From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
As political parties prepare for the primaries to choose their governorship candidates for the 2026 gubernatorial election in Osun State, leaders in Osogbo, the state capital, have urged major political parties to zone their tickets to the town.
Noting that the town has never produced a governor in the 34 years of the state’s existence, community heads (Baales) in Osogbo declared their support for the position of the Osogbo Elders Council that the next governor should come from Osogbo.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Saturday, August 8, 2026, for the state governorship election.
Speaking on Oroki Asala, a current affairs programme on Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) Radio, the Baale of Gbodofon and Chairman of the Council of Baales in Osogbo, High Chief Jimoh Ibrahim, at the weekend, noted that, despite Osogbo’s historical role as a decisive voting bloc in Osun politics since its days as part of the old Oyo State, no indigene of Osogbo has ever been elected governor in the 34 years of the state’s existence.
He emphasised that the town is now more united than ever in the demand to produce a governor.
He credited the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun, for establishing the Osogbo Action Committee and the Osogbo Elders Council to end political divisions that had previously weakened the chances of Osogbo.
He stressed that the efforts of the Ataoja have already yielded results, with Osogbo speaking with one voice ahead of 2026.
He said, “The Elders Council has successfully united all Baales in Osogbo. As Chairman of the Council of Baales, I affirm that we stand solidly behind them in this call for an Osogbo indigene to emerge as governor. We will play our part to make it happen,” Ibrahim added.
Also, the chairman of the Osogbo Elders Council, Prince Adeleke Oduola Ibiloye, reiterated that Osogbo’s long-standing support for other towns must now be reciprocated. “We have stood firmly behind others in the past. It is now time for the rest of Osun to support Osogbo. The 2026 governorship slot should be ours, and we are determined to actualise it,” he added.
The community leaders expressed optimism that the era of Osogbo’s exclusion from the governorship seat will finally come to an end in 2026, particularly with prominent Osogbo indigenes already eyeing tickets in the major political parties.
