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From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Victor Ekunyan, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2027 general election, has vowed to eliminate banditry within 24 hours if elected.
While expressing regrets at the current socio-economic concerns in the country, the aspirant underscored the need to completely overhaul the system to change the narratives.
Ekunyan, a United Kingdom-based Quantity Surveyor from Ise-Ekiti, Ise/Orun Local Government Area of Ekiti State, said the nation needs a leadership that is intentional about governance, deliberately designing policies and structures and ensuring successful implementation to achieve collective prosperity.
He made the remarks in Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State while
formally declaring his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, where he also unveiled his seven-point agenda to address the nation’s socio-economic challenges.
At the event attended by party leaders and stakeholders across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state, Ekunyan listed his seven-point agenda to include, agriculture, healthcare, education, infrastructure, economy, security and foreign policy.
He suggested that the growing insecurity across the country can be tackled using technology-driven strategies.
” We have issues with our security system, for instance, at present, the security personnel we have in Nigeria today, is about 500,000 to secure 250 million people. This is practically impossible and that is why in my seven- point agenda we rolled out 3 million jobs for our security agencies so that we can have enough resources, so that we can have enough men and we will equip them well to fight all these insurgencies we have across our country.
” With this and other strategies employed I will wipe out all the bandits within 24 hours. This is a promise that I will fulfill if elected the president.”
He revealed that his mission is to rescue, restore, and reposition Nigeria for greatness, adding that his ambition is both a national duty and a divine mandate..
According to him, Nigerians need to look beyond internal party differences and see nation building as a national duty which must be rigorously pursued through collective efforts, connecting all the states and local governments, and embracing unity to achieve a prosperous Nigeria.
In the area of agriculture, Ekunyan said, he would ensure food security through his agri-food programme intervention which he said would “surpass the oil we are producing today” and “flood Nigeria with abundance of food.”
On health, Ekunyan promised free and comprehensive health services for all citizens. Acknowledging the strain this would place on the system, he pledged to double the number of health workers, acquire modern medical equipment, renovate existing hospitals, and build new hospitals and clinics to handle increased traffic.
He explained that the expansion of hospitals, clinics, and medical infrastructure would not only improve access but also generate millions of jobs.
He noted that he would create a national health sector database “to enable us have a good track record.”
The aspirant said he would ensure quality education that would be free and compulsory for all Nigerians up to tertiary level. And his plans include building new schools, recruiting more teachers, prioritising their welfare and employing technology innovations.
On infrastructure, Ekunyan promised to create inter-state road networks to link the country and drive the economy. He also announced plans for new railway stations across Nigeria, arguing that the absence of a “national infrastructure” and “national agenda” has left states pursuing disjointed projects.
Describing Nigeria’s electricity problems as “huge,” Ekunyan said he would install high-capacity strong cables nationwide to ensure broadband access for everyone.
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Revealing his economic plans, he said his administration would “create 30 million jobs, in addition to the 3 million for security agencies, totaling 33 million jobs and would increase the minimum wage to N150,000.”
He also disclosed plans to attract foreign investments, stabilise the economy, and provide support to local manufacturers and local production of goods and services.
He promised to commit heavily in security by adopting technology to tackle the menace. He added that increasing the number of security personnel, sponsoring specialised trainings and establishing a defense complex for local production of weapons.among other strategies, would assist in addressing the challenge.
He hinted that his foreign policy agenda would prioritiise “the country’s national interest above all other interests ”
On how he is going to achieve his free heath services and free education plans for all Nigerians with the knowledge that the health and education sectors are highly capital-intensive, Ekunyan said,
” We are going to double the resources we have in our hospitals, increase number of doctors and nurses, procure new medical equipment, renovate and build new hospitals and clinics.
” We will build new schools, expand existing ones, recruit more teachers
” Yes, these are highly capital intensive but I want to restate here that we have the funds. I will slash the monthly allocations to states, public spending has to be reviewed because that is where the corruption lies.”
A leader of the party and spokesperson of the Southwest PDP, Chief Sanya Atofarati, in his remarks, dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the party has gone into extinction.
Atofarati said the party is alive and is on its path to recovery, noting that the leadership is working to settle the crisis within the party to forge a formidable front
“PDP is Alive, we are not going into extinction. When we have a situation like this, many of us want to lose hope. When we compare the records of our dear party with the records of All Progressives Congress (APC), we will all agree that PDP has made its mark and that is why till tomorrow the electorate value and prefer the PDP because it has been tested and it is trusted.
“ The PDP is bouncing back against all odds, regardless of whatever the challenges that are facing the party, we have confident in the people,
” We must thank God that we have the APC today otherwise many people wouldn’t have known what they have lost in the PDP.
“Today, we have a government that cannot provide security for the people, we have a government that is less concerned about the welfare of the people but more particular about party politics and winning elections.
” When APC came, they promised heaven and earth. Their government brought poverty and hardship as dividends of democracy to the people. Now the people know the difference between the PDP and APC.
” Considering the prevailing challenges befalling our party and many may be asking whether the PDP will be fielding a candidate in the 2027 election, I think this is a testament. Somebody has come out today to make formal declaration of his aspiration, I believe we will have many more that are coming.
” Regardless of our current challenges we need to know that reconciliation is not a destination rather it is a process.
“The PDP is putting its house together, is putting its house in order, all the leadership of the party regardless of their personal interests, are setting aside their interests to come back together in the overall interest of Nigeria.”
