2027: Former Minister Shittu seeks Oyo governorship

Former Minister of Communications and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adebayo Shittu, has declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State, boasting that no contender matches his experience, resources, and vision.

Shittu made the declaration on Monday during an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, monitored by DAILY POST in Abeokuta.

He described himself as the most qualified candidate, citing a political career spanning more than four decades.

DAILY POST reports that Shittu’s political career began in 1979 when he was elected into the old Oyo House of Assembly at the age of 26.

That same year, he was appointed Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Home Affairs and later served as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, with his most recent national role as the Minister of Communications between 2015 and 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“As of today, I am the only one who has a manifesto of what exactly I want to do when I get to government. I am ready for government. Even if I get to government today, I already know and have a clear idea, I want to transform Oyo State like it had never happened before,” he declared.

The Oke-Ogun indigene insisted that his region has been marginalised in the power structure and called for its fair share of leadership.

He said, “Let me tell you, the truth of it is, Ibadan, over the last forty or thirty years, has produced six different governors, Ogbomosho has produced a governor, but Oke-Ogun, with ten local governments, has never had the opportunity to produce a governor.

“The thing must rotate; it cannot be Ibadan alone all the time. We are in a democracy, not in a dictatorship; ‘enough is enough for Ibadan’.”

The 72-year-old elder statesman also dismissed age concerns, saying, “Age is just a number. If you want to compare me, do that in terms of intelligence and dynamism. I’m as strong as, if not stronger than, anyone my age.”