By Otunba (Dr) Abdulfalil Abayomi Odunowo
For close to five decades now, ever since Ogun State was created on February 3, 1976, the Ijebu and Remo people have walked side by side as a clear, living proof of Yoruba brotherhood, mutual regard, and honest political cooperation.
On that landmark day, under General Murtala Muhammed’s administration, Ogun State was carved out of the old Western State, drawing together four proud divisions, Egba, Ijebu, Remo, and Yewa, into one family. From day one, Ijebu and Remo picked togetherness over rivalry. We didn’t treat ourselves as opponents, but as partners tied by blood, culture, and a shared future in Ogun East.
So why was Remo broken into three smaller LGAs, while broader and more expansive territories like Ijebu East and Ijebu North stayed largely intact?
“If equity truly guided local government creation, then administrative units ought to show a fair balance of landmass, population, and socio-economic weight. Yet today, larger territories like Ijebu East and Ijebu North remain under-represented in LGA structure, while smaller areas have been split into multiple administrative units, creating an imbalance in political access, resource distribution, and grassroots representation.” “We did not complain because we had strong familial ties.”
This isn’t a plea for separation. It’s a plea for proportion. It’s not a rejection of our brothers in Remo; it’s simply a request that the same yardstick used there be applied fairly across all Ijebu territories.
“You cannot fragment one zone into three and leave another with greater size and population as a single block and still call that equity. That is not balance. That is structural distortion.”
When it was time for Ogun East to produce a Governor, Ijebu, despite our numbers and deep historical roots, chose unity over dominance. We willingly ceded the position to our Remo brothers, not once, but twice. That single-minded sacrifice gave Remo 16 uninterrupted years of governorship. Not one loud protest came from Ijebu. We embraced their leadership because we believed in the bigger picture for our region.
Even now, with Remo holding both the Governorship and the Ogun East Senate seat, we’ve continued to maintain peace, maturity, and cooperation. Not because we’re powerless, but because we genuinely value the stability and progress of Ogun East. Our hearts have stayed open, and our hands remain extended in fellowship.
But a turning point has stirred our collective conscience.
When the idea of creating a new state from the old Ijebu Province surfaced, hearts across Ijebuland naturally expected, based on history, tradition, and identity, that it would be called Ijebu State, with Ijebu-Ode as its capital. Ijebu-Ode, the undisputed traditional headquarters of Ijebuland, has for centuries stood as the spiritual and cultural home that unites all Ijebu sons and daughters.
Yet, to our genuine shock and disappointment, that expectation met resistance. Instead, there was a strong push for the name “Ijebu-Remo.”
That choice wasn’t “just a name.” It hit something deeper, the shared identity we’ve carefully protected since 1976. It hinted at separation where unity had always held. It suggested that the brotherhood we’ve invested so much in could be starting to crack.
So let this be said plainly, with love and without bitterness:
Ijebu is not looking for a fight.
Ijebu is not walking away from brotherhood.
Ijebu is simply asking for fairness and equity.
If today Remo holds both the Governorship and the Senate seat, then by any reasonable standard of justice, balance, and political maturity:
2027 MUST PRESENT AN IJEBU SENATOR.
This isn’t about a person. It isn’t about ego, or ambition, or anybody’s private agenda. It’s about restoring the kind of balance that has kept Ogun East steady and peaceful for almost 50 years. It’s about making sure no Ijebu child grows up feeling sidelined in a land their forefathers helped build since 1976.
Real brotherhood can’t be one-way. It survives on mutual respect, shared sacrifice, and equal opportunity. Ijebu has given generously, our numbers, our resources, our patience, and our consistent commitment to unity. We’ve shown, again and again, that we can place the collective interest above our own.
Now we’re asking for one thing only: what is right. Fairness. Equity. Balance.
That’s the surest route to preserving the peace, strength, and greatness of Ogun East.
To our Remo brothers and sisters, whom we still cherish: this call comes from love, not anger. Let’s keep moving forward together, as one.
And to every well-meaning Nigerian, every lover of justice, every son and daughter of Ogun State and Ogun East: your voice counts. Stand with us in this principled cause. Speak for equity. Support a 2027 that reflects true balance. Let history record that when we had to choose between division and fairness, we chose fairness, and by doing so, we tightened the bonds that have held us together since 1976.
Our children’s future rests, in many ways, on the fairness we practice today.
Signed,
Otunba (Dr) Abdulfalil Abayomi Odunowo
Convener
Ijebu Lokan fun Itesiwaju Ijebu
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