2027: Ilaje/Odigbo Shareholders Back Tinubu, Akinfolarin for Second Term
As the 2027 general elections draw closer, political stakeholders from the Ilaje and Odigbo federal constituency in Ondo South Senatorial District are already making their voices heard loud and clear. The message is simple and unambiguous. They want President Bola Ahmed Tinubu back in Aso Rock for a second term, and they equally want Rt. Hon. Mayowa Akinfolarin to step forward and take his rightful place in the Senate as the representative of Ondo South.
This growing wave of support is not born out of sentiment or political convenience. It is anchored on performance, track record and a deep desire for quality representation at both the federal executive and legislative levels. Stakeholders in the two local government areas, who have watched events unfold closely, believe that the combination of Tinubu at the centre and Akinfolarin in the Senate chamber is the surest path to meaningful development for their people.
THE CASE FOR AKINFOLARIN
When the Better Nigeria Movement recently called on Akinfolarin to contest the Ondo South Senatorial seat, the group was not merely engaging in political praise singing. They were drawing attention to a body of work that speaks for itself. As a two term member of the House of Representatives, Akinfolarin distinguished himself in ways that are still spoken about with admiration across the constituency.
His tenure as Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Road Safety Commission opened doors of opportunity for many young men and women across Ondo State. Beyond his constituents in Ilaje and Odigbo, his interventions created employment and brought the dividends of democracy to people who had almost lost faith in elected representatives. That alone tells a story of a man who understood that public office is a call to service and not a reward for political loyalty.
Before his time in the National Assembly, Akinfolarin had already demonstrated his capacity for leadership as Deputy Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly. He climbed the ladder of public service with consistency and purpose. At each level, he left footprints that are difficult to ignore. His admirers in the constituency are convinced that a bigger platform in the Senate will only multiply his impact and give him the tools to do far more for the people of Ondo South.
As the Better Nigeria Movement rightly observed, a man who delivered qualitatively at the House of Representatives level, with comparatively limited resources and influence, will undoubtedly do more when handed the weight and prestige of a Senate seat. His integrity is not in question. His commitment to the people has been tested and proven. What stakeholders are asking is that he honour the call of his people and put himself forward at this critical moment in the history of Ondo South.
THE TINUBU FACTOR
No conversation about the 2027 elections can be complete without a frank assessment of what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has brought to the table since assuming office. His administration inherited an economy burdened by years of fuel subsidy payments that gulped trillions of naira and left the nation with little room to invest in critical infrastructure, education and healthcare. The decision to remove that subsidy was painful but necessary, and the government has been deliberate about channelling the savings into tangible projects.
The Tinubu administration has pursued an aggressive infrastructure renewal agenda. Roads, bridges and rail corridors that had been left to decay for decades are receiving attention under his watch. The coastal communities in Ilaje in particular, long neglected by successive administrations, stand to benefit from the federal government’s commitment to connecting Nigeria’s waterways and rural communities to the mainstream economy.
On the economic front, Tinubu has pushed for policies designed to attract foreign direct investment, stabilise the foreign exchange market and grow local industries. His administration has also placed significant emphasis on youth empowerment, understanding that a nation with the demographic profile of Nigeria must create opportunities for its young population or risk social instability. Various intervention programmes targeting graduates, artisans and young entrepreneurs have been rolled out with the aim of reducing unemployment and widening the productive base of the economy.
Stakeholders in Ilaje and Odigbo are also pointing to the administration’s attention to the Niger Delta region as evidence that coastal communities are not being left behind. The renewed focus on the welfare of oil producing communities, including the efforts to ensure that host communities receive their due from the resources extracted from their land, has resonated strongly with people in Ondo South who have lived beside the Atlantic and watched their resources flow away without sufficient return.
THE CONVERGENCE OF INTERESTS
What makes the 2027 alignment of Tinubu and Akinfolarin particularly compelling for Ondo South stakeholders is the potential synergy between executive power at the federal level and a strong legislative voice in the Senate. A senator with the experience, the relationships and the work ethic of Akinfolarin would be well positioned to partner with the Tinubu administration and attract federal projects, appointments and investments to Ondo South in ways that the district has not experienced before.
Representation matters. When a constituency produces a senator who commands respect on the floor of the chamber, who sits on powerful committees and who can walk into the offices of ministers and permanent secretaries to make demands on behalf of his people, the results are visible. Roads get fixed. Schools get equipped. Health centres receive attention. Youth get absorbed into federal agencies. Contracts go to local businesses. That is the kind of representation stakeholders in Ilaje and Odigbo are hungry for.
The Better Nigeria Movement has pledged to mobilise human and material resources behind Akinfolarin if he declares his intention to contest. That kind of grassroots energy, combined with the backing of an incumbent president who enjoys significant political structure in the Southwest, creates a formidable political equation that opposition forces will struggle to overcome.
The people have spoken. Stakeholders in Ilaje and Odigbo are not waiting for 2027 to arrive before making their preferences known. They are laying the groundwork today, building the conversations and the coalitions that will crystallise into votes when election day comes. Their message to Akinfolarin is clear. The door is open. The people are ready. The time to answer the call of destiny is now.
For President Tinubu, the support from Ondo South stakeholders signals that his administration’s efforts, despite the hardships of transition, are being recognised by the people who matter most, the ordinary men and women who want a better Nigeria for themselves and their children.
Together, Tinubu at the presidency and Akinfolarin in the Senate represent a partnership that Ondo South stakeholders believe will finally deliver the development, the representation and the dignity that the people of that great senatorial district have long deserved.