in isolation. My administration will collaborate with the governors in the Southwest to tap the opportunities in the DAWN Commission and the newly established Southwest Development Commission to develop Ekiti.
“I will also build productive partnerships across Nigeria through the Nigeria Governors Forum to accelerate progress in the state. I will bring Ekiti to the next level with their natural endowment and commonwealth”.
“I will promote peace and unity in the state and also foster unity in the Ekiti PDP. I am going to be a governor and father of everybody in the state. My administration can achieve much if there is peace and a secure environment. Therefore, I will place a high premium on security so that people in the state can live and work in peace,” Obafemi said.
He sought the support of party members to ensure his emergence as the governorship candidate to restore pride to PDP in Ekiti State and place the state on a development pedestal.
The PDP will on November 8, 2025, conduct its primary election to elect its candidate for the governorship election slated for June 20, 2025.
The PUNCH reported recently that Obafemi queried the incumbent All Progressives Congress government in the state over what he called its low performance in the last three years as he expressed his party’s readiness to return to government based on residents’ desire.
Obafemi had called for unity devoid of rancour and acrimony among members and leaders of the party, saying, “Only a united and formidable PDP can repeat the electoral victories of 2003 and 2014.”
He expressed a desire to dislodge the APC government in Ekiti in a bid to rescue the state and its people, noting, “My motto is ‘Ekiti first’, to usher in a new era of peace, adequate security, economic boom, and judicious use of the state’s finances.
