By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) senatorial candidate for Oyo Central Senatorial District, has urged party members and political decampees in Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State to embrace unity, reconciliation and grassroots mobilisation ahead of the December 2026 local government elections and the 2027 general election.
Ajadi made the appeal after attending an APM Egbeda meeting organised to welcome and recognise new members from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Boye Nation, particularly those from Egbeda.
Shortly after the meeting, Ajadi issued a statement urging the decampees and returning members to put past political disagreements behind them and work collectively towards strengthening the party’s structure across the local government area.
“Our doors are open to everyone who genuinely wants to contribute to the progress of Oyo State. I urge our old and new members to forgive past disagreements, embrace one another and build a united APM capable of earning the confidence of the people,” Ajadi said.
He also urged party faithful across Egbeda’s 11 wards to participate actively in ward meetings, engage residents and mobilise support for APM candidates. He stressed that discipline, cooperation and sustained grassroots engagement would be important to the party’s electoral prospects.
Ajadi urged members to demonstrate their commitment through peaceful political participation and direct engagement with voters, stressing that the party’s success would depend on its ability to maintain unity and respond to the concerns of communities.
“Let us not allow personal differences to distract us from the bigger picture. Our responsibility is to reach the people, listen to their concerns and work together for the success of our candidates through peaceful and democratic participation,” he added.
The Chairman of Egbeda Local Government, Hon. Sikiru Oyedele Sanda, who also chairs the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Oyo State and serves as Director-General of Ajadi’s campaign committee, said members who had previously defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Accord had returned to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). He urged them to work collectively with existing party members at the ward, local government and state levels to ensure the party’s success.
A former member of the House of Representatives and Egbeda political leader, Hon. Busari Olayemi, expressed confidence in the prospects of APM candidates, attributing his optimism partly to Governor Seyi Makinde’s political leadership and the party’s candidate-selection arrangements.
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Olayemi claimed that Makinde’s approach to selecting candidates had helped promote agreement among party leaders. He urged members to support the party’s candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives, State House of Assembly and governorship positions in the 2027 general election.
Earlier, Hon. Ebenezer Olawale Alawe welcomed the decampees and urged members to remain active in political activities. Hon. Mogaji Ganiyu Gbolagade appealed to aggrieved members to forgive one another, while Hon. Samson Oladele, Ward 7 chairman and chairman of ward chairmen in Egbeda, said the party maintained active participation across its 11 wards.
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The Oyo State Commissioner for Lands, Housing, Survey and Urban Development, Hon. Williams Akin-Funmilayo, encouraged members to return to their respective wards and intensify grassroots campaigns.
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The Merit Newspaper reports that the meeting was attended by the Deputy Majority Leader of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Olasunkanmi Babalola; APM House of Representatives candidate for Egbeda/Ona-Ara Federal Constituency, Hon. Ezekiel Temitope Oladimeji, popularly known as Otope, who was represented by his supporters; Egbeda APM chairmanship candidate, Hon. Ibrahim Oladebo, popularly known as Simple; Egbeda political leader, Alhaji Lukman Akinpelu; and the Chief of Staff to Egbeda Local Government, Hon. Siyanbola Kabiru.
