Igede Will No Longer Be Used and Dumped — Political Engagement Must Be Formal, Says Igede Progressive Movement
The Igede community in Oyo State has declared that the era of politicians approaching its people only when they need crowds, votes and political numbers is coming to an end.
According to the Igede Progressive Movement, Igede people are not a political appendage to be summoned whenever a rally requires numbers and forgotten immediately after elections. The community is demanding a new political relationship built on recognition, formal consultation, inclusion and measurable commitments.
Speaking on behalf of the movement, its President, Comrade Simon Ochete, said the message to political actors across Oyo State is straightforward: “Igede is not cheap, and Igede will no longer be treated as an afterthought.”
The Igede community has established a significant presence across several agrarian communities in Oyo State. Academic and community-based accounts have documented Igede populations in rural communities of the state, particularly in areas where farming remains a major economic activity. A study of rural communities in Surulere Local Government Area, for instance, identified Igede alongside Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani populations and noted the predominance of peasant farming in the communities studied.
The community's political importance, however, goes beyond its agricultural contribution.
For years, political actors have repeatedly sought the support of Igede residents during election seasons. Community leaders say politicians approach them for mobilisation, invite them to rallies and request that they bring out their people. But after elections, they argue, the relationship frequently ends with the ballot.
That arrangement, according to the Igede Progressive Movement, is no longer acceptable.
“Over the years, politicians have taken Igede people for granted because they assumed we would always be available when they needed votes and crowds. That era is over,” Comrade Ochete said.
He added that Igede people should no longer be treated as a collection of individuals scattered across different political structures whenever politicians want their numbers.
“Either Igede is recognised and engaged as a distinct community with legitimate interests, or politicians should stop pretending that bringing our people to rallies amounts to political inclusion,” he said.
The movement insists that it is not demanding preferential treatment over other ethnic communities. Rather, it wants the same level of political recognition, consultation and engagement accorded to other organised communities.
“We see politicians deliberately reaching out to different ethnic groups and communities because they understand their political importance. If political actors can sit down with Igbo, Hausa and other organised communities, why should Igede people be treated differently?” Ochete asked.
The group says the issue is particularly important ahead of the 2027 Oyo State governorship election, as political parties intensify grassroots mobilisation across the state's 33 local government areas. The APC has already unveiled Senator Sharafadeen Alli as its governorship candidate, while the APM has adopted Bimbo Adekanmbi as its candidate, demonstrating how competitive the emerging political landscape has become.
With the political field increasingly crowded, the Igede Progressive Movement says candidates should understand that a rally invitation is not the same thing as political engagement.
“Several politicians and political interests have reached out to us. Some have asked us to bring our people to their rallies. Our answer is NO,” Ochete declared.
“We will not be working with anybody who remembers Igede only when there is a rally. We will engage with political structures that are prepared to formally invite us, sit with our leadership, listen to our concerns and discuss what our communities expect from government.”
The movement is also calling for greater attention to rural roads, agricultural infrastructure, healthcare, education, economic empowerment and political representation in Igede-dominated communities.
It stressed that its position is not a threat against any political party or candidate, but a declaration that Igede voters have the democratic right to decide who deserves their support.
As Oyo State moves closer to 2027, the message from the Igede Progressive Movement is becoming increasingly unmistakable:
No more mobilisation without recognition. No more crowds without consultation. No more votes without accountability.
“We will not be anybody's political crowd. We will be a political constituency—and we expect to be treated as one,” Ochete concluded.
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