2027 POLITICAL REALIGNMENT: Oyo Guber Hopeful, Oluseye Opatoki Hails Makinde’s Pro-Democracy Stance, Backs Fight Against One-Party State As Opposition Summit Rattles APC
A frontline governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Otunba Oluseye Oladosu Opatoki, has thrown his weight behind the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde’s sustained advocacy for multi-party democracy, describing the governor’s mission to resist Nigeria’s drift toward a one-party state under the All Progressives Congress, APC, as “a historic defense of the people’s right to choose.”
Otunba Oluseye Opatoki’s declaration comes on the heels of last week’s National Summit held at the Banquet Hall, Agodi, Ibadan, where leaders of conscience across opposition platforms converged to strategize against what they termed “the systematic entrenchment of a one-party state” by the APC-led Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
In a comprehensive New Week message issued in Ibadan on Monday to welcome the people of Oyo State into the Third Term school resumption week, Otunba Oluseye Opatoki lauded Governor Seyi Makinde for providing leadership and political space for the summit, noting that the governor’s actions have reaffirmed Oyo State as the intellectual and democratic capital of Nigeria.
“The past week was historic,” Otunba Opatoki stated. “We witnessed leaders of conscience across party lines gather here in Oyo State for a National Summit to defend our democracy against the dangerous drift toward a one-party state being entrenched by the APC-led Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
He stressed that the summit, hosted in Ibadan with the tacit support of the state government, was not an act of bitterness or political desperation, but a necessary intervention to restore balance to Nigeria’s democratic architecture.
“That summit was not about bitterness. It was about balance. It was not about division. It was about democracy. True progress thrives only where there is choice, competition of ideas, and respect for the people’s right to alternatives,” he declared.
Otunba Oluseye Opatoki commended Governor Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde FNSE for what he described as “courageous statesmanship” in aligning Oyo State with pro-democracy forces at a time when dissenting voices are being muffled across the federation.
“A one-party state silences voices. Oyo State, under Governor Seyi Makinde, will never be silent. Our fathers fought for this democracy. We must not watch it reduced to a monologue,” he said.
The 2027 governorship hopeful described Oyo State as “the last bastion of democratic engagement” in the South West, insisting that the hosting of the National Summit at the Banquet Hall last week has positioned the state as the rallying point for all Nigerians who believe in pluralism, federalism, and institutional accountability.
“As a proud son of this soil and a firm believer in participatory democracy, I align with every effort to protect our multi-party system, strengthen institutions, and return power to the people,” Otunba Opatoki affirmed.
He accused the APC-led Federal Government of weaponizing state institutions, electoral processes, and political appointments to shrink the democratic space, warning that the consequences of a one-party state would be devastating for national cohesion, economic innovation, and generational equity.
“When there is no alternative, there is no accountability. When there is no opposition, there is no improvement. Nigeria cannot afford to become a country where elections are rituals and governance is an inheritance,” he warned.
Otunba Oluseye Opatoki used the occasion to welcome schoolchildren across Oyo State back to classrooms for the Third Term resumption, describing education as “the strongest weapon against tyranny and underdevelopment.”
“Today, our joy is doubled as our children return to classrooms across Oyo State. To every pupil, student, teacher, and parent, welcome back to school. May this term be marked by safety in our schools, excellence in learning, and outstanding success in all examinations,” he said.
He saluted teachers for their sacrifice and parents for their resilience, charging all stakeholders to recommit to building an educated Oyo State. “An educated Oyo is a prosperous Oyo. An enlightened citizenry is the death of one-party manipulation,” he added.
The governorship aspirant called on residents of Oyo State to embrace unity over discord and service over selfishness in the new week, stressing that the task of rebuilding the state and safeguarding democracy transcends individual or party interests.
“The task of rebuilding Oyo is bigger than any individual or party. It demands all hands on deck. Let our traders find favor in the markets. Let our farmers have fruitful harvests. Let our students excel. Let our youths find opportunity. Let our elders find peace. Let Oyo State rise,” he charged.
He further committed the state into divine hands, praying for peace in homes, progress in communities, purpose in politics, and protection for all children in school.
Political observers say Otunba Oluseye Opatoki’s message signals the consolidation of a pro-democracy bloc in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Governor Seyi Makinde increasingly positioned as the moral compass of the opposition.
Last week’s summit at the Banquet Hall, which drew national attention, is now being viewed as the formal commencement of political realignment in the South West, with Oyo State at its epicenter.
By publicly aligning with Makinde’s mission to halt the one-party drift, Opatoki has effectively drawn the battle lines for 2027. A contest not just of candidates, but of competing visions, democracy versus dominance, pluralism versus political monopoly.
“Welcome to a new week of possibilities,” Opatoki concluded. “_Oyo a gbe wa o._”