NDC Stakeholders Reject George Olawande’s Second-Term Bid, Demand Transparent Candidate Selection for Amuwo Odofin 2027
A coalition of concerned stakeholders of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Amuwo Odofin has formally rejected any move to present Hon George Olawande as the party’s candidate for the Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency seat in the 2027 general elections, describing such a move as unacceptable and contrary to the wishes of grassroots party members. In a strongly worded petition addressed to the National Chairman of the party at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, the group operating under the banner of Concerned Stakeholders for Justice and Equity, NDC Amuwo Odofin LGA, outlined several reasons for what it described as its “outright rejection” of the outgoing lawmaker’s second-term ambition.
According to the correspondence signed by Hon Bello Olatunde and Ernest Ikenazor , the decision followed a strategic consultative meeting where party leaders, grassroots mobilisers, and political stakeholders reviewed the lawmaker’s stewardship, accessibility, developmental impact, and political relevance within the constituency.
The stakeholders accused Hon. Olawande, popularly known as Omogeye, of lacking genuine residential and economic ties to the constituency he currently represents, alleging that he resides in Magodo Estate and maintains his principal business interests there, including operations linked to Royal Majesty Place.
They argued that effective representation requires physical presence, direct engagement, and integration with the people, stressing that Amuwo Odofin deserves leadership that is visibly rooted within the constituency.
The petition further alleged that the outgoing representative has failed to establish a credible grassroots political structure within the constituency and has not maintained a functional constituency office despite public resources allocated for that purpose.
“It is unacceptable that constituency-related political engagements are reportedly held outside the constituency at private business premises rather than within the federal constituency itself,” the stakeholders stated.
The group also cited what it described as poor legislative performance and weak developmental impact, listing the absence of visible constituency projects, inadequate empowerment programmes, poor accessibility to constituents, and weak advocacy on constituency matters.
They dismissed claims that limited access to resources due to opposition status in the National Assembly justified the perceived underperformance, insisting that several opposition lawmakers across Nigeria have delivered impactful representation through strategic engagement and competence.
In addition to performance-related concerns, the stakeholders called for public clarification on issues surrounding the lawmaker’s educational qualification claims, alleged international representation narratives, and the circumstances surrounding his emergence during previous elections.
They specifically argued that his electoral victory was significantly aided by the political momentum generated by Mr Peter Obi during the last electoral cycle rather than by any established grassroots political strength within Amuwo Odofin.
The stakeholders urged the national leadership of the NDC to reject any attempt at candidate imposition and instead conduct what they described as a transparent, participatory, and integrity-driven selection process for all aspirants seeking to contest under the party’s platform.
Among their demands are:
Immediate rejection of any automatic ticket or endorsement for Hon. George Olawande.
A transparent and competitive primary process.
Comprehensive assessment of aspirants based on integrity, competence, performance, and constituency connection
Independent review of Hon. Olawande’s legislative stewardship and constituency resource utilisation.
The petition concluded with a direct appeal to the outgoing lawmaker to withdraw any second-term ambition in the interest of party unity, justice, and the political future of Amuwo Odofin.
“Amuwo Odofin deserves visionary, competent, accessible, and result-oriented leadership. The 2027 elections offer a critical opportunity to restore people-centred representation,” the statement read. The stakeholders expressed confidence that the national leadership of the NDC would act decisively to preserve internal democracy and position the party for electoral success in the constituency.
