A prominent youth leader in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State, Com. Anuoluwani Omidiji, has dumped the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Omidiji, who was said to be a strong supporter of the APM, announced his return to the APC after meeting with the party’s Deputy Governorship candidate, Hon. Adesoji Adedeji, at the APC campaign office in Ibadan on Saturday.

He also returned to the party with his supporters.

In a statement personally signed by him and titled, “Seeing Before and Beyond APM: A Reconstructive Voyage Back To My APC Home,” Omidiji said his decision followed careful reflection on his recent political engagements and personal convictions.

He identified youth inclusion, grassroots development, employment and empowerment, as well as security, peace and justice, as some of the key principles that influenced his decision.

Omidiji said young people should have meaningful opportunities to participate in governance, leadership, employment and human-capital development.

He also stressed the need for effective grassroots development, saying local governance and meaningful autonomy were important to ensuring that development reached communities directly.

According to him, Oyo State requires policies capable of expanding employment opportunities, creating jobs and strengthening human capacity across different sectors.

On security, peace and justice, Omidiji said every citizen deserved security, fairness and justice, as well as the opportunity to contribute positively to society.

The youth leader said his meeting with Adedeji further strengthened his interest in returning to the APC.

He said, “My interaction with the incoming APC Deputy Governorship candidate, Hon.Adesoji Adedeji, left a strong impression on me. His accessibility, willingness to listen and emphasis on grassroots concerns strengthened my interest in the direction being presented under the APC platform.”

Reflecting on his experience in the APM, Omidiji said his involvement with the party gave him an opportunity to engage with alternative political ideas.

He, however, said further reflection convinced him that his political journey should reconnect with the APC, where he said he found greater alignment with his longstanding aspirations and principles.

He said, “My engagement with APM provided an opportunity to listen to alternative political ideas. However, after further reflection, I believe my political journey should reconnect with the platform where I see greater alignment with my longstanding aspirations and principles.”

Omidiji said his focus ahead of 2027 would be on supporting constructive political participation and programmes capable of promoting development, accountability, peace and opportunities for the people of Oyo State.

“For me, 2027 is about ideas, inclusion, development and the future of our people. I will continue to advocate for a peaceful and egalitarian Oyo State where youths, women, workers, entrepreneurs and communities can participate meaningfully in development,” he said.

He subsequently declared his renewed commitment to the APC, saying the party remained his political home.

“APC has it all in the pack for a brighter Oyo State. APC is my home again, and again. APC—Progress!” he added.

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.

The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has challenged Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to explain why hunger remains a major concern in the state despite his admission that the state is now receiving more money from the Federation Account.

The organisation said the governor’s statement exposed a contradiction in the management of the state’s finances, asking who else should be held responsible for deploying increased revenue to improve the welfare of Oyo residents.

Makinde had, while speaking in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on Monday, acknowledged that states were receiving more money from the Federation Account but said the increase had not translated into a reduction in hunger.

Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, the campaign organisation said the governor’s admission should prompt serious questions about how the additional funds accruing to Oyo State were being utilised.

The statement, signed by the organisation’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, said it was contradictory for Makinde to acknowledge increased revenue and, at the same time, complain that hunger had not reduced.

“If you have acknowledged that monthly, you have been getting more money from the Federation Account, who are you expecting to come and help you to fight hunger in your state? Is it President Tinubu?” the organisation asked.

The group said the increase in federal allocations was partly a consequence of the economic reforms of the President Bola Tinubu administration, adding that states receiving more revenue should also be accountable for how such funds are used.

It said the responsibility of providing basic services and implementing state-level interventions to cushion economic hardship could not simply be transferred to the Federal Government.

The Alli campaign organisation also renewed its criticism of Makinde’s position on local government autonomy, alleging that the governor had resisted efforts to give councils greater financial independence.

According to the organisation, allowing local governments to function effectively would bring governance and development closer to the people at the grassroots.

The group described the situation in Oyo as a matter that should concern every resident, arguing that increased public revenue ought to generate corresponding improvements in the lives of citizens.

It said the controversy over allocations, hunger and local government autonomy would remain part of the issues it would place before the people of Oyo State ahead of the 2027 elections.

The organisation further said the people of the state would have the opportunity to decide the direction of governance in Oyo State at the next election.