A new regional political platform, the Odu’a House Initiative, has been unveiled in Ibadan, Oyo State, as part of efforts to improve the quality of political discourse, strengthen democratic accountability and promote development-oriented leadership in the South-West ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The initiative, conceived by the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries in the South-West, is modelled after Chatham House, the London-based international affairs think tank, and is expected to provide a neutral and intellectually engaging forum where political aspirants can present, defend and debate their programmes before the electorate.

The association said the platform would also establish a properly documented archive of political engagements, policy proposals and ideas for the benefit of scholars, journalists, policymakers and future generations.

The Regional President of the association and former Chairman of the Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Demola Badejo, disclosed details of the initiative when he led members of the association on a visit to the management of the Tribune Group in Ibadan.

Badejo was accompanied by the Regional General Secretary, Pastor (Mrs) Adenike Olufadewa; Assistant General Secretary, Alhaji Adekunle Adegbite; and an Oyo State member, Adeyanju S.

He said the association was seeking the partnership of the Tribune Group, particularly because of the newspaper organisation’s long-standing role in political education, public enlightenment and documentation of the political and socio-economic history of the South-West.

“We believe that such a platform can contribute significantly to improving the quality of political discourse and democratic accountability in our region,” Badejo said.

He said the association’s immediate request was for the Tribune Group to become a partner in the Odu’a House Initiative, adding that the organisation was already exploring technical collaboration with relevant institutions.

According to him, he had visited Chatham House in the United Kingdom the previous week to explore the possibility of securing technical support and guidance for the proposed platform.

He also disclosed that discussions were under way with the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) to bring broadcast media organisations into the initiative.

Badejo stressed that the media should not be regarded merely as a channel for reporting the activities of governments, civil society organisations and development agencies, but as a strategic partner in development, advocacy, public enlightenment and democratic accountability.

“No meaningful development agenda can succeed without effective communication,” he said, noting that even well-conceived policies could fail to gain public understanding or support if their objectives and potential impact were not properly communicated.

He described the choice of Tribune as a partner as one rooted in the historical relationship between the newspaper and the South-West.

According to him, the Tribune Group, established in Ibadan in 1949 by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, had for decades played a significant role in the political, social, economic, educational and cultural development of the region and the country.

“Through your various publications, you have provided a platform through which the aspirations, concerns and opinions of our people have been articulated,” he said.

Badejo said the newspaper had also contributed to political enlightenment, public education, intellectual discourse and the promotion of accountability, describing the Tribune Group as “a living archive” of the region’s and Nigeria’s political and social journey.

He said the association, made up of former senior public servants with extensive experience in administration, governance, policy formulation and implementation, believed that its institutional knowledge could complement the media organisation’s strength in communication and public engagement.

He said the partnership could help generate practical ideas for addressing some of the major challenges confronting the South-West.

Among the issues he identified were regional integration, infrastructure development, economic cooperation among the six states, food security, industrialisation, youth employment, education, healthcare, tourism and cultural development, as well as the strengthening of public institutions.

Badejo said retirement should not mark the end of the contributions of experienced public servants to society.

“Rather, we see retirement as a new opportunity to deploy our accumulated experience, institutional memory, professional networks and knowledge for the continued development of our region and our country,” he said.

The association has also published a document titled Proposed Plan of Action for the Economic Development of the South-West Region, which, according to Badejo, was launched by the six governors of the region. A copy of the publication was presented to the Tribune management during the visit.

He said the publication represented the association’s contribution to the debate on how the human, agricultural, industrial, economic, cultural and tourism resources of the South-West could be better harnessed.

The central argument of the document, he explained, was that the six states could achieve greater development through enhanced cooperation, regional integration and coordinated planning.

Receiving the delegation on behalf of the Tribune Group, its General Editor, Dr Taiwo Adisa, commended the retired senior civil servants for continuing to contribute to society despite leaving active public service.

Adisa also acknowledged the association’s collaboration with the South-West Development Commission, the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission and Odu’a Investment Company Limited.

He described Odu’a Investment Company as an offshoot of the vision and development programmes associated with the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and said initiatives aimed at reviving regional cooperation remained important to the development of the South-West.

Adisa assured the delegation that Tribune was prepared to partner the association on its programmes, particularly the Odu’a House Initiative.

He commended the former senior bureaucrats for visiting the Tribune Group, describing the organisation as the premier private newspaper group in the South-West.

Earlier, at Cocoa House, the iconic 25-storey building in central Ibadan, Badejo had pledged the association’s willingness to collaborate with the South-West Development Commission, DAWN Commission and Odu’a Investment Company Limited on regional development.

He said the three institutions could provide an important platform for coordinating interventions, infrastructure projects and other development initiatives across the six states.

The Group Managing Director of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Yinusa Abdulrahman, said the company had substantial assets but had suffered from low performance before the current management took over.

He said the management had embarked on the rehabilitation and redevelopment of some of the company’s assets, including Premier Hotel, Ibadan, whose room capacity, he said, had increased from about 86 to 108 rooms.

Abdulrahman also said the Lagos Airport Hotel in Ikeja was being upgraded into an international tourism destination with facilities including a modern shopping mall and hospital.

He disclosed that the company was exploring opportunities presented by the Lekki Deep Seaport to revive the Epe Plywood Industry, while also considering the establishment of a telephone manufacturing plant and a vehicle assembly plant to serve local and international markets.

“Our plan is to go very far,” Abdulrahman said, outlining the management’s ambition for the company and its potential contribution to the economic development of the six South-West states”.

The launch of the Odu’a House Initiative comes at a time when political parties and aspirants are expected to begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.

However, Its proponents say the platform is intended to shift political engagement beyond campaign slogans by creating space for candidates to explain their policy choices, answer questions, and subject their programmes to public scrutiny.

For the retired public servants behind the project, the broader objective extends beyond the 2027 elections: to promote a culture of informed political participation, strengthen accountability and encourage a more coordinated approach to the economic and social development of the South-West.