…Says Remo has held governorship for 16 years, backs power shift to Yewa

The Pan Remo Movement (PRM) has warned political leaders and governorship aspirants from Remo against seeking to retain the Ogun governorship in 2027, insisting that the state’s power-sharing arrangement should shift to Ogun West, particularly Yewa, after 16 years of leadership from Ogun East.

In a statement signed by its President, Otunba ’Poju Akintayo-Ayodele, and General Secretary, Oloye Tunde Adekoya, the sociocultural group said Remo should reciprocate the support it received from other parts of Ogun State by backing a credible candidate from Ogun West, arguing that any attempt to disrupt the zoning understanding could undermine political trust and stability in the state.

PRM said Remo had produced two governors, Gbenga Daniel and incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun, who have collectively governed the state for 16 of the 28 years since the return to democratic rule in 1999.

The group therefore called on Remo political leaders, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to place the broader interests of the zone and the state above individual political ambitions, saying Ogun West deserves an opportunity to produce the next governor.
PRM argued that Remo had already occupied the governorship for 16 of the 28 years since the return to democratic rule in 1999, having produced former Governor Gbenga Daniel and the incumbent, Abiodun.

It said the political arrangement should now give Ogun West, particularly Yewa, an opportunity to produce the governor in the interest of equity, fairness and continued peaceful coexistence among the state’s political blocs.

“We are not ingrates. Remo has had its fair share of the governorship. Governor Gbenga Daniel and Governor Dapo Abiodun have both represented our zone and the state.
“We must therefore appreciate the support extended to us by other zones and be willing to support the legitimate aspiration of other parts of the state to also produce the governor.
“Yewa deserves a sense of belonging. It is only fair that power should move to another zone,” the group said.

The intervention came against the backdrop of the ongoing debate over the governorship aspiration of a politician from Remo, with PRM cautioning political leaders and prospective candidates in the zone against actions it said could disrupt the existing understanding on power rotation.

The group urged Remo politicians to place the broader interests of the zone and Ogun State above individual ambition, warning that any attempt to upset the zoning arrangement could weaken the trust and goodwill built among the different parts of the state.
It also appealed to Remo residents, traditional institutions, community leaders and other stakeholders to resist what it described as political interests capable of eroding the confidence other zones have in the zone.

According to PRM, political arrangements are sustained by trust, reciprocity and mutual respect, adding that the support Remo receives in future could be affected if the zone is perceived as unwilling to reciprocate similar gestures from other parts of the state.
“Those who deliberately work against this understanding may be sowing seeds of conflict and destruction for generations yet unborn. We must think beyond one election, one candidate or one political ambition.

“The question should be what is fair and equitable for Ogun State and how we preserve the trust among the different zones,” it added.

The group said the zoning debate should not be reduced to the ambition of any individual but considered within the broader context of political accommodation and stability in the state.
It further argued that Ogun West, which it said had yet to produce a governor since the creation of Ogun State, should be given an opportunity to occupy the governorship.
PRM also announced plans to hold the 2026 edition of its annual Pan Remo Forum, which it said would focus on preserving goodwill and peaceful coexistence among Ogun’s various zones before, during and after the 2027 elections.

The group urged Ogun’s political leadership to sustain an arrangement that gives every zone a sense of inclusion and belonging, saying equitable power rotation remained important to maintaining harmonious relationships across the state.