Does Politics in Oyo typically feel like a restless market square? That’s because it is noisy, colourful, and filled with too many bargains at once. And right now, Governor Seyi Makinde stands in the middle of it, juggling two stubborn questions. Who will succeed him in Ibadan? And will he himself chase a bigger prize in 2027?
Makinde’s record is not slight. He has peppered Oyo’s landscape with roads, agribusiness schemes, and a reputation for transparency. People still talk about his youthful energy and technocratic lean. Yet he knows legacies are fragile. The state has never allowed an outgoing governor to handpick a successor. Why should his case be different?
Within his own PDP, contenders gather like clouds before a storm. Adebo Ogundoyin, the boyish Speaker, carries Makinde’s hopes for a younger face. Debo Akande, the technocrat, glitters with international polish. Adegboyega Adegoke boasts philanthropy and grassroots ties. But each has baggage: the wrong zone, the wrong faith, or too little political machinery.
Across the divide, the APC sharpens its knives. Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu flaunts a storied lineage and deep pockets. Teslim Folarin, the Senate veteran, thrives on survival instincts. Remi Oseni offers youth and compromise, while Adebayo Shittu brings Oke-Ogun’s hunger for representation. The arithmetic is messy, but the ambition is fierce.
Hovering above Oyo’s puzzle is a larger whisper: will Makinde trade Agodi for Abuja? His name already surfaces in PDP’s presidential chatter, alongside Peter Obi and Goodluck Jonathan. Party insiders claim consultations are ongoing, and the governor’s silence only feeds the speculation. Can he govern Oyo while nurturing national dreams?
Religion, zoning, and restless voters are the chessboard. Christians and Muslims demand balance. Marginalised Oke-Ogun demands its turn. And voters, sharper than ever, demand jobs, security, and more than recycled promises. In Oyo, competence must dance with fairness, or risk rejection at the ballot.
Makinde’s headache, then, is not just succession but direction. Does he groom a successor and risk rebellion? Or does he reach for Abuja and gamble everything? For now, the governor smiles, but the market square keeps buzzing. And somewhere in the din, Oyo’s future is already being bargained.
