Chairman of Oyo State Governor’s Advisory Council, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde SAN, OFR
A quiet but significant step toward the next governorship election in Oyo State has been taken, following the completion of a screening and stakeholder engagement exercise ordered by Governor Seyi Makinde.
The exercise, coordinated by the Oyo State Governor’s Advisory Council and led by its chairman, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde SAN, OFR, involved interactions with aspirants seeking to contest for the state’s top job.
According to a statement from the council, the initiative was designed to ensure a level playing field while assessing the readiness and capacity of potential candidates.
Ayorinde disclosed that the council has concluded its engagement with the aspirants and submitted a detailed report to the governor, describing the outcome as both “revealing and reassuring.”
He noted that several of the aspirants demonstrated strong competence and a deep understanding of governance, adding that the quality of those seeking to succeed the current administration reflects positively on the state’s political future.
“It is revealing and reassuring that some of the aspirants are of excellent quality and indeed show that the future is very bright for our dear state,” the statement said.
The committee further observed that many of the aspirants are loyalists of the current administration, suggesting that continuity of policies and programmes may emerge as a dominant theme in the forthcoming political transition.
It stressed that Oyo State “cannot afford to be pulled back from the standards already set,” a remark widely interpreted as a subtle endorsement of candidates aligned with the governor’s development agenda.
The committee members include prominent political figures such as former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Monsurat Sunmonu; former Attorney General of the state, Michael Lana; and former federal lawmaker, Hon. Babs Oduyoye.
Others are former senator Gbenga Babalola; Alhaji Ajibade; Alhaji Wasiu Adeleke; Dr. Remi Ayodele; Pastor Alamu; Alhaji Gbadegesin, who previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff to late former governor Alao Akala; and Chief Wale Atanda, also former Chief of Staff to ex-governor Rasheed Ladoja.
The lists of aspirants engaged by the committee include: Hon. Saheed Akinade Fijabi; Are Isiaka Abiola Olagunju SAN; Professor Dahud Sanya Sangodoyin; Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo; Mr. Adejumibi Samuel Ademola; and Ambassador Abdulsabul Abiola Olawoore.
The development signals early political realignments ahead of the next governorship election, with the advisory council playing a central role in shaping conversations around succession.
While the process has been presented as inclusive and consultative, it also underscores the influence of the governor’s inner circle in defining the contours of the race.
Political observers say the emphasis on loyalty and continuity could narrow the field to candidates perceived as capable of sustaining the Makinde administration’s policies, potentially setting the stage for a tightly managed transition.
With the report now in the governor’s hands, attention is expected to shift to how its recommendations may influence party dynamics, candidate emergence, and the broader political landscape in Oyo State in the months ahead.
