Traditional rulers from Igbomina land have thrown their weight behind the agitation for the Kwara South Senatorial seat to return to the Igbomina bloc in 2027, declaring that the move aligns with the long-standing principle of equity and political balance that has sustained peace in the district.
The position formed the core of a communiqué issued by the Igbomina Traditional Council at the end of its meeting on Monday, June 1, 2026.
In the statement which was addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The council praised President Tinubu's administration for its economic reforms and infrastructure drive. The monarchs also commended Governor AbdulRazaq for what they described as purposeful leadership and inclusive governance in Kwara State.
However, beyond the commendations, the traditional rulers focused attention on what they described as a long-established political understanding among the three major blocs in Kwara South Senatorial District: Ekiti, Ibolo and Igbomina.
According to the council, the rotational arrangement has helped maintain fairness, inclusion and political stability across the district for decades.
The monarchs noted that the Ekiti bloc held the Senate seat for about eleven years through Senator Simeon Sule Ajibola, while the Ibolo bloc would have occupied the position for a cumulative twelve years by 2027 through the tenures of the late Senator Rafiu Ibrahim and the incumbent Senator Lola Ashiru.
The council pointed out that the Igbomina bloc, despite being the largest ethnic bloc in the district, has held the Senate seat for only five years through Senator Makanjuola Ajadi.
Consequently, the monarchs argued that equity demands that the senatorial ticket rotates to Igbomina in the next electoral cycle.
They further explained that the recently popularised slogan, "Igbomina Lokan," goes beyond political rhetoric. Rather, they described it as the collective expression of a legitimate aspiration rooted in justice, fairness and respect for an arrangement that has fostered harmony among the constituent communities of Kwara South.
The traditional rulers also cautioned political leaders against any attempt to alter the rotational principle. Such a move, they warned, could create feelings of exclusion, weaken trust among the constituent blocs and generate avoidable political tension within the district.
For that reason, the council appealed to President Tinubu, Governor AbdulRazaq, the APC leadership and other stakeholders to preserve the existing political understanding and ensure that the 2027 senatorial seat returns to Igbomina land.
Meanwhile, Factual Naija News gathered that the Olofa of Offa, HRM Oba Mufutau Muhammed Oloyede Gbadamosi, visited the venue to express solidarity with the gathering. Although he did not participate in the meeting itself, the revered monarch was heard telling the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo that Offa people had requested an additional eight years and had received it, a remark many observers interpreted as an endorsement of the equity argument advanced by the council.
The communiqué was unanimously endorsed by nine prominent traditional rulers who appended their signatures to the document. They include the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, HRM Oba Ismail Bolaji Muhammed Yahaya Atoloye Alebiosu; the Olupako of Share, HRM Oba Suleiman Olawale Haruna; the Elesie of Esie, HRM Oba Ibrahim Yakub A. Babaolola; the Oloro of Oro-Ago, HRM Oba Johnson Olarewaju Dada; the Elesa of Oke-Ode, HRM Oba Muftau Akanbi Adebayo Ibrahim; the Olumu of Omupo, HRM Oba Yakub Adebayo Buari; the Alaran of Aran-Orin, HRM Oba J.O. Babaola; the Alaran of Arandun, HRM Oba I.O. Adekanye; and the Oloko of Oko-Irese, HRM Oba Victor O. Olawuyi.
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