Oyo 2027: Okeogun indigenes cry foul, reject APC chairmanship

By Olatunde Ajayi

Scores of people from Okeogun area of Oyo State on Monday stormed the All Progressives Congress (APC) headquarters in Ibadan armed with placards opposing plan by the party to zone its chairmanship position to their part of the state.

The protesters said that the alleged plan to zone the chairmanship position to the zone was a strategic plot to rob Okeogun zone of the opportunity to get the governorship slot in 2027.

The protesters, under the aegis of “Egbe Ajosepo fun Itesiwaju Gbogbo Wa”, a socio-cultural group were armed with placards with various inscriptions, including: “Give us governorship seat in 2027; Let Okeogun breathe; Allow Okeogun grow; We are not slaves; No to Party Chairman position again; We want true democracy”, among others.

Oyo APC, in a statement on Sunday by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, announced that the party had set up an ad-hoc committee to handle zoning arrangements for the new state executive committee.

The committee, chaired by Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle, was tasked with allotting available posts in the state executive committee to each of the 33 LGA chapters of the party.

Addressing newsmen, the National Chairman of the group, Mr Dauda Olaifa, said that the peaceful protest became necessary because information from credible sources revealed that APC had allegedly pencilled an indigene of Okeogun to become the party chairman.

Olaifa alleged that the move was a deliberate attempt to set aside the request of Okeogun zone for the Oyo governorship seat in 2027, noting that party chairman and governor could not emerge from the same zone at the same time.

He noted that a review of political history since the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999 reveals a consistent and unmistakable pattern whereby party chairmanship slots have always been given to Okeogun under the progressive fold and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He noted that there was a time when the party chairmen of both APC and PDP were from the same town in Okeogun.

“So, the evidence is clear and incontrovertible that, for over two decades, the position of party chairman — across party lines — has been disproportionately domiciled in Oyo North, particularly Okeogun,” he said.

“Suggesting yet another party chairmanship slot for Okeogun amounts to political tokenism. It is neither justice nor inclusion. It is a strategic consolation prize designed to perpetuate exclusion,” he said.

Olaifa said that Okeogun, being the second largest zone after Ibadan with 10 local governments, has been significantly contributing to the emergence of Ibadan indigenes as governors over the years.

He contended that the Oke-Ogun zone remains firm in its decision to throw its weight and voting bloc behind any political party that selects its governorship candidate from the zone, irrespective of religion or social affiliation.

He emphasised that not less than seven competent aspirants with credible records have emerged from Okeogun after thorough and rigorous interview sessions.

Olaifa urged APC to disregard attempts by “self-imposed Okeogun zone negotiators”, noting that their efforts had been clearly focused on self-interest, which does not represent the general demand of Okeogun indigenes both home and abroad.

“We included in our operational document that: ‘No to Deputy Governorship because Okeogun has produced five deputy governors; no to Party Chairmanship because history already shows overwhelming occupancy; and yes to the Governorship of Oyo State in 2027,” he said.

Also speaking, the National Secretary, “Egbe Ajosepo fun Itesiwaju Gbogbo Wa”, Pastor Favour Adewoyin, noted that power rotation is not alien to progressive governance.

“We can see it operational in sister southwest states and beyond — states such as Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos states, as well as Kwara, Kogi, Edo states, and Delta state. Why should Oyo state be an exception?
“Section 14 (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) enshrines the principle of federal character — equitable distribution to prevent domination and promote inclusion,” he said.(NAN)