Let’s fairness prevail, allow representation rotate to Ifo LG in 2027- Group demands

By Timothy Baiyewu

Ifo Progressive Indigenes Forum (IPIF), has called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to zone the House of Representatives ticket to Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, to correct age long imbalance representation.

The Forum noted that zoning the Reps ticket to Ifo LG would address issues bothering on equity, fairness and justice.

This was contained in a statement signed and made available to News Contact Online in Abeokuta on Thursday.

The document was signed by the group’s Chairman, Abdul Oladosu, and Secretary, Kehinde Egbeyemi.

It argued that the debate ahead of the 2027 elections must go beyond personalities.

According to the forum, the release of the 2027 election timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission has reopened what it called a fundamental moral question within the constituency.

“There are defining seasons in the life of a democracy when the question before a people is not simply who will contest, but whether justice will preside,” the statement read.

The group argued that democracy is sustained not merely by elections but by fairness that citizens can both see and experience, stressing that political representation in a constituency shared by two local governments should rotate.

IPIF said the demand for zoning the ticket to Ifo had been consistently raised by party faithful since the last election cycle and was now being echoed by new members joining the party.

To strengthen its argument, the forum cited voting statistics from recent elections, saying the figures demonstrate Ifo’s electoral strength within the constituency.

The group noted that Ifo LG delivered 20,653 votes for the party in the last gubernatorial election, while Ewekoro LG recorded 20,415 accredited voters and 8,192 votes.

The forum added that in the 2023 presidential election, Ifo produced 26,507 votes compared to Ewekoro’s 9,778.

“And in the arithmetic of Ifo/Ewekoro, the numbers speak with unmistakable clarity.

“Beyond electoral returns lies structural reality,” the group said.

The forum equally pointed to “structural realities”, noting that Ifo has 448 polling units across 11 wards, compared to Ewekoro’s 188 polling units across 10 wards.

“Where strength is structural and sacrifice demonstrable, acknowledgment should not be negotiable,” the group said.

The group also highlighted what it described as a historical imbalance in representation since the creation of the constituency in 1999.

It noted that politicians from Ewekoro, including former representative Hon Bamidele Obadina and the current lawmaker, Hon Ibrahim Isiaka, have together held the seat for more than 20 years.

By contrast, the group said Ifo had produced only two representatives, Hon Abayomi Collins from 1999 to 2007 and Hon Adekunle Adeyemi from 2011 to 2015, amounting to roughly 12 years of representation.

“Since the creation of the constituency in 1999, representation has largely favored Ewekoro. Bamidele Obadina and the incumbent Ibrahim Isiaka, both from Ewekoro, have together enjoyed over twenty years of representation.

“By contrast, Ifo has had only two opportunities: Abayomi Collins (1999-2007) and Adekunle Adeyemi (2011-2015). In nearly three decades, Ifo has produced representatives for approximately twelve years, while Ewekoro has occupied the seat for over sixteen years.

“This is not a sentimental grievance; it is a measurable imbalance. Such lopsidedness, if left unaddressed, gradually weakens party unity and undermines the foundational democratic principle that loyalty and contribution must find equitable reward,” the group said.

While acknowledging the contributions of the incumbent lawmaker, the group insisted that fairness requires political inclusion and opportunity for other parts of the constituency.

“A twin constituency cannot function as a genuine democratic partnership if one half perpetually carries electoral weight while the other retains uninterrupted advantage,” the forum said.

The constituents urged the APC to “let fairness prevail and allow representation rotate to Ifo in 2027.”

The group, however, commended the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for what it described as a commitment to inclusive governance and national renewal.

According to the forum, Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda has inspired confidence among party faithful and grassroots supporters across the constituency.

The forum also praised the administration of Dapo Abiodun for infrastructural development in the area, noting that several road projects have significantly improved connectivity and economic activities in Ifo and its surrounding communities.

Among the projects listed were the Akute–Ajuwon–Alagbole Road, Alhaji Kosoko Road linking Denro, Ishasi and Akute, Segun Osoba Road, Toyin Street, Yakoyo–Alagbole Road and the Hercules–Oke Aro–Giwa corridor.