By Otunba (Dr.) Abdulfalil Abayomi Odunowo
Politics, at its best, is about balancing competing loyalties, loyalty to party, to friends, to personal ambition, and, above all, to lasting principles of fairness and justice. In the unfolding story of Ogun East Senatorial politics ahead of the 2027 elections, I have chosen principle. Though my commitment to the All Progressives Congress (APC) runs deep and long, I stand firmly with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate from Ijebu for the Ogun East Senatorial seat. This isn’t rebellion. It is simply consistency with a public principle I declared long before any primaries took place.
The Ijebu Lokan fun Itesiwaju Ijebu Movement, of which I am a part, stated its position plainly, publicly, and transparently: we would support whichever qualified party put forward a credible candidate from Ijebuland for this seat. There was no backroom bargain here, just a clear declaration grounded in historical reality and the moral necessity of equitable representation in Ogun East Senatorial District, which includes both Ijebu and Remo areas.
Historical Context Demands Equity
Ogun State’s creation in 1976 brought together distinct Yoruba subgroups, Egba, Ijebu, Remo, Yewa, and others, under one administrative umbrella. Since the return to civilian rule, the balance of power has not always reflected that diversity. The last Ijebu son to govern Ogun State was Chief Olabisi Onabanjo (1979–1983).
In the Fourth Republic, Ogun East has produced governors from the Remo axis: Otunba Gbenga Daniel (2003–2011) and the current Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun from Iperu-Remo. Remo has also held the Ogun East Senate seat in recent times, with Senator Gbenga Daniel, a Remo son and former governor, currently representing the district. That concentration of executive and legislative influence in one axis, while Ijebu, historically a major demographic, economic, and cultural force in the district, has been sidelined in the senatorial equation, raises real questions of fairness. Ijebu people have contributed enormously to Ogun State’s development through commerce, education, and public service, yet political opportunities within Ogun East have not rotated equitably.
Let me be clear, this is not an attack on Remo or its accomplished people. Ijebu and Remo share deep fraternal ties, intermarriages, and a long history of partnership across generations. Brothers don’t truly prosper when one side consistently dominates opportunities at the expense of the other. Real brotherhood calls for fairness, balance, and rotation of power, so that every constituent feels a sense of stake in the polity. The principle of “Ijebu Lokan” (Ijebu’s Turn) is nothing more than a call for this overdue equity, not exclusion, but inclusion.
Principle Over Blind Loyalty
When the APC primaries produced yet another nomination from the Remo axis, despite our public pre-primary appeal for balance, the choice became unmistakably clear. The PDP, on the other hand, aligned with our stated principle by nominating a qualified Ijebu candidate. To walk away from our commitment at that stage simply for partisan convenience would have made our advocacy empty. Principles mean very little if they disappear the moment pressure arrives.
I remain a proud APC member with a record of service to the party. I still support the APC’s presidential candidate and other party standard-bearers where equity is not the issue. My position is carefully and conscientiously limited to the Ogun East Senatorial seat, where historical imbalance calls for correction. Party discipline matters, yes, but it must never become a device for entrenching marginalization or muting legitimate demands for justice. Democracy flourishes not on robotic loyalty alone, but on trust, inclusion, and the conviction that every community deserves a fair chance at representation.
A Call for Broader Democratic Maturity
This goes beyond APC versus PDP. It asks a bigger question: can Nigerian politics mature beyond winner-takes-all dominance and embrace rotational equity and zonal balance, values that have helped steady politics in many federations? Voters in Ogun East will make that decision in the end. Some will hold tightly to strict party lines. Others, perhaps, will see that exceptional circumstances, supported by a clear historical pattern of imbalance, justify putting community equity and long-term harmony first.
My conscience is clear. The Ijebu Lokan position was stated publicly and consistently before candidates even emerged. I have merely honored it. At a time when political flip-flopping has become commonplace, consistency in the service of justice remains a rare virtue. History, after all, will remember not only where leaders stood, but whether they stood for fairness when it mattered most.
Ogun East, and indeed Ogun State, will be stronger when every major constituent feels genuinely seen, heard, and equitably empowered. That is the Ijebu Cause I proudly champion, not division, but restorative equity for lasting unity and progress.
Signed
Otunba (Dr) Abdulfalil Bayou Odunowo
Convener
Ijebu Lokan fun itesiwaju Ijebu Movement.
Ala jobi Age dede eni ooo
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