*Breaking – Oyo Market Leaders, Traders Back Ogundoyin’s Governorship Bid, Honour Late Iyaloja General Tina Ogundoyin*

Market leaders and artisans across Oyo State have declared their support for the governorship ambition of the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, urging Governor Seyi Makinde and the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to consider him as the party’s flag bearer in the 2027 election.

They pledged their support at a stakeholders’ meeting involving 12 registered clusters of market and traders’ associations in the state.

The event, held at Apex Event Centre, Gate, Ibadan brought together Babalojas, Iyalojas, and representatives of major trading bodies from all 33 local government areas.

At the gathering, the leadership of the associations collectively appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde and other influential figures within the PDP to allow and support Ogundoyin’s emergence as the party’s governorship candidate, citing his leadership experience and grassroots connection with traders and artisans.

The associations present at the meeting included the Oyo State Joint Traders Association, Oyo State Markets Men and Women Association, Association of Commodity and Foodstuff Dealers of Nigeria, National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTs), NYTACHAI, and the Progressive Traders and Artisans group.

Others were the National Traders and Market Leaders Council (NATMALC), Companion Traders Association, Traders Men and Artisan Association, Food Canteen Union, Market Traders Association of Nigeria (Oyo State chapter), and Ibadan Joint Traders, all of whom aligned in support of the Speaker’s 2027 Governorship aspiration.

Speaking on behalf of the traders, the National Woman Leader of the National Association of Nigerian Traders, Chief (Mrs.) Odunayo Kayode Danjuma, described the decision to support and work for the Speaker as both symbolic and historic, linking it to the enduring legacy of the late acting Iyaloja General of Oyo State, Chief (Mrs.) Justina Iyabo Ogundoyin.

She noted that the late matriarch, who also served as Iyaloja-General of Ibarapaland until her passing, made significant contributions to the growth and cohesion of market associations across the state.

According to Chief Mrs. Danjuma, pledging their support for her son represents a form of collective appreciation and recognition of her service to the trading community, adding that the gesture was driven by a sense of loyalty, shared history and the spirit of paying back.

“This is a payback for her years of dedication and the development she brought to market associations across Oyo State. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin is her son, and we consider it an honour to support him in his aspiration,” she said.

She further disclosed that traders and market leaders from neighbouring states, including Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, and Osun, were present at the meeting in solidarity, underscoring what she described as a broader regional backing for the Speaker.

Chief Mrs. Danjuma therefore called on Governor Makinde, PDP stakeholders, and political actors across the state to support Ogundoyin’s emergence as the party’s governorship candidate in 2027, insisting that he enjoys widespread acceptance among traders.

In their separate remarks, the Chairman of NYTACHAI in Oyo State, Alhaja Najeem Azeez Amole, and the Chairman of NATMALC in the state, Chief (Mrs.) Adebiyi Afusat, reaffirmed the commitment of the 12 market clusters, alongside Babalojas and Iyalojas, to mobilise support for Ogundoyin if he secures the PDP ticket.

They emphasized that the structure of market associations across all local government areas provides a strong grassroots network capable of delivering significant electoral support for Rt. Hon. Ogundoyin’s aspiration.

The leaders also pointed out that Oyo State has a history of governors with strong ties to the trading community, noting that even the incumbent governor, Seyi Makinde, has familial roots in the market system, as his mother was a trader at the Bola Ige International Market, Gbagi, before her passing.

They argued that this longstanding relationship between governance and the trading community further justifies their support for Ogundoyin, whom they described as a candidate with both political experience and cultural alignment with the grassroots.