The debate over rotational governorship in Ọ̀yọ́ State has deepened as Pastor Favour Adéwọyin, National Secretary of Ẹgbẹ́ Àjọṣepọ̀ Fún Ìtẹsiwájú Gbogbo Wa and member of G22 Renewed, issued a strong response to a statement credited to Mogaji Abass Oloko.
Mogaji Oloko, in his reaction published on naija24hrs.com earlier today, dismissed calls by G22 Renewed for power rotation ahead of the 2027 governorship election, arguing that Ìbàdàn’s demographic strength justified its hold on power while competence and capacity should remain the yardsticks for leadership selection.
However, Pastor Adéwọyin described Oloko’s position as “deeply flawed” and cautioned against what he termed a “presumptuous and provocative” claim of political dominance.
“Ìbàdàn’s oft-cited population strength is misleading. The city is not homogeneously Ìbàdàn — it is a cosmopolitan hub that hosts indigenes and non-indigenes alike. To brandish Ìbàdàn’s demography as a permanent claim to political dominance is both presumptuous and provocative. It indirectly reminds non-indigenes to reconsider their roots and political loyalties,” Adéwọyin argued.
According to him, four out of the five regions of the state — Òkèògùn, Ìbàràpá, Ọ̀yọ́, and Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ — have for long agitated for a fair chance at producing the governor, yet their demands have been met with silence and indifference.
Citing a Yoruba proverb, he warned: “Ẹrú náà ní baba ọ̀nà ló jí” (even a slave has a lineage), insisting that no group should gloat over demographic advantage.
Key Questions Raised
Adéwọyin further urged indigenes of the marginalized regions residing in Ìbàdàn to reflect soberly and ask themselves critical questions:
Is governorship the exclusive right of one region?
Do other regions not share equal constitutional rights to produce the governor?
Shall we continue to watch one region dominate us as if we are helpless?
If they label us incompetent, shall we embrace that verdict or rise to prove them wrong?
Quoting from the Bible (Numbers 13:33), he compared the plight of the marginalized regions to that of the Israelites who saw themselves as grasshoppers:
“The tragedy of the Israelites was not merely that their enemies saw them as grasshoppers; it was that they saw themselves as grasshoppers too.”
He recalled that since 1999, apart from a single providential victory by Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́, the governorship seat had remained firmly in the grip of Ìbàdàn.
Echoes of Justice
Drawing from literature and history, Adéwọyin cited George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Bob Marley’s declaration against superiority doctrines as parallels to the current imbalance in Oyo politics.
“Eric Blair (George Orwell) in Animal Farm exposed the hypocrisy of oppression: ‘All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.’ Bob Marley also declared: ‘Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is discredited, there will be war.’ These voices condemned the oppression of their time, just as we condemn ours today.”
He then invoked the Rotary Club’s Four-Way Test — truth, fairness, goodwill, and benefit — questioning whether Oloko’s argument and the present imbalance could stand such ethical scrutiny.
Call to Action
Finally, Pastor Adéwọyin issued a rallying call to his kinsmen in Òkèògùn, Ìbàràpá, Ọ̀yọ́, and Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́:
“Are we capable to produce Governor come 2027 or not? Are we competent or not? Let the wise among us rise and let the traitors among us beware. We must not allow anyone to sell or betray our collective destiny. Enough is enough. The time for justice is now.”
