So, Saheed Oladele is now running under the African Action Congress (AAC), and if the latest political developments are anything to go by, he appears ready to make another attempt to take back the political conversation in Oyo State.
Oladele and his running mate, Mrs Damola Jaiye, officially joined the AAC following his resignation from the Social Democratic Party (SDP). His media office announced the development on September 23, 2026, after Oladele formally resigned from the SDP on September 16. The move places him on a new political platform as the 2027 Oyo State governorship contest begins to take shape.
The timing is particularly significant because it comes just as the Supreme Court delivered a major judgment on the 2026 Electoral Act.
On September 24, the Supreme Court upheld INEC’s appeal and restored provisions of the Electoral Act dealing with political-party membership registers and the nomination of candidates through primaries or consensus. The seven-member panel held that Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) were not inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution, effectively setting aside the Court of Appeal judgment that had previously voided those provisions.
Those provisions matter because they establish statutory requirements surrounding party membership registers and candidate nomination processes. The judgment therefore has implications for political parties and aspirants preparing for the 2027 elections.
But while some may interpret the judgment politically, it is important to distinguish what the Supreme Court actually decided from the political interpretations being attached to it. The judgment did not, by itself, declare that candidates from factionalised parties are automatically disqualified from elections. Rather, it restored specific provisions of the Electoral Act relating to party membership records and nomination procedures.
For Oladele and his supporters, however, the wider political lesson is clear: party structure and internal stability will remain crucial in the road to 2027.
Oladele previously moved from the APC to the SDP before resigning from the SDP amid disputes surrounding the party's governorship nomination process. He has now chosen AAC, alongside his running mate, Damola Jaiye. Reports say his camp considers AAC attractive because of what it describes as the party's comparatively clear structure and its alignment with the political philosophy associated with Omoyele Sowore.
That is where the political rhetoric becomes sharper.
Supporters of Oladele have portrayed the latest move as an attempt to escape the internal disputes and legal battles that have affected other political platforms. Their argument is that a candidate needs a party structure that can withstand legal and organisational challenges without allowing internal disagreements to derail the electoral process.
In the words of Buhari Omo Musa: “Àwọn ọ̀tá wa ò máa lè wa ní, wọn ò ní bá wa.”
The message from the Oladele camp is therefore unmistakable: the political journey continues, only this time under the AAC banner.
Oladele's own stated reasons for joining the party include his desire to confront what his media office described as poverty, educational decline, weak local-government development and the alleged mortgaging of Oyo State's future.
Whether AAC ultimately becomes the platform through which Oladele's 2027 ambition is pursued will now depend on the party's organisational process, INEC requirements, legal developments and the broader political contest in Oyo State.
For now, one thing is certain: Saheed Oladele has changed political platforms, but he has not abandoned the race.
The Oyo 2027 contest is getting increasingly interesting, and the emergence of another political platform has added a new dimension to the battle.
For his supporters, the message is simple: the journey continues.
The youth question will also remain central to the contest, particularly as younger Nigerians increasingly demand greater participation in political leadership and decision-making.
The political season is gathering momentum.
Oyo 2027 has entered another chapter.
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