No fewer than 11 aspirants have obtained expression of interest and nomination forms on the platform of the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State, signalling an early scramble for the party's ticket.
Findings showed that eight of the aspirants are indigenes of Ibadan, the state capital, while two are from the Oke Ogun axis and one from Ogbomoso. The aspirants, who have reportedly undergone screening by the party in Abuja, include Senator Sharafadeen Alli, Chief Bayo Adelabu, Dr Adewale Kareem, Barrister Akeem Agbaje and Engineer Akeem Alao, all from Ibadan. Others from the Ibadan axis are Dr Ayobami Lam-Adesina, Prince Asanke Asatola and Mr Ololade Usman. The remaining contenders are Senator Abdulfatai Buhari from Ogbomoso, alongside Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin and former Deputy Governor, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan, both from Oke Ogun.
Historical Dominance of Ibadan in Oyo Politics
Political observers note that the dominance of Ibadan aspirants reflects the historical pattern of governorship leadership in the state since the return to democratic rule in 1999. Except for the late former governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, who hailed from Ogbomoso, all governors produced by the state since 1999 have emerged from Ibadan. Former governor, the late Lamidi Adesina, governed the state between 1999 and 2003, while the current Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, ruled between 2003 and 2007. Alao-Akala governed the state from 2007 to 2011 before the late Abiola Ajimobi served two terms between 2011 and 2019. Incumbent governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, who is expected to complete his second term in 2027, also hails from the Ibadan axis.
Consultations and Consensus Talks Underway
Sources within the APC disclosed that intense consultations and underground politicking had already begun among the aspirants and party stakeholders ahead of the primary election. A party chieftain in one of the Ibadan local government areas, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that the leadership of the party was considering adopting a consensus arrangement to avoid internal crisis. “I am the party’s returning officer in my local government. The party has taken a decision over the selection of the flag bearer. We have been told the consensus candidate,” the source said.
