Market leaders and artisans across Oyo State have declared their support for the governorship ambition of the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, urging Governor Seyi Makinde and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to consider him as the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 election.
The endorsement was made during a stakeholders’ meeting involving 12 registered clusters of market and traders’ associations in the state.
The event, held at Apex Event Centre, Gate, Ibadan, brought together Babalojas, Iyalojas, and representatives of major trading bodies from all 33 local government areas.
At the meeting, the associations jointly appealed to Governor Makinde and other influential PDP figures to support Ogundoyin’s emergence as the party’s governorship candidate, citing his leadership experience and strong grassroots connection with traders and artisans.
The associations present included the Oyo State Joint Traders Association, Oyo State Market Men and Women Association, Association of Commodity and Foodstuff Dealers of Nigeria, National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTs), NYTACHAI, and the Progressive Traders and Artisans Group.
Others were the National Traders and Market Leaders Council (NATMALC), Companion Traders Association, Traders Men and Artisans Association, Food Canteen Union, Market Traders Association of Nigeria (Oyo State chapter), and Ibadan Joint Traders. All groups aligned in support of the Speaker’s 2027 governorship aspiration.
Speaking on behalf of the traders, the National Woman Leader of NANTs, Chief (Mrs.) Odunayo Kayode Danjuma, described the endorsement as both symbolic and historic. She linked it to the enduring legacy of the late acting Iyaloja-General of Oyo State, Chief (Mrs.) Justina Iyabo Ogundoyin.
She noted that the late matriarch, who also served as Iyaloja-General of Ibarapaland until her passing, made significant contributions to the growth and unity of market associations across the state.
According to her, supporting Ogundoyin is a form of collective appreciation and recognition of his mother’s service to the trading community, driven by loyalty, shared history, and a sense of giving back.
“This is a payback for her years of dedication and the development she brought to market associations across Oyo State. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin is her son, and we consider it an honour to support him in his aspiration,” she said.
She further disclosed that traders and market leaders from neighbouring states, including Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, and Osun, attended the meeting in solidarity, underscoring what she described as growing regional support for the Speaker.
Danjuma also called on Governor Makinde, PDP stakeholders, and political actors across the state to support Ogundoyin’s emergence as the party’s governorship candidate in 2027, insisting that he enjoys wide acceptance among traders.
In separate remarks, the Chairman of NYTACHAI in Oyo State, Alhaja Najeem Azeez Amole, and the Chairman of NATMALC in the state, Chief (Mrs.) Adebiyi Afusat, reaffirmed the commitment of the 12 market clusters, alongside Babalojas and Iyalojas, to mobilise support for Ogundoyin if he secures the PDP ticket.
They emphasised that the structure of market associations across all local government areas provides a strong grassroots network capable of delivering significant electoral support for the Speaker’s ambition.
The leaders also noted that Oyo State has a history of governors with strong ties to the trading community. They pointed out that the incumbent governor, Seyi Makinde, has familial roots in the market system, as his mother was a trader at the Bola Ige International Market, Gbagi, before her passing.
They argued that this longstanding relationship between governance and the trading community further justifies their support for Ogundoyin, whom they described as a candidate with both political experience and strong grassroots alignment.
