The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has declared its readiness to challenge for political power in Oyo State in the 2027 governorship election, with its candidate, Mogaji Olusegun Agboola, promising to introduce systemic reforms and a new approach to governance.
Agboola made the declaration on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the SDP secretariat in New Bodija, Ibadan, where he was formally introduced to party members and stakeholders as the party’s governorship candidate.
The Oyo State Chairman of the party, Michael Okunlade, said the meeting was organised to introduce Agboola to the party structure and the public, adding that the SDP had commenced the necessary processes to present him as its candidate for the 2027 election.
He said, “The purpose is to introduce our aspirant, who is intending to contest for governorship, to the members of the party and to the public.
“By law, we have room for substitutions, and the process has begun in earnest. We will be substituting our candidate to meet the deadline.”
Okunlade expressed confidence that the party would mount a strong challenge for political power in the state, saying its representation across the 33 local government areas demonstrated its preparedness for the election.
“As you can see, all local governments were represented, and very soon, we are going to work jointly with all the local governments to ensure that we wrest power,” he said.
He described the SDP as a credible alternative to the existing political arrangements in the state, saying the party’s logo and identity were well known among voters.
Speaking on his decision to seek the governorship ticket, Agboola described his aspiration as a “divine call”, saying the prevailing situation in the country required fresh ideas and citizens willing to take responsibility for governance.
“Traditionally, I’m not a politician. I’ve supported politicians, assisted politicians and promoted politicians. But the state we are in, in the country right now, calls for a fresh idea. It calls for a fresh look at things and for well-intentioned people who believe that they have a social contract,” he said.
Agboola said his aspiration was also driven by a desire to give back to the community and people who contributed to his development.
He said his administration, if elected, would seek to revive useful ideas that had been abandoned while adapting governance to changing global realities.
According to him, education would be a major priority, particularly as artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies continue to reshape the global labour market.
“We all know that this is the day of artificial intelligence, where people are afraid of jobs being lost because the whole world is rethinking how they are doing business.
“I believe this is also the time for the kind of leadership that rethinks how we lead our people and what we provide for our people,” he said.
Agboola said Nigeria needed to rethink its education system to prepare young people for jobs and opportunities in a rapidly changing world.
He questioned whether the country was adequately preparing children for the future, given the pace of technological development and the potential impact of artificial intelligence on various industries.
On governance, he advocated what he described as “system thinking”, arguing that political leaders should focus on building durable institutions rather than pursuing short-term projects.
“Pedestrian thinking is just tarring roads. Pedestrian thinking is just painting primary healthcare centres. Pedestrian thinking is launching a bridge. We should move into system thinking.
“How do we create a system that lasts us? How do we create a system that our children’s children will be proud of when they get there?” he asked.
Agboola also criticised what he described as patronage, imposition of candidates and “stomach infrastructure” in Nigerian politics, urging competent citizens to participate in politics and offer themselves for public service.
He further described the SDP as part of Nigeria’s progressive political tradition, noting its historical association with the June 12 political struggle.
According to him, the party remains “the home of the true progressives”, adding that President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde had, at different times, been associated with the party.
Referring to the August 15 Osun State governorship election, Agboola said the outcome demonstrated the importance of allowing voters to freely choose their leaders.
He urged Nigerians to reject political intimidation and the imposition of candidates, saying political parties should provide platforms for competent individuals with genuine interest in public service.
On the 2027 election, Agboola said recent legal developments involving the SDP demonstrated its determination to remain a major force in Nigerian politics.
He also said the party’s grassroots structure in Oyo State was already mobilised for the contest.
“As you can see from the meeting we just came out of, there are many chairmen and chairwomen, women leaders and youth leaders of various local governments in the state who are ready and willing to do the work required. That’s how ready they are. The team is ready,” he said.
