Oyo G22 Renewed slams Ibadan’s political dominance, urging parties to back non-Ibadan candidates for the 2027 governorship

In an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, and the leadership of major political parties, the group denounced what it called a “historic and intolerable imbalance” in the allocation of the governorship slot.

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Among the signatories were respected figures including Prof Wande Abimbola, Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu, Prof Sulaiman Gbadegesin, Dr Adesokan Ojebode, Prof Nurain Tanimowo, Mr Dokun Alagbe, Dr Akin Onigbinde and retired General Kunle Togun.

The group pointed out that since 1983, Ibadan indigenes had produced almost all the state’s governors, including Omololu Olunloyo, Kolapo Ishola, Lamidi Adesina, Rashidi Ladoja, Abiola Ajimobi and the incumbent, Seyi Makinde.

The only exception, they stressed, was the late Adebayo Alao-Akala from Ogbomoso, who served from 2007 to 2011.

Calling for change ahead of the 2027 elections, Oyo G22 Renewed demanded that political parties field candidates from Ogbomoso, Oyo, Ibarapa or Oke-Ogun, rather than Ibadan.

The letter noted that only 30 per cent of Ibadan’s voting population were actual indigenes, meaning that 70 per cent of the state’s electorate came from other zones and non-indigenes. The group argued this disproves claims that Ibadan’s demographic strength alone justifies its dominance.

They appealed to Ibadan leaders to abandon what they described as an uncompromising posture, urging a commitment to “justice, peaceful co-existence, equity and fairness” for the wider state.

Drawing comparisons with neighbouring states, the group observed that no governor has emerged from the state capitals of Osogbo, Akure or Ado-Ekiti.

In Ogun, the seat rotates between the Egbas and Ijebus, while at the federal level, Nigeria has avoided the exclusion of Southerners despite the North’s large voting bloc.

“We, on behalf of the 22 local government areas outside Ibadan, are determined to ensure that our peaceful and legitimate demand is met,” the letter read. “We will support only those who support our aspiration.”

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The intervention by Oyo G22 Renewed highlights the simmering debate over zoning in Oyo politics, with growing pressure for 2027 to break Ibadan’s long-held dominance.