Barrister Abdurraheem Adebayo Shittu, a former Minister of Communications, has officially declared his intention to contest the governorship of Oyo State in the 2027 general elections.
The declaration was accompanied by the unveiling of a comprehensive seven-point cardinal programmes aimed at addressing critical areas of development and improving the lives of citizens across the Pacesetter State.
The former minister’s aspiration and detailed track record have been compiled in a compendium that was made available to acrossnigerianews.com, as it highlights his preparedness for the state’s top job.
Shittu’s seven cardinal programmes emphasized a broad spectrum of initiatives designed to foster socio-economic growth and enhance the welfare of Oyo State residents. Key pillars of his agenda include:
Free, Qualitative and Functional Education: This program promises free education up to the secondary school level, coupled with adequate bursaries for all Oyo State students in tertiary institutions. It also outlines plans for extensive renovation and provision of new educational infrastructure, alongside a complete computerization of educational processes at all levels.
Comprehensive Health/Medical Services: Shittu pledges to provide functional, accessible, and free comprehensive health services for vulnerable groups, including individuals below 15 years of age, adults above 60, women in ante-natal conditions, and the physically challenged.
Integrated Infrastructural Transformation: This initiative aims to revolutionize Oyo State’s infrastructure through improved road networks, efficient inter-city communication, affordable housing for low-income earners, adequate housing for all communities, and steady power supply. A new Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities is proposed to oversee these efforts.
Full and Gainful Employment for All: The former minister plans to establish relevant mass employment agencies to ensure full employment, focusing on socio-economic transformation for men, women, and the physically challenged, particularly youth and women, empowering them to become employers themselves.
Integrated Agricultural and Rural Development: This program will adopt an integrated approach to agriculture and rural development, emphasizing mass food production for industrial raw materials and steady income through irrigation and mechanized farming.
Industrial Transformation of Oyo State: Shittu intends to revive industrial growth by exploiting community industrial potentials, creating an industrial-friendly climate, establishing industrial parks, and supporting Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).
Citizens’ Distress Relief Programme: This multi-faceted program encompasses the practical application of Yoruba concepts like “Omoluabi,” “Ore Ara Ilu,” and “Alase Mekunnu.” It also focuses on actively engaging young people in development programs, providing age-appropriate leisure and sports facilities, and offering welfare packages for the elderly, infirm, needy, and disabled, including widows, orphans, and vulnerable children.
Beyond these core programs, Barrister Shittu also made several specific pledges, particularly concerning civil and public servants. These include an upward review of salaries and allowances, reasonable taxes on basic salaries, tax-free emoluments, merit-based and transparent promotions, complimentary service years for approved study leave, review of alleged political victimization cases, and a hitch-free retirement policy ensuring gratuities are paid within 90 days.
He emphatically stated that he would “NEVER engage in arbitrary sacking or dismissal of any civil or public servant under any circumstances.”
Further commitments include the establishment of farm settlements in all 14 House of Representatives Constituencies, encouragement of agricultural graduates with financial and material backing, establishment of ICT hubs in all communities, provision of digital and vocational trainings for 250,000 Oyo State youths, support for Local Government autonomy, and improved security.
Shittu also promised to create executive fora for regular meetings with citizens at seven zonal levels through “EPADE GOMINA” and the ambitious construction of a state railway infrastructure connecting various key towns and cities to the capital, Ibadan.
In his declaration, Barrister Shittu appealed to the electorate to vote for him in 2027, pledging to be a “humble SERVANT,” respectful, open, transparent, accessible, kind, loving, and supportive of the poor, disabled, weak, oppressed, and needy. He also committed to continuous consultation with traditional leaders, politicians, professionals, trade unions, NGOs, civil servants, cooperative societies, student unions, youth organizations, women groups, and artisans.
