2027: Oluyole shuts door against APC as Mogajis, market leaders, students rally behind Olatunji, APM candidates

The 2027 electioneering campaign in Oluyole Federal Constituency recorded a major momentum as thousands of supporters, traditional institutions, traders, artisans, students and political stakeholders converged to witness the flag-off of the campaign of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) House of Representatives candidate, Akeem Olatunji.

The event, which brought together prominent APM leaders led by the party’s Oyo State governorship candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, witnessed a groundswell of endorsements for Olatunji and other candidates of the party.

Prominent Ibadan Mogajis, traditional rulers, market leaders, traders and other community stakeholders declared their full support for Olatunji’s ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Candidates and leaders of the party also used the occasion to rally supporters around the APM’s political agenda, including Adekanmbi’s Omituntun 3.0 vision and Governor Seyi Makinde’s Reset Nigeria project for Nigeria’s presidency.

In his brief remarks, the governorship candidate of the APM for the 2027 election, Bimbo Adekanmbi, expressed confidence in securing landslide victory for the party in Oluyole, describing the mammoth crowd of supporters as “impressive”.

He described Olatunji as the people’s choice and a deeply rooted grassroots political figure that can always be trusted in any capacity. He urged party faithful to penetrate every nooks and crannies of the federal constituency to directly engage with the electorate.

He called for intensified efforts towards voters sensitization and awareness ahead of the elections, arguing that no amount of money would be worth mortgaging the future of their children and family for.

Adekanmbi noted that APM has done it’s part by fielding trusted and capable hands as candidates for the forthcoming 2026 local government and general elections, and called on party faithful to not relent in their efforts to see to a controlling electoral success come 2027.

He also rallied support for the party’s presidential candidate, governor Seyi Makinde and his governorship ambition stressing that the party will only be able to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people when it records victory across all elective offices.

The overall leader of the APM in Oluyole Local Government and Federal Constituency, Dr Gbola Adetunji, called for unity, discipline and unwavering commitment among party members.

He cautioned against complacency and urged members to remain vigilant against what he described as attempts by opposition elements to infiltrate the party and create divisions within its ranks.

Adetunji stressed that the success of the party’s candidates would depend on the collective determination of members to work together, sustain grassroots mobilisation and translate their support into votes during the elections.

In his goodwill message, the APM Director of Youth Mobilization for the federal constituency, Alhaji Moruf Oladapo took a swipe at the incumbent representative, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, whom he accused of maintaining an absentee representation style and only becoming visible in the constituency whenever elections approached.

He contrasted this with Olatunji’s accessibility, describing him as a grassroots politician whose home remained open to constituents and party members without the need for prior appointments.

According to him, Olatunji is a politician who maintains close contact with his people and is physically present in the council area alongside his family.

Oladapo, who expressed confidence in Olatunji’s capacity to provide effective representation, called on the electorate to support all APM candidates contesting elective positions in Oluyole Federal Constituency.

He also commended Governor Makinde for what he described as his exceptional commitment to governance, noting that the governor unlike his counterparts in other states, had continued to work with the energy and dedication of a first-term governor seeking re-election.

He maintained that Makinde had remained committed to fulfilling his promises to the people, insisting that his administration was determined to sustain its developmental efforts until the last day of its tenure.

Speaking on behalf of the Mogajis in Oluyole Federal Constituency, Alhaji Waheed Yusuf, Mogaji Ado, declared that the traditional family heads had settled on Olatunji as their preferred candidate to represent the constituency at the National Assembly.

He said their position was informed by Olatunji’s antecedents in public service, humility, courage and demonstrated capacity to attract government programmes and federal interventions capable of improving the living conditions of ordinary residents.

The Mogajis expressed confidence that Olatunji possessed the political experience, administrative competence and grassroots connections required to provide quality representation and bridge the gap between the Federal Government and the people of Oluyole.

They lamented what they described as years of inadequate representation under the incumbent lawmaker, Hon. Akande-Sadipe, urging her to give way to Olatunji in the overall interest of the constituency’s development.

In their separate goodwill messages, the Iyaloja-General of Oluyole, Mrs Omolara Gafari, and the Babaloja of Oluyole, Alhaji Mukaila Olalere, also declared their support for Olatunji, Hon. Waheed Akintayo and Settle Olaide, alongside other APM candidates.

The market leaders urged party members to demonstrate genuine commitment to the electoral project, mobilising traders and artisans across the constituency to secure victory for the party.

They assured party faithful that traders and artisans in Oluyole remained firmly behind Olatunji and the APM, describing his aspiration as a collective project deserving the support of the entire constituency.

Also speaking, the President of Adekunle Ajasin University, University of Ibadan Campus, Olade Olanrewaju, popularly known as Sugar, pledged the support of students residing within Oluyole Federal Constituency.

He said that more than 18,000 students of the institution in the constituency would participate actively in the campaign and mobilise support for Olatunji and other APM candidates.

Olanrewaju further assured that the students would closely monitor the electoral process to stop any attempt to manipulate results or undermine the people’s mandate.

He expressed confidence that Olatunji and other APM candidates would record decisive victories, adding that students were already preparing to contribute to the party’s electoral success.

Similarly, the Chairperson of the Food Vendors Association in Oluyole, Alhaja Oluwalose, declared the association’s support for Olatunji, assuring that his aspiration had been adopted as a personal project by its members.

The Chairman of the Local Government Pension Board, Hon. Ademola Ige, also expressed confidence in the APM’s electoral prospects, commending Olatunji’s record as a former council chairman and speaking glowingly about Governor Makinde and Adekanmbi.

Ige maintained that the developmental strides recorded under Makinde’s administration, particularly in road infrastructure and other critical sectors, had strengthened the party’s appeal among residents.

He argued that no previous governor had constructed half the volume of roads delivered under Makinde’s administration, expressing the conviction that Adekanmbi would succeed the governor and sustain the development trajectory.

He also criticised political appointees resigning from the Makinde administration, describing them as selfish and greedy politicians whose actions should attract the rejection of the electorate.

Ige further declared that the opposition would struggle to win even a single ward in Oluyole, urging its candidates to seek electoral fortunes elsewhere, as he insisted that the constituency was firmly positioned to deliver victory for the APM.

In his remarks, Olatunji described the massive turnout as an indication of genuine grassroots acceptance, while maintaining that opposition parties could not garner such huge support without financial inducements or transported crowd from other places.

He said the event represented the collective resolve of Oluyole residents to determine their political future and send a clear message to those seeking to challenge the APM’s dominating influence.

“This crowd is a direct message to them. This is an organic crowd, not a purchased and imported crowd like they are fond of doing.

“We will teach them the politics they failed to learn. Every politics is local, and we will be waiting to see where they want to go in Oluyole to get votes,” he said.

The APM candidate also promised to address the abandoned federal road project at Abbey Technical along the Idi-Iroko Road, which he alleged had been used as a campaign instrument during the 2023 elections but remained unattended to after the polls.

He assured residents that the road would receive attention under his representation, declaring, “We will do it for our people who deserve better than what they are currently enduring under Sadipe.”

Olatunji’s campaign flag-off was attended by the APM Oyo Central Senatorial candidate, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi; Oyo State ALGON Chairman and two-term Chairman of Egbeda Local Government, Hon. Sikiru Sanda; Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, Hon. Oluwaseun Olufade; and Chairman of Akinyele Local Government, Hon. Wole Akinleye.

Others included the APM candidate for Ibadan South-West II State Constituency, Akinshete Olakunle, and the party’s candidate for Ibadan South-East State Constituency, Hon. Saheed Abimbola.