The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters in Oyo State and a leader of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Ibarapa, Hon. Ademola Ojo, popularly known as Ijaya, has dismissed the claim by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that it would secure the bulk of votes from the Ibarapa geopolitical zone in the 2027 general elections.
Ojo described the optimism expressed by the APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, and his supporters as “delusional optimism” insisting that the APM remained firmly rooted in Ibarapa and has retained a strong grassroots structure across the zone.
The commissioner was reacting to the declaration by an APC chieftain and businessman, Dr Olusola Ayandele, who, alongside few of his supporters, reportedly visited the party’s campaign office in Ibadan on Tuesday to reaffirm their support for President Bola Tinubu, Alli and other APC candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ayandele had assured the APC leadership that Ibarapa would deliver its “bulk votes” to the party, declaring that there would be no room for opposition parties in the zone.
But Ojo in a swift reaction, said such declarations amounted to political wishful thinking, arguing that the APC could not win an election merely by staging a defection or mobilisation event in Ibadan.
According to him, the political reality on the ground in Ibarapa is entirely different from the picture being painted by the opposition party, stressing that the APM had continued to consolidate its structures and grassroots support across the zone.
“Ibarapa is not a political territory that can be won through press statements, rented crowds or political theatrics in Ibadan. The people are on the ground and they know who has stood with them.
“The APM remains firmly rooted in Ibarapa. We are in control of the grassroots and we are not distracted by the delusional optimism coming from the APC camp.
“By 2027, the people will have the opportunity to assess the records, character, programmes of the APC and Alli as a senator in the last four years because It will not be an election won through their usual media propaganda,” Ojo said.
He challenged the APC leadership to distinguish between the enthusiasm of a few political supporters and genuine voter acceptance across the communities and polling units of Ibarapa.
Ojo also said the APC should not mistake the return or mobilisation of few individual politician on political survival mode for a wholesale realignment of voters in the zone.
He maintained that the APM’s strength in Ibarapa was built around sustained grassroots engagement and good governance, adding that the party would continue to mobilise residents on the need to support candidates who, according to him, had demonstrated commitment to the development of the state.
Recall that at the APC event, the party’s state chairman, Dr Moses Adeyemo, had welcomed Ayandele and his followers, presenting brooms to them as a symbolic gesture of their renewed commitment to the party.
Alli had reportedly assured APC members of an inclusive administration if elected governor, dismissing reports that party positions had already been allocated to certain individual.
Alli in his address had specifically identified the APM as the party the APC would need to defeat in the state, urging his supporters to intensify mobilisation ahead of the election.
But Ojo said the APC candidate’s acknowledgement of the APM as the principal political force to beat was itself an indication that the ruling movement remained a formidable political factor in Oyo State.
He said the APM would not be distracted by what he described as premature victory claims, stressing that its campaign would focus on the electorate rather than political grandstanding.
“Ibarapa people are politically sophisticated. They know their interests and they know those who have been available to them.
“The APC can continue to celebrate every gathering as evidence of a takeover, but elections are not won by declarations in campaign offices. They are won by the people at the polling units.
“Our message to the APC is simple: come to Ibarapa, engage the people and test your popularity. The APM is here, our structures are intact and we are ready for the election,” he added.
Ojo further urged APM supporters to remain calm, focused and committed, saying the party would continue to strengthen its structures across the four local government areas of Ibarapa and deepen its engagement with communities ahead of the 2027 polls.
