2027: Ido, Ibarapa-East Stakeholders Describe Remi Oseni’s 2023 Victory as ‘Political Mistake’, Back Odidiomo

A coalition of political stakeholders, community leaders and party elders from Ido and Ibarapa-East Federal Constituency of Oyo State has described the election of Hon. Remi Oseni in 2023 as a political mistake, declaring its support for the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) senatorial candidate, Hon. Adedeji Dhikrullahi Olajide, popularly known as Odidiomo, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The stakeholders made their position known on Tuesday in a communique issued in response to recent public comments by Alhaji Kamorudeen Ajisafe, an APC leader in Ido Local Government Area, concerning the federal lawmaker.

In the communique, signed by Akinola Olumide Olaleye on behalf of Ido Local Government stakeholders and Olawale Ojewola for Ibarapa-East Local Government, the coalition said Ajisafe’s public remarks had brought renewed attention to concerns it claimed had existed among political stakeholders in the constituency.

The group accused Oseni of alienating some of the political leaders, grassroots mobilisers and associates who contributed to his emergence as a member of the House of Representatives in 2023.

According to the coalition, alleged disagreements, strained political relationships and complaints about the lawmaker’s treatment of associates have weakened his political relationships in the constituency.

“Alhaji Kamorudeen Ajisafe’s outbursts have finally brought to public attention concerns that many political stakeholders have expressed over time. Voting Remi Oseni in 2023 was, in our assessment, a political mistake that should not be repeated in 2027,” the communique stated.

The stakeholders further alleged that Oseni’s relationship with some of his former political allies had deteriorated, claiming that several influential figures who supported his 2023 campaign were no longer aligned with his political camp.

They also expressed reservations about his reported ambition to contest the Oyo South Senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that his alleged disagreements with party stakeholders could affect his political relationships across the district.

Comparing the political approaches of Oseni and the APM senatorial candidate, Odidiomo, the coalition pointed to what it described as differences in their engagement with communities and political stakeholders.

It commended Odidiomo’s reported interventions in infrastructure, solar streetlight installations and educational development, describing the projects as part of his efforts to maintain engagement with constituents across Oyo South.

The group also urged political stakeholders and residents of Ido, Ibarapa-East and other local government areas in Oyo South to pay attention to candidates’ records, relationships with constituents and contributions to community development ahead of the 2027 elections.

Reaffirming its support for the APM and Odidiomo, the coalition said it intended to mobilise its political structures and grassroots networks in support of the party’s senatorial candidate.

The communique concluded with a call for what the stakeholders described as a change in the style of political representation in Oyo South, urging voters to make their decisions based on leadership records, accountability and engagement with the people.

The development comes amid growing political realignments and emerging disagreements among political actors in Oyo State as preparations gradually gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.