2027: Ajadi steps up grassroots mobilisation across Oyo central
Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) senatorial candidate for Oyo Central Senatorial District, has intensified his grassroots engagement across the district, urging party leaders, candidates and supporters to remain united ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ajadi made the call on Sunday during a stakeholders’ engagement tour of Oluyole, Akinyele/Lagelu and Egbeda/Ona-Ara Federal Constituencies, where he met with party leaders, women and youth leaders, candidates and other stakeholders.
The tour, which was described as a “Thank-You Visit”, was aimed at appreciating party members for their support while strengthening relationships within the party ahead of the commencement of the official 2027 campaign.
Addressing stakeholders at the various meetings, Ajadi thanked the party leadership, council and ward leaders, women and youth leaders and other supporters for their commitment to the APM.
He said the visits were primarily to express his gratitude and further strengthen the bond among party members before the commencement of the official campaign.
Ajadi also assured the people of Oyo Central that, if elected to the Senate, he would provide effective representation and pursue initiatives aimed at improving the development and welfare of the people across the senatorial district.
He appealed to all APM candidates and stakeholders to work together, stressing that achieving electoral victory in 2027 would require unity, coordination and collective effort.
Building a Stronger Political Structure
The Director-General of the Ajadi campaign structure, Hon. Sikiru Sanda, described the tour as an important step towards building a stronger political structure ahead of the election.
Sanda explained that Ajadi had earlier engaged the House of Representatives and State House of Assembly candidates, as well as party and council chairmen, on the importance of reaching out to party members and stakeholders to appreciate their support before the official campaign begins.
He said the political arrangement demonstrated by Governor Seyi Makinde during the process of selecting candidates underscored the importance of accommodation, diplomacy and unity within a political family.
According to Sanda, Ajadi had also demonstrated loyalty and political maturity by remaining committed to the party following the arrangements that produced the various candidates.
Oluyole
At the Oluyole Federal Constituency, the council chairman and APM House of Representatives candidate, Akeem Olatunji, welcomed Ajadi and his entourage to the constituency.
Olatunji said the leadership and stakeholders remained committed to the party, noting that past local government chairmen had continued to identify with the political family.
He urged party members to maintain the unity and cooperation required to secure victory at the polls.
Hon. Depo Oyedokun Lawal expressed confidence in Ajadi’s electoral prospects, saying the unity displayed among party members in Oluyole would translate into victory for the senatorial candidate and other APM candidates.
Another party leader, Hon. Abdulmojeed Olawale Mogbonjubola, popularly known as Jagaban, described Ajadi’s political antecedents as an indication of his capacity to deliver, assuring him and other candidates of the constituency’s support.
Akinyele/Lagelu
The delegation next visited the Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency, where the Executive Chairman of Akinyele Local Government, Hon. Akinwole Ayobami Akinleye, popularly known as Wole Akinleye, welcomed the team.
The meeting was attended by party leaders, including council and party chairmen, women and youth leaders and the APM House of Representatives candidate for the constituency.
The APM Chairman for Oyo Central, Hon. Dayo Opadokun, commended Ajadi for what he described as his efforts to promote reconciliation and unity among party members during a period of political uncertainty.
He urged party members to work together and support all the party’s candidates, including Ajadi for the Senate and those contesting the House of Representatives and State House of Assembly seats.
Some stakeholders also urged Ajadi to prioritise inclusive representation if elected.
High Chief Akinropo Aderibigbe prayed for victory for Ajadi and other APM candidates, while Chief Oribayo Okeyode urged the senatorial candidate to remain accessible to the people of Oyo Central and remember their interests if elected to the National Assembly.
Egbeda/Ona-Ara
The final leg of the tour took the Ajadi team to Egbeda/Ona-Ara Federal Constituency, where party leaders and stakeholders from the two local governments received the delegation.
The gathering included women and youth leaders, former political office holders, party executives and the APM House of Representatives candidate for Egbeda/Ona-Ara, Hon. Ezekiel Temitope Oladimeji, popularly known as Otope.
Otope appreciated the party leaders and members for their support and assured them that all stakeholders would be carried along when the official campaign begins.
Other speakers, including Alhaji Muftau Ogunremi and Hon. Sikiru Busari Olayemi, called for unity among members and urged party stakeholders to resolve grievances internally while working together to deliver their respective polling units.
The three constituency engagements featured prayers, goodwill messages and renewed appeals for cooperation among candidates, party leaders and grassroots structures.
Stakeholders also emphasised the need for members to sensitise voters at the grassroots about the APM while ensuring that the party’s structures remain coordinated ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Thank-You Tour ultimately served as both an appreciation exercise and an opportunity to strengthen relationships among party leaders, candidates and supporters across Oyo Central.
Ajadi and his entourage expressed confidence that the unity displayed across the three constituencies would provide a solid foundation for the party’s campaign and electoral aspirations in the senatorial district.