Community leaders and residents of Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State have rallied behind the senatorial ambition of the All Progressives Congress candidate for Oyo South, Engr. Aderemi  Oseni, following his assurance of fresh development interventions in the area.

Oseni, who currently represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, gave the assurance on Friday at a strategic stakeholders’ meeting held at the former Camp Primary School, Camp Ido, Ibadan.

The meeting, organised by the BAI4ROCOF–Oseni For The World Movement, brought together traditional leaders, farm settlers, youth representatives, community leaders and other stakeholders from different parts of Ido Local Government.

It was held under the theme, “Reforming & Strengthening Ido Community in Solidarity.”

Among the communities represented were Camp and Eruwa farm settlements, Onido, Odebode, Morala, Mandela, Arihan and Oyateru, as well as the Ido Youth Forum and other neighbouring communities.

The stakeholders used the occasion to present some of their pressing needs to Oseni, particularly in the areas of electricity, water supply, security and basic infrastructure.

Responding to the requests, the lawmaker assured the communities that he would facilitate immediate interventions, including the provision of solar-powered street lights and boreholes.

He also promised to give urgent attention to their request for a transformer to improve electricity supply in the communities.

The commitments drew positive reactions from the stakeholders, who described the engagement as an opportunity for the people to directly present their concerns and receive responses from their representative.

Speaking at the gathering, Oseni appealed to the people to remain united and support all APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.

He said a coordinated APC victory across the federal and state levels would provide a stronger platform for delivering development to the grassroots.

“Vote all APC candidates at the polls. Don’t leave anyone out. From Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President, to our Governorship candidate, to myself for Senate, and all other candidates of our party.

“That is how we can guarantee development that will flow from the federal to the state and down to our communities,” he said.

Oseni also assured the communities that their concern over the reported relocation of their school would be addressed under an APC administration in Oyo State.

“The school belongs to your community. Under APC in Oyo State, we will ensure your school remains here for your children. You will not need to trek far distance to access basic education,” he said.

A major highlight of the gathering was the formal reception of His Highness, Prince Babalola Abiodun Ibrahim, into the BAI4ROCOF movement.

Prince Babalola, a respected community leader, was received into the group amid expressions of support for Oseni’s senatorial ambition and the APC.

The development was welcomed by participants as another indication of the growing engagement between the Oseni political structure and grassroots stakeholders in Ido.

Speaking during the meeting, community leaders commended Oseni for what they described as his willingness to listen to their concerns and respond to issues affecting their communities.

They pledged their continued support for his Oyo South senatorial bid and the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Gunmen have abducted 20 members of the National Youth Service Corps travelling to various orientation camps in the South-East and South-South states.

The corps members were reportedly travelling in a commercial bus from Ibadan, Oyo State, when the vehicle was intercepted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road by Umunoha community in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, has triggered a fresh search operation by security agencies in the state.

Confirming the abduction, the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, told Channels Television that the corps members were on their way to their respective orientation camps when they were attacked.

Okoye said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Audu Bosso, had visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

He added that the police, alongside other security agencies, had intensified efforts to rescue the victims safely and arrest the perpetrators.

According to him, security operatives were combing the surrounding bushes in search of the abducted corps members, while a Rapid Response Team had also been deployed to track the kidnappers.

The police spokesman said the operation was aimed at securing the safe and unconditional release of the victims.

The latest incident comes weeks after another group of NYSC members was abducted in Kogi State while travelling along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in the Ofu Local Government Area.

PUNCH had reported that armed men emerged from the bush around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction, and blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions.

Several passengers were abducted, while others escaped into the surrounding bush.

The Kogi State Police Command later confirmed that 11 victims, including drivers of the two buses, had been rescued, while security operatives continued the search for other victims.

The military subsequently announced the rescue of 21 kidnapped victims, including 15 corps members, from the Egume-Ochaja forest in Kogi State.

The repeated attacks involving corps members travelling between states have renewed concerns over the safety of young Nigerians travelling to fulfil their national service obligations.

For now, the focus of security agencies in Imo remains the safe recovery of the 20 abducted corps members and the apprehension of those behind the attack.

The Oyo State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, has urged Nigerians to renew their faith in the country and support President Bola Tinubu and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

Alli made the call in his Independence Day message issued in Ibadan on Thursday to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

The APC candidate said the anniversary was not only a moment to celebrate the country’s freedom but also an opportunity for citizens to reflect on the sacrifices of the nation’s founding fathers and the responsibility of the present generation to build a better Nigeria.

He urged Nigerians to remain united and patriotic, saying the country’s challenges could be overcome through responsible leadership, collective action and commitment to national development.

Alli also appealed to Nigerians to support the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, saying the government needed the cooperation of citizens to move the country from economic stabilisation to increased production, investment and shared prosperity.

He said, “We must never lose faith in Nigeria. Despite the challenges confronting the nation, our country remains endowed with enormous human and natural resources capable of making it one of the most prosperous nations in the world.”

The former senator particularly urged the people of Oyo State to support Tinubu and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

According to him, having an APC-led government in Oyo State would provide an opportunity for closer coordination between the state and Federal Government in the implementation of development programmes.

Alli said his aspiration to govern the state was driven by a desire to provide purposeful, inclusive and people-centred leadership.

He listed education, security, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, youth empowerment, economic development, workers’ welfare and local government autonomy among the areas his administration would prioritise if elected.

He said the state had significant potential in agriculture, commerce, industry, tourism and human capital, but required deliberate policies to translate those advantages into opportunities for its people.

“We are seeking the mandate to build an Oyo State where our children can receive quality education, our farmers can produce without fear, our young people can find opportunities and our communities can benefit from meaningful infrastructure.

“Our campaign is not about political power for its own sake. It is about service, development and restoring greater confidence in the ability of government to improve the lives of our people,” Alli said.

The APC candidate also called on members of the party across the 33 local government areas and 351 wards of the state to close ranks and work collectively for the success of the party’s candidates.

He urged party members to see the senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates as members of one team working towards advancing the interests of Oyo State.

Alli congratulated President Tinubu, the Federal Government, state and local governments as well as Nigerians on the Independence anniversary.

He prayed for peace, security and prosperity in the country and urged citizens to remain hopeful and committed to the task of nation-building.