The political landscape in Ona-Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State is witnessing another significant development ahead of the 2027 general elections, as members of the Igede community have formally declared their support for Hon. Ezekiel Temitope Oladimeji, popularly known as OTOPE, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) candidate for the Egbeda/Ona-Ara Federal Constituency House of Representatives seat.
The declaration, spearheaded by the Igede Progressive Movement under the leadership of Comrade Simon Ochete, signals the community's readiness to participate actively in grassroots mobilisation and strengthen the political fortunes of the APM across Ona-Ara.
The engagement represents more than a symbolic expression of political solidarity. It marks the beginning of a deliberate mobilisation strategy aimed at reaching Igede indigenes and residents across the various communities, wards and settlements within Ona-Ara Local Government Area.
Speaking through its leadership, the movement demonstrated its determination to mobilise members of the Igede community, particularly those residing in agricultural settlements and rural communities where the Igede population has established a significant presence through farming and other economic activities.
The strategy is expected to extend beyond the initial declaration, with mobilisation efforts designed to penetrate the nooks and crannies of Ona-Ara, establish stronger political connections and consolidate support for the APM's candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Igede community's renewed political focus on Ona-Ara is also understood to be part of a broader effort to ensure that every available grassroots structure is activated in support of the party's political aspirations.
Their intervention comes at a particularly strategic time for the APM, considering that its Oyo State governorship candidate, Hon. Abimbola Adekanmbi, is also seeking to build a formidable political coalition ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial election.
Adekanmbi's emergence as the party's consensus governorship candidate was reported by Channels Television on May 29, 2026, following the party's governorship primary in Ibadan. His candidacy has since become a major component of the party's preparations for the next electoral cycle.
The Igede Progressive Movement's declaration therefore adds another dimension to the growing political alignments surrounding the Adekanmbi-led APM project in Oyo State.
The delegation was warmly received by the Chairman of Ona-Ara Local Government and Hon. OTOPE, the APM candidate for the Egbeda/Ona-Ara Federal Constituency. Their reception underscored the importance attached to the community's intervention and the growing emphasis on building inclusive political relationships across different ethnic and community groups.
The development also reflects the significance of grassroots alliances in contemporary Nigerian politics, where community associations, traditional networks, professional groups and local political structures can play important roles in determining electoral outcomes.
For the APM, the objective is to transform these expressions of support into an organised political structure capable of reaching individual households, polling units and communities throughout the constituency.
The initiative is also linked to the broader political understanding and alliance involving Boyenation and the Adekanmbi ticket, with the expectation that coordinated mobilisation and strategic partnerships will strengthen the party's chances at the polls in 2027.
With the Igede Progressive Movement now declaring its commitment to the OTOPE candidacy, attention will increasingly turn to how effectively the emerging alliance translates its political enthusiasm into sustained grassroots participation.
As the countdown to 2027 continues, the unfolding political realignments in Ona-Ara suggest that the contest for the Egbeda/Ona-Ara federal seat and the Oyo State governorship will increasingly depend on the ability of political parties to build strong community-based alliances and consolidate support from the grassroots.
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