Oyo 2027: APC guber aspirant Adegbola engages Ogbomoso royals, party leaders
By Adejayan Gbenga
As political momentum builds ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial election in Oyo State, retired Colonel Gbenga Adegbola, a frontline All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant, embarked on a strategic political tour of the Ogbomoso zone on Thursday, engaging traditional rulers and party stakeholders in a bid to strengthen grassroots support.
The highlight of the tour was a courtesy visit to the Soun of Ogbomosoland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, and other traditional rulers in the town – including the Alajaawa of Ajaawa, Oba Thompson Adeyeye Oyetunji (Olumole II), the Olopete of Opete, Oba Samuel Bamigboye, the Onpetu of Ijeru, Oba Sunday Oladapo Oyediran, and the Olu of Obada, Oja-Oba, Oba Samuel Oyekunle, among others.
Adegbola, during the visit, said his aspiration is rooted in a desire to serve all regions of the state. He emphasized the importance of security, equity, and rural development in his agenda.
He further stressed the need for traditional institutions to be involved in policymaking and security coordination.
In his remarks, the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Olaoye, while commending Adegbola for his courage and early declaration, noted that Oyo is a complex state — and that to govern it requires strategic planning and broad consultation.
Similarly, Adegbola, while engaging APC stakeholders, also met former lawmaker Ayoade Adeseun, who represented Oyo Central in the Senate between 2011 and 2015.
During the visit, Adeseun, who criticized the concentration of state resources in Ibadan at the expense of other regions such as Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa, and Ogbomoso, declared that the time has come for political power to shift away from Ibadan, the state capital, to other long-marginalized zones.
Both Adeseun and the Soun emphasized the need for political unity within the APC, urging the people of Oke-Ogun and other zones to rally behind a single, viable candidate to challenge the Ibadan-dominant status quo.
