Former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has criticised the continued dominance of Ibadan in Oyo State’s governorship politics, declaring that he would only support a candidate from the Oke-Ogun axis in the 2027 governorship race.
Shittu made the declaration while speaking on the political future of the state, arguing that other geopolitical zones in Oyo State have been unfairly marginalised in the contest for the governorship seat.
The former minister lamented that Ibadan has continued to dominate leadership in the state since its creation, despite the existence of other major regions such as Oke-Ogun, Oyo and Ogbomoso.
According to him, Ibadan has produced about six governors over the years, questioning why the governorship position has remained concentrated in one zone.
“Since that time till now, Ibadan has produced about six governors. But Ibadan is not the only part of Oyo State. We have Oke-Ogun, Oyo and Ogbomoso. Why must the governorship continue to come from Ibadan?” he queried.
Shittu described the situation as politically unfair and called for a restructuring of the state’s power-sharing arrangement to reflect equity among the different regions.
The former minister further stated that he had resolved to support any governorship candidate that emerges from Oke-Ogun in the next election cycle, describing the move as part of efforts to address what he termed decades of political marginalisation of the zone.
He, however, warned that if political stakeholders refuse to allow an Oke-Ogun indigene to emerge as a major candidate for the 2027 governorship election, he would distance himself completely from the process.
“I will support any candidate produced from Oke-Ogun. If they refuse to allow Oke-Ogun to produce the candidate, then I will completely stay out of it,” he said.
Shittu’s position is expected to intensify ongoing political discussions surrounding the succession plan to Governor Seyi Makinde ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The development also strengthens the growing “Oke-Ogun Lokan” campaign, a movement advocating the rotation of political power away from Ibadan to other parts of the state, particularly the Oke-Ogun region.
Political observers believe the former minister’s remarks could further shape the debate on zoning and regional balance as consultations and alignments ahead of the 2027 election gather momentum in the Pacesetter State.
