• … Says move could trigger tension, cites electoral risk

A group under the aegis of Ondo Concerned Citizens has raised the alarm over the potential emergence of what it described as non-indigenous candidates for the Ondo South Senatorial District seat ahead of the 2027 election.

With the group stressing that such a move could trigger tensions within the district, it argued that allowing candidates without ancestral ties to Yoruba land to contest the seat would constitute a political miscalculation, particularly for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the senatorial district.

The group issued the warning following the appointment of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim as an ambassador to the United Nations with the seat becoming vacant. The development has led to political calculations kicking off across the district’s six local government areas.

According to the group, in a statement signed by its chairman, Victor Olorundare and Secretary Ibukun Owolabi, the district, being an integral part of the Yoruba land, deserves a representative who is culturally grounded and linguistically fluent in the traditions of the people.

While calling on the Ooni of Ife,Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; the Yoruba Council of Elders; Afenifere under the leadership of Reuben Fasoranti; and prominent indigenes of the state to rise to the occasion, the group maintained that such a situation could cause a crisis.

The statement read in parts, “We must be properly guided; the Ondo South senatorial contest should be reserved for indigenous Yoruba candidates.

“Presently, the Ijaw extraction from Ese Odo already occupies a seat in the House of Representatives, and another individual from the same extraction is aspiring to contest for the Senate. If this materialises in 2027, it would be tantamount to saying that Bayelsa State has four senators, while Ondo State is left with just two.

“We, the constituents, therefore appeal to progressive elders and leaders across the Southwest to, as a matter of urgency, pay close attention to the Ondo South senatorial ticket, especially in light of emerging agitations from outside the core constituency.

“It would amount to a desecration of the revered legacy of Obafemi Awolowo and Michael Adekunle Ajasin if someone with no ancestral or cultural connection to Oduduwa, the historical and spiritual symbol of Yoruba identity, were imposed on the people.

“We cannot fold our arms and watch the enduring legacies of our founding fathers and selfless leaders such as Obafemi Awolowo, Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Reuben Fasoranti, Olu Falae, Adebayo Adefarati, Olusegun Agagu, Olusegun Mimiko, Rotimi Akeredolu, and the incumbent governor, Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa, fade into oblivion.

“The group recommended that among Yoruba-speaking indigenes, a thorough and objective assessment should be carried out to identify an individual who has contributed immensely to society, particularly in the area of human capital development.

They urged stakeholders to ensure that only a round peg is placed in a round hole and that the best among the district’s indigenous population is entrusted with the senatorial responsibility.