• Defection to boost Alli’s governorship ambition
The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State is set to record a major political gain as former Chief of Staff to Governor Seyi Makinde, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi, and former member of the governor’s Advisory Council, Rasak Gbadegesin Agbeti, lead three local government chairmen and 29 other political appointees into the party on Tuesday.
The chairmen of Oriire, Surulere and Ogbomoso South local government areas are expected to formally join the APC at a defection rally scheduled to hold in Ogbomoso.
The development is seen as a significant shift in the political landscape of Ogbomoso and its environs ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the opposition party expected to gain additional strength in the area.
Several prominent APC leaders are expected at the rally to receive the defectors, whose entry could further strengthen the party’s grassroots structure across the Ogbomoso zone.
Ogunwuyi, a former member of the Oyo State House of Assembly and the House of Representatives, served as Chief of Staff to Makinde before leaving the administration.
Agbeti, who also served in the governor’s Advisory Council, is among the notable political figures expected to join the APC.
Their defection, alongside that of the three council chairmen and 29 former political appointees, is expected to provide a fresh boost to the governorship ambition of Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the APC candidate for the 2027 election.
It also comes amid growing political activities and shifting alliances in Oyo State as the major parties intensify efforts to consolidate their support ahead of the next governorship election.
Since Ogunwuyi’s departure from the Makinde administration, there has been a series of defections involving political figures previously associated with the government.
Only on Monday, the former Chief of Staff donated vehicles and campaign materials to support APC mobilisation and campaign activities across the state.
The latest development is expected to further shape political calculations in Ogbomoso and other parts of Oyo State as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
