The Chairman of the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee, Bamidele Salam, has secured the Accord Party ticket to contest the Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency seat in the 2027 general elections.
Salam emerged as the party’s candidate through affirmation during a primary election held on Friday in Ede.
The lawmaker, who was first elected into the House of Representatives in 2019 and re-elected in 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, recently defected to the Accord Party alongside six other federal lawmakers from Osun State.
The defections followed the decision of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to dump the PDP amid the lingering leadership crisis rocking the opposition party.
The primary election was supervised by the Accord Party National Publicity Secretary, Joseph Omorogbe, who also led the electoral committee that conducted the exercise attended by delegates from the four local government areas within the federal constituency.
Speaking after his emergence, Salam expressed appreciation to his constituents for the confidence reposed in him, promising to intensify efforts toward attracting more developmental projects to communities across the constituency.
He also pledged to work with fellow lawmakers and the executive arm of government to establish a more effective security architecture capable of addressing the country’s growing insecurity challenges.
“It feels great, encouraging and challenging to have another term because whatever one is doing that people are applauding, one should be more determined and more focused to do more,” Salam said.
The lawmaker thanked Governor Adeleke for supporting his political ambition, describing the governor’s backing as encouraging and significant to his political journey.
“I am so humbled by this great support from the people of Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency. I want to thank God Almighty for giving me this privilege and I thank the governor of the state, His Excellency, Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke, for having confidence in me,” he stated.
Salam said his renewed mandate would serve as a challenge to expand the scope of developmental projects already facilitated within the constituency since 2019.
According to him, more infrastructure and community-based interventions would be pursued through legislative efforts if re-elected in 2027.
The federal lawmaker further stressed the urgent need for improved national security, noting that insecurity remains Nigeria’s biggest challenge.
“Most importantly, to work together with others to entrench a system that will guarantee greater peace and security in Nigeria. Our greatest challenge today in Nigeria is security. We no longer feel safe to travel, and people no longer feel safe in their homes,” he said.
He added that lawmakers and the executive arm must collaborate to build functional security systems capable of guaranteeing the safety of lives and property across the country.
Salam maintained that sustainable national development could only thrive in an atmosphere of peace and security, pledging to prioritise legislative initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security framework.
