Ajadi Deepens Grassroots Engagement Across Oyo Central

By Ibrahim Kegbegbe

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) senatorial candidate for Oyo Central Senatorial District, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has deepened his grassroots engagement across Oluyole, Akinyele/Lagelu and Egbeda/Ona-Ara Federal Constituencies, expressing appreciation to party leaders, women, youths, candidates and supporters for their support and urging them to remain united and work together ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Ajadi made the call on Sunday during a stakeholders’ engagement across the three federal constituencies, where he met with party leaders, candidates, women and youth leaders and other supporters as part of efforts to strengthen the party’s grassroots structure ahead of the commencement of the 2027 campaign.

Speaking at the various engagements, Ajadi thanked Almighty God for making the visits successful and appreciated the party leadership, council and ward leaders, women and youth leaders, as well as other stakeholders for their support. He said the purpose of the tour was primarily to express gratitude and strengthen the bond among members before the commencement of the official campaign.

Ajadi assured the people of Oyo Central that, if elected to the Senate, he would provide effective representation and work for the development and welfare of the people across the senatorial district. He also called for cooperation among all APM candidates, stressing that victory in 2027 would require unity, coordination and collective effort.

The Director-General of the Ajadi campaign structure, Hon. Sikiru Sanda, said the Thank-You Visit was an important first step towards building a formidable political team ahead of the election. He 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 need to visit party members and stakeholders to appreciate their support before the commencement of the official campaign.

Sanda said the political arrangement demonstrated by Governor Seyi Makinde during the process of selecting candidates showed the importance of accommodation, diplomacy and unity within a political family. According to him, Ajadi similarly demonstrated loyalty and maturity by remaining committed to the party after the political arrangements that produced the various candidates.

At Oluyole Federal Constituency, the council chairman and APM House of Representatives candidate, Akeem Olatunji, welcomed Ajadi and his entourage to the constituency. He said the leadership and stakeholders remained committed to the party, noting that past local government chairmen had continued to identify with the political family, while urging members to maintain the unity required to secure victory.

Hon. Depo Oyedokun Lawal expressed confidence in Ajadi’s electoral prospects, saying the unity witnessed 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, also described Ajadi’s political antecedents as a strong indication of his capacity to deliver, assuring him and other candidates of the support of the constituency.

At Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency, the Executive Chairman of Akinyele Local Government, Hon. Akinwole Ayobami Akinleye, popularly known as Wole Akinleye, welcomed Ajadi and his entourage. The meeting was attended by party leaders, including council and party chairmen, women and youth leaders, as well as 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 reconcile and unite members during a period of political uncertainty. He urged party members to work together and support all the candidates, including Ajadi for the Senate and the candidates contesting the House of Representatives and State House of Assembly seats.

Some leaders at the meeting also urged Ajadi, if elected, to make inclusive representation a priority. High Chief Akinropo Aderibigbe prayed for victory for Ajadi and the other APM candidates, while Chief Oribayo Okeyode appealed to the senatorial candidate to remember the people of Oyo Central and remain accessible to them if elected to the National Assembly.

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 AKA Otope.

Speaking at the meeting, Otope appreciated the party leaders and members for their support, assuring 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 and urged members to resolve grievances internally while working together to deliver their respective polling units.

The three constituency engagements were marked by prayers, goodwill messages and renewed appeals for cooperation among the various candidates and party structures. Party leaders also stressed the need for members to sensitise voters at the grassroots about the APM and ensure that the party’s structures remain coordinated ahead of the 2027 elections.

The Thank-You Tour, which brought together stakeholders from the affected federal constituencies, therefore served not only as an appreciation exercise but also as an opportunity to strengthen relationships among party leaders and candidates. Ajadi and his entourage subsequently expressed confidence that the unity displayed across the constituencies would provide a strong foundation for the party’s campaign and electoral aspirations in Oyo Central.