The Onpetu of Ijeru in Ogbomosoland, Oyo State, Oba Sunday Oyediran, together with Ibadan family heads—known as Mogajis—and Part II chiefs in Ibadanland, have thrown their weight behind the re‑election bid of Governor Seyi Makinde. Other groups that pledged support for Makinde ahead of the Saturday, 18 March governorship election included the state’s market men and women association, traders and artisans, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, and youth organisations.
A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, on Sunday said these groups made their decision public on Saturday at Ilaji Hotels and Resort, Akanran, Ibadan, when the governor visited the hotel’s chairman, Otun Apesinola of Ibadanland, Dotun Sanusi. Sanusi, who gave a brief welcome address, announced his support for Makinde’s re‑election, noting that the governor had previously mobilised support for President‑elect Bola Tinubu in the penultimate Saturday’s presidential election. In response, Makinde praised Sanusi—describing him as a friend and colleague from the oil and gas industry—and said he had learned valuable lessons in stakeholder engagement, adding that the state would be better off if Makinde were re‑elected.
Addressing the Mogajis and Baales, Makinde reiterated that his administration would not approve any reform to the Ibadan chieftaincy system without due diligence. He stressed that any review must originate from within the system itself. He cited his proudest moment in office as saving the Olubadan Chieftaincy System from crisis, explaining that without his intervention the institution could have been left without a king, leaving traditional structures in shambles. “I took a bold decision to save that institution, and it is one of the proudest moments for me as a governor,” he said.
Makinde thanked the traditional heads, market, and artisanal groups for their support, stating that he has committed his re‑election to God and is confident that the Peoples Democratic Party will achieve a landslide victory in Saturday’s polls. Earlier, Oba Oyediran had urged Mogajis, Baales, and market and artisanal groups to consider the governor’s achievements over the past three years and seven months, describing Makinde as exceptional and deserving of another term. “I have not been on the throne for long, but in my 24 years I have seen many governors; Makinde is the best we have had so far. We should allow him to complete his full eight‑year term,” he declared. “If you say Obas are campaigning, yes, we are. This is our own governor. Even with limited resources, we can see the wonders he is doing.”
Similarly, Asimiyu Ariori, President of the Association of Mogajis in Ibadanland, praised Sanusi for his role in ending street wars in Ibadan and commended the governor for the administration’s contribution to city stability, citing the establishment of committees to address gang conflicts and land‑grabbing.
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