Former Minister of Communications and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adebayo Shittu, has declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State, boasting that no contender matches his experience, resources and vision.
Naijaonpoint reports that Shittu, who made the declaration on Monday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, monitored in Abeokuta, stated that his over four-decade-long political career makes him the “most qualified” for the job.
He said, “As of today, I am the only one who has a manifesto of what exactly I want to do when I get to government. I am ready for government. Even if I get to government today, I already know and have a clear idea. I want to transform Oyo State like it had never happened before.”
The Oke-Ogun-born politician lamented the region’s exclusion from the power structure of Oyo State, stressing that fairness demands a rotation of leadership.
He said, “Let me tell you the truth: Ibadan, over the last forty or thirty years, has produced six different governors. Ogbomosho has produced a governor, but Oke-Ogun, with ten local governments, has never had the opportunity to produce a governor.
“The thing must rotate; it cannot be Ibadan alone all the time. We are in a democracy, not a dictatorship; enough is enough for Ibadan.”
Shittu, who began his political career in 1979 at age 26 as a member of the old Oyo House of Assembly, later became Commissioner for Information, Culture and Home Affairs, and subsequently Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state.
He most recently served as Minister of Communications between 2015 and 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
At 72, the APC stalwart dismissed concerns about his age, insisting that his capacity and intellect remain intact.
“Age is just a number. If you want to compare me, do that in terms of intelligence and dynamism. I’m as strong as, if not stronger than, anyone my age,” he stated.
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