A Chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Hon. Adebayo Olagbenro, says zoning governorship ticket to any of the zones outside Ibadan could be a game changer for the party in 2027.

He stated this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Ibadan.

Olagbenro, a former Commissioner and Vice-Chairman of Action Congress (AC) in the state, noted that APC must align with what he called the present divine re-arrangement.

According to him, the re-arrangement has now given the party chairmanship to Oyo South Senatorial District after the office had been occupied for many years by Oyo North Senatorial District.

Olagbenro alleged that Oyo North had been marginalising other zones in terms of party chairmanship, adding that other zones, aside Ibadan, had also been marginalised as far as governorship position was concerned.

“God, in His infinite power, has given the party chairmanship to the South.

“So anybody from Oyo South, particularly Ibadan, nursing the ambition of becoming governor in 2027 should just drop the idea to give APC the chance to return to power.

“Oyo North senatorial district, and particularly Oke-Ogun, has marginalised the other two senatorial districts so much and for too long on party chairmanship in the state.

“The present APC chairman, Alhaji Olaide Abas, from Oyo South senatorial district emerged by providence to fill the vacuum created by the untimely demise of the erstwhile chairman of the party, Isaac Omodewu.

“Since 1998, when it started with Chief Michael Koleoso (Oyo North), then Chief David Adesola (Oyo North), Chief Samuel Farinu (Central), Chief Akin Oke (Oyo North) and Hon. Isaac Omodewu (Oyo North), Oyo South had been sidelined.

“Alhaji Olaide Abas is the first substantive state chairman of the party from Oyo South senatorial district.

“Therefore, Oyo North has to bury any further ambition on party chairmanship in the state. It is gross marginalisation,” he said.

The APC chieftain described the current agitation from other zones outside Ibadan for the governorship seat as a pointer to what might likely happen in 2027.

“Since 1999, with the exception of Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala’s accidental four-year rule, Ibadan had dominated the governorship seat, from former Gov. Lam Adesina, to Sen. Rashidi Ladoja, to Sen. Abiola Ajimobi and now Mr Seyi Makinde.

“On the 2027 governorship, I think we should read the handwriting of God on the wall and be fair, just and equitable in our reasoning.

“It is high time the governorship seat moved to any of the other zones, namely: Oyo, Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso and Ibarapa.

“My advice is that APC should key into the current divine re-arrangement so that our party can take back the governorship seat from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2027 general elections in Oyo state,” he said.

Olagbenro urged the APC chairman in the state to stand by the principle of party supremacy and remain who and what people had always known him to be.

“The man at the helm of affairs of the party in the state today is not a novice in the game.

“He knows that disrespect for the principle of party supremacy was what led us to where we are today. All aspirants are equal and must be treated equally,” he stated.

He, however, noted that Abas had good antecedents, capability, knowledge, capacity and experience to manage the affairs of the party in the state.

“The APC chairman is a doyen of politicking in Oyo State. He has been in the party executive council since the Alliance for Democracy (AD) days, rising through the ranks to get to the peak at the state level,” he said.

According to him, Abas’ efforts to lead APC into regaining the governorship seat in 2027 will depend largely on the will and not the wish to do so.

“While ‘will’ is spontaneous, other attributes could be constant and predictable,” he said.

The former commissioner congratulated APC for being lucky to have Abas its chairman, being an embodiment of progressive tenets and ideologies, calling on party leaders and members to support him to succeed in the onerous task.

NAN reports that Olagbenro was commissioner in both the Ministries of Industry, Applied Science and Technology and Trade, Investment and Cooperatives during the late Gov. Ajimobi’s administration.

The APC leader, who Is from Atisbo Local Government Area, is also a former State Vice-Chairman (North) of AD, Action Congress (AC) and Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN). (NAN)