Okeogun indigenes protest APC zoning plan, demand 2027 governorship slot
IBADAN, Nigeria — Indigenous groups from Okeogun, a geopolitical zone in Oyo State, staged a peaceful protest on Monday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national headquarters in Ibadan. The demonstrators oppose the party’s reported plan to zone the state chairmanship position to their region again, arguing it would undermine their quest for the state’s governorship ticket in 2027.
Protesters, organized under the socio-cultural group “Egbe Ajosepo fun Itesiwaju Gbogbo Wa,” carried placards with inscriptions such as “Give us governorship seat in 2027,” “No to Party Chairman position again,” and “We want true democracy.” They claim the alleged zoning of the chairmanship to Okeogun is a strategic move to block the zone from fielding a gubernatorial candidate.
The protest follows a statement by the Oyo State APC on Sunday, announcing an ad-hoc committee chaired by Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle to allocate posts in the new state executive committee across the 33 local government chapters.
Mr. Dauda Olaifa, National Chairman of the group, told journalists that credible sources indicated the APC had already selected an Okeogun indigene for the chairmanship. He alleged this was a deliberate attempt to sideline Okeogun’s governorship ambition, noting that a party chairman and governor cannot practically emerge from the same zone simultaneously.
Olaifa cited political history since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, asserting that party chairmanship slots within both the APC and its predecessor, the PDP, have consistently been dominated by Okeogun within Oyo State. “For over two decades, the position of party chairman… has been disproportionately domiciled in Oyo North, particularly Okeogun,” he stated, calling another chairmanship slot “political tokenism” and a “consolation prize.”
He emphasized that Okeogun, which comprises 10 local governments and is the state’s second-largest zone after Ibadan, has historically supported Ibadan indigenes to become governors. The group now insists Okeogun will throw its voting bloc behind any party that zones the governorship to the zone. Olaifa claimed seven competent aspirants from the zone are ready and criticized “self-imposed” negotiators pushing for the chairmanship as representing self-interest.
Pastor Favour Adewoyin, the group’s National Secretary, supported the demand by noting that power rotation is common in Nigeria’s Southwest, citing examples in Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos, and other states. “Why should Oyo state be an exception?” he asked.
The group’s position is clear: reject the deputy governorship slot (as Okeogun has produced five deputies), reject the party chairmanship (due to historical occupancy), and insist on the governorship for 2027. The protesters urged the APC to align with this demand, setting the stage for continued negotiations over the state’s political zoning arrangements.
