2027: Oke-Ogun group urges power rotation, rejects APC aspirant’s position
…says power must leave Ibadan An advocacy group championing the rotation of governorship power to the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State in 2027, Egbe Ajosepo Fun Itesiwaju Gbogbo Wa, has
...says power must leave Ibadan
An advocacy group championing the rotation of governorship power to the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State in 2027, Egbe Ajosepo Fun Itesiwaju Gbogbo Wa, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, and the two dominant political parties in the state—the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)—to support the emergence of a credible and broadly acceptable candidate from the region.
The group also dismissed remarks attributed to a leading APC governorship aspirant, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, who reportedly suggested that the Oke-Ogun governorship ambition was not viable at this time and should be deferred.
Speaking at a press briefing held at the Saki Town Hall, Saki, the group described its agitation as a principled demand anchored on fairness, equity, justice, and inclusivity.
National Chairman of the group, Dauda Olaifa, told journalists that Oyo State had long neglected the principle of rotational governance, a system already adopted in other states within the old Western Region.
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He noted that since 1979, political power in the state had been concentrated in a single region for 39 out of 47 years, a trend he said contradicts the spirit of the Federal Character principle outlined in Section 14 (3 and 4) of the 1999 Constitution.
Olaifa argued that the imbalance had relegated the people of Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa, Oyo, and Ogbomoso zones to the margins of governance, resulting in uneven development and prolonged marginalisation.
He maintained that the time had come to address the disparity through a deliberate rotation of power, beginning with Oke-Ogun.
Reacting to Alli’s alleged remarks, Olaifa described any suggestion of further delay as insensitive and unjustifiable, stressing that prolonged postponement of equity amounted to denial of justice.
The group therefore called on President Tinubu to back the emergence of a widely acceptable candidate from Oke-Ogun. It also urged Governor Makinde to support the push for fairness and called on political parties to demonstrate commitment to equity by zoning their governorship tickets to the region ahead of the 2027 election.
Describing the moment as an “Ebenezer” for Oke-Ogun, Olaifa said the group was not seeking preferential treatment but demanding what is fair.
He added that while states like Ogun had implemented partial rotation among sub-regions and were progressing towards broader inclusion, Oyo State should not remain an outlier for negative reasons.
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Olaifa expressed confidence that sound judgment would prevail, noting that wisdom remains essential to achieving just and balanced leadership.
Olaifa said, "For far too long, Oyo State — celebrated as the Pacesetter state — has lagged behind in embracing rotational governance, a democratic culture already entrenched across other states of the old Western Region. Since 1979, political power has remained disproportionately in the hands of one region for thirty-nine out of forty-seven years.
"This persistent imbalance contradicts not only moral principles but also the constitutional doctrine of Federal Character as enshrined in Section 14 (3 and 4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which mandates inclusive representation and equitable participation for all.
"The consequence is clear: the people of Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa, Oyo and Ogbomoso have been systematically confined to secondary roles, deprived of a true sense of belonging in the governance of their own state. This structural exclusion has translated into lopsided development, uneven opportunities, and sustained marginalisation. The time has therefore come to correct this imbalance by allowing power to rotate — beginning with Oke-Ogun
"We must also address recent remarks credited to Sharafadeen Ali, who suggested that Oke-Ogun governorship aspiration “cannot work” and that the region should "wait" further. We reject this position unequivocally.
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"We therefore call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to look favourably toward Oke-Ogun and support the emergence of a credible, widely acceptable candidate from the region. We also call on the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, to align with this just cause.
"Furthermore, we urge the major political parties: APC and PDP, to demonstrate true commitment to equity by ceding their Governorship tickets to Oke-Ogun ahead of the 2027 elections.
"This moment represents our “Ebenezer” — a defining line beyond which we can no longer accept a subordinate role in determining our collective destiny. We are not asking for privilege; we are demanding fairness. Just as other regions in different states have begun to experience the benefits of rotation, Oyo state must not remain an exception for the wrong reasons.
"Ógùn State which has been running partial rotation between the Ẹ̀gbás and Ìjẹ̀bús is about to embrace full rotation as Yewa people will soon be part of the beneficiaries of rotational system.
"In Oyo state, the time to change the narrative is now and we trust that wisdom will prevail because wisdom remains the surest guide to just leadership."
