The Senior Special Assistant to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Interfaith Affairs, Rev. Femi Ibikunle, has assured the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) of massive mobilisation across religious groups in the state ahead of the 2027 presidential and governorship elections.
This was as he declared that Christians, Muslims and traditional worshippers will be vigorously mobilized for the governor’s political ambition and the governorship candidate of the party in Oyo state, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi.
Ibikunle said the proposed Reset Nigeria agenda and Omituntun 3.0 were not merely political slogans but initiatives that should be embraced and owned by Nigerians across religious, ethnic and political divides.
He made the declaration on Friday shortly after receiving his appointment letter as Coordinator of the Religious Contact Committee of the 2027 Presidential and Governorship Campaigns in Oyo State.
The appointment letter was presented during the official inauguration of the expanded campaign council held at the Oyo State Local Government Service Commission Hall, Secretariat, Ibadan.
Speaking to westernmirror.com.ng, Ibikunle pledged that the committee would embark on aggressive grassroots mobilisation among religious leaders, institutions and adherents to support Makinde and Adekanmbi’s presidential and governorship aspirations, stressing that the governor had demonstrated qualities of statesmanship and national leadership.
According to him, Makinde’s decision to set aside partisan considerations in 2023 to advance the interest of the Yoruba race demonstrated his commitment to equity, fairness and justice in terms of rotational presidency.
The governor’s aide expressed appreciation to the governor and the Apex Campaign Council for the trust and confidence reposed in him, vowing to justify the faith by aggressively mobilizing the interfaith community for both the governorship and presidential electoral success in the state come 2027.
He recalled that the governor had, at a critical moment during the 2023 political process, supported the emergence of President Bola Tinubu in what he described as a sacrifice for the Yoruba race.
Ibikunle maintained that such a gesture reflected Makinde’s ability to place broader national and regional interests above narrow political considerations.
He expressed confidence that the Christian, Muslim and traditional religious communities in Oyo State would appreciate the governor’s record and respond through their participation in the 2027 political process.
The governor’s aide also highlighted what he described as Makinde’s inclusive approach to religious affairs, recalling the declaration of a statewide public holiday to commemorate the annual Isese Day celebration of traditional worshippers, alongside the recognition accorded to Christian and Muslim religious observances.
He said the decision demonstrated the administration’s commitment to religious inclusion, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among adherents of the three major religions.
Ibikunle further cited the governor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence of his economic management and administrative capacity, noting that the crisis management approach adopted by Oyo State during the crisis was subsequently replicated at the national level.
He argued that the sectoral reforms introduced by the Makinde administration had contributed to changes in the state’s socioeconomic landscape, particularly in education, healthcare, infrastructure, security and economic development.
According to him, the reforms had improved Oyo State’s standing in areas relating to quality of life and investment opportunities, adding that the governor could achieve more at the national level with access to broader resources and institutional responsibilities.
The Interfaith Affairs aide to Makinde also highlighted achievements recorded across different sectors of the state, insisting that the administration’s development agenda provided a basis for its proposed expansion into a national programme.
He therefore called on religious stakeholders and Nigerians generally to look beyond partisan affiliations and examine the issues and policy proposals contained in the Reset Nigeria agenda.
Ibikunle reaffirmed the committee’s readiness to work with other campaign structures to engage religious institutions and mobilise support for the APM ahead of the 2027 elections to enable the party record a resounding electoral success.