Ibadan, Oyo State -October 21, 2026
By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
The Oyo Central Senatorial District candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has urged Nigerians to appreciate teachers for their contributions to society, particularly their role in shaping the lives and future of individuals through education.
Ajadi made the appeal during the 60th anniversary celebration of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Oluyole branch, held in Ibadan, Oyo State, where he acknowledged the importance of teachers in nation-building and called for greater recognition of their contributions to human and societal development.
He said teachers deserved appreciation and support because their professional efforts had helped produce individuals who now occupy important positions across different sectors of society.
Ajadi, who has been supporting the ongoing building project of the NUT Oluyole branch, reiterated his commitment to the welfare and development of teachers, expressing optimism that more support could be extended to the union if he is elected to the Senate.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of Oluyole Local Government and APM House of Representatives candidate for the constituency, Hon. Akeem Olatunji, extended greetings to Ajadi, Hon. Sikiru Oyedele Sanda, Director-General of Ajadi’s senatorial campaign committee, and Olayide Muyideen Popoola, popularly known as Settle, whom he described as his prospective successor in the forthcoming local government election scheduled for December 2026.
Olatunji said the best way to reward a good person was to reciprocate the person’s kindness, urging the people of Oluyole to demonstrate appreciation for teachers by supporting them and recognising their contributions to society.
He disclosed that his administration had consistently sponsored NUT Oluyole branch activities since he became local government chairman. He added that the council had also been approached to support the union’s ongoing building construction project.
The chairman urged teachers to support continuity in Oyo State, saying that the gains they had recorded should be sustained. He also acknowledged Ajadi’s contributions to the teachers’ union project, expressing confidence that the senatorial candidate would provide greater support if elected to the National Assembly.
Olatunji further stated that he, Ajadi and other APM candidates contesting for legislative positions would honour teachers during the next Teachers’ Day celebration if they secured victory in the 2027 elections and assumed office.
Also speaking, the Oyo State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Hamzat Ajibola Fatahi, described teachers as people who appreciate positive developments despite the challenges they had faced in the past.
Fatahi referred to concerns over salary payment during the previous administration, contrasting them with what he described as the current practice of teachers receiving their salaries on the 25th of every month.
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He subsequently declared the union’s support for the APM candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“On behalf of the entire members of teachers of Oyo State, we are all voting for all APM candidates in 2027,” Fatahi said.
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The Merit Newspaper reports that the 60th anniversary celebration provided an opportunity to recognise the contributions of teachers to education and community development, while highlighting calls for sustained support for the teaching profession and improved welfare for educators in Oyo State.
