Okeogun APC zoning protest erupts in Ibadan as demonstrators reject chairmanship plan and demand 2027 governorship slot
Scores of protesters from the Okeogun area of Oyo State on Monday stormed the All Progressives Congress headquarters in Ibadan, rejecting an alleged plan to zone the party’s state chairmanship position to their zone.
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The demonstrators, operating under the aegis of Egbe Ajosepo fun Itesiwaju Gbogbo Wa, carried placards with inscriptions demanding that the party reserve the 2027 governorship slot for Okeogun instead of offering another chairmanship position.
Among the messages displayed were “Give us governorship seat in 2027,” “Let Okeogun breathe,” and “No to Party Chairman position again.”
Addressing journalists during the protest, the National Chairman of the group, Dauda Olaifa, alleged that credible information suggested the APC had pencilled an indigene of Okeogun for the state chairmanship.
Dauda Olaifa described the alleged move as a calculated attempt to deny Okeogun the opportunity to produce the next governor of Oyo State.
He argued that the positions of governor and party chairman could not reasonably come from the same zone simultaneously.
The Okeogun APC zoning protest followed a statement issued on Sunday by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, announcing the inauguration of an ad hoc committee to manage zoning arrangements for a new state executive committee.
The committee, chaired by Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle, was mandated to allocate executive positions across the 33 local government areas of the state.
Dauda Olaifa said historical records since the return to democracy in 1999 showed that party chairmanship positions under both the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party had consistently been allocated to Okeogun.
According to Dauda Olaifa, there was a period when both major parties had their state chairmen from the same town in Okeogun, which he described as disproportionate representation.
He insisted that offering the zone another chairmanship slot amounted to political tokenism rather than inclusion.
He added that Okeogun, which comprises 10 local government areas and is the second largest zone after Ibadan, had significantly supported the emergence of Ibadan indigenes as governors.
Dauda Olaifa stated that the zone would support any political party that fields a governorship candidate from Okeogun in 2027, regardless of religion or social background.
He disclosed that at least seven aspirants from the zone had emerged after what he described as rigorous consultations.
Also speaking, the group’s National Secretary, Pastor Favour Adewoyin, said power rotation was a recognised principle in progressive governance across several South West states.
Pastor Favour Adewoyin cited examples including Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Lagos, as well as Kwara, Kogi, Edo, and Delta states, where rotational arrangements have shaped political leadership.
Pastor Favour Adewoyin further referenced Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for equitable representation to prevent domination and promote inclusion.
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The APC has yet to formally respond to the specific demands raised during Monday’s protest.
