The Oyo Alaafin Forum, Abuja, has announced its strong endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in anticipation of the 2027 political season, while renewing its call for the selection of a native of Oyo Town as the next minister representing Oyo State.
In a statement released on April 27, 2026, the group lauded Tinubu's reform-oriented administration, noting that key economic policies, though initially challenging, are beginning to stabilize the economy and restore investor confidence. The forum characterized the President's leadership as bold and visionary, pointing to reforms such as fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, and fiscal restructuring as essential measures for repositioning Nigeria's economy for sustained growth.
The forum also applauded Tinubu's directive requiring political officeholders with electoral ambitions to resign, describing it as a move that strengthens democratic ethics and constitutional order. It referenced the resignation of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, stating that this has created an opportunity for fresh ministerial representation for Oyo State.
However, the group insisted that the vacancy must be used to address what it termed a "decades-long marginalization" of Oyo Town and its environs in federal appointments. According to the forum, since the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, when Adekunle Aruna Elewi served as Minister of State for Communications, no indigene of Oyo Town has been appointed to the Federal Executive Council.
It further highlighted that successive administrations under Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari consistently selected ministers from other zones within Oyo State, including Ibadan, Saki, and Ogbomosho. The forum argued that this pattern reflects an imbalance that must be urgently corrected in the interest of fairness and inclusivity.
The group therefore urged President Tinubu to seize the moment by appointing a competent and credible son or daughter of Oyo Town as minister, stressing that such a decision would strengthen national unity and deepen grassroots confidence in the administration. The statement was signed by Engineer Segun Owolabi, Chairman of the forum, and Ambassador Tunde Mustapha, Director of Media.
