2027: ADC Candidate, Adegoke Unveils First 100 Days Agenda, Fault Oyo Govt on Education, Land Conversion
The governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) in Oyo State, Olooye Taofeek Adegoke, has unveiled his first 100 days agenda, promising to prioritise agriculture, education, local government autonomy, job creation, infrastructure and economic development if elected governor in 2027. Adegoke, who spoke at a press briefing held on Monday at his campaign office in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, said his campaign would be issue-based and involve relevant stakeholders, including civil servants, traditional leaders and artisans, assuring residents that all nooks and crannies of the state would be reached.
Adegoke said, “Poverty is a war that must be won,” promising to leave behind a vibrant and dynamic Oyo State that would truly represent the Pacesetter status of the state. Speaking on agriculture, he said his administration would commence the construction of a railway line from Moniya to Saki within its first 100 days in office to improve logistics for farmers in Oke-Ogun, which he described as the food basket of Oyo State. He said the railway would provide seamless transportation for farmers to move their produce from farms to markets.
On education, the ADC candidate said the sector would not take the back seat under his administration, promising to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), retrain teachers and equip school laboratories. He expressed concern that many students were subjected to alternative-to-practical examinations without access to basic laboratory equipment, saying, “Most of them have never seen microscope in schools.” He also promised to reduce overcrowding in classrooms and rebrand the Oyo State civil service.
Adegoke said Oyo State needed to energise its economy by creating the necessary framework to attract investors and generate employment. He promised to facilitate the supply of gas to Ibadan to reduce the cost of electricity generation, adding that he would work with private-sector operators, particularly NIPCO, to provide incentives for manufacturing industries to establish operations in the state and create jobs.
He also faulted the present administration over what he described as the re-appropriation of people’s land for private estates instead of government development. He specifically mentioned the popular Trans Amusement Park, part of Agodi Gardens and an old dairy farm after Monatan, saying such public assets ought to have been redeveloped for the benefit of the people rather than converted to estates.
The ADC candidate further criticised the use of consultants, whom he said were mostly non-indigenes, for the collection of tertiary institutions’ school fees and other revenues in the state, describing the arrangement as “leakages and wastage.” He cited the Polytechnic, Ibadan, and the Oyo State Signage and Advertising Agency (OYSAA), alleging that consultants had to sign before the institutions could spend a kobo, which he described as micromanagement. He promised to revitalise the education sector and ensure that public resources were properly deployed.
On the Ibadan Circular Road, Adegoke said residents affected by the project would not be abandoned, promising that his administration would pursue a “win-win situation” by working with them to ensure an urbanised environment. He also promised to operate a participatory government by asking residents what they needed in their communities and identifying their priorities, stressing that development would not be concentrated in Ibadan but would cut across all parts of Oyo State. He added that his administration would enforce consequence management to ensure accountability.
Adegoke said local government autonomy would be a priority under his administration, promising to give council chairmen a free hand to administer their councils. He said local governments would be empowered to engage traditional institutions in addressing grassroots problems, while traditional rulers would also be empowered to contribute to the fight against insecurity. He alleged that the five per cent meant for traditional councils had not been given to them, arguing that a chief could not effectively help solve insecurity when he was not financially and morally empowered.
He further promised that each local government would rehabilitate and construct a minimum of 10 quality inner roads within its first 100 days in office. On insecurity and the activities of touts and miscreants, Adegoke proposed what he called the “Drain Dockers” initiative, through which touts and unemployed youths would be engaged in clearing wastes and drainages. He said the initiative would discourage thuggery and miscreancy while creating jobs and ensuring a clean and disease-free state.
Rejecting the description of himself as an underdog in the 2027 governorship race, Adegoke said he did not doubt himself and possessed the “power of positive thinking” which, according to him, had helped him achieve everything he had achieved so far. He said his campaign would speak to the people in the language they understood and demonstrate his capability to govern the state. He also challenged all governorship candidates to a debate, saying, “Let’s tear economy into pieces and see how we can move the state forward.”
On the ADC factional dispute in Oyo State, Adegoke said the national leadership of the party, through a letter signed by the national chairman and secretary, had submitted 28 governorship candidates and candidates for federal constituencies to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), adding that the submission had been acknowledged. He said he was number 22 on the list.
Adegoke also criticised Gbemileke Alagbe, whom he described as a factional candidate, alleging that Alagbe doctored and altered government data information. He said that if the rules and regulations were being obeyed in Nigeria, Alagbe should have been “posted” for committing a cybercrime. He, however, acknowledged that the matter was before the court, saying Alagbe had taken the ADC to court without initially joining him among the seven defendants, prompting him to join the case himself.
He said the suit was still pending and had been adjourned until September, adding that the court was yet to determine the matter. Adegoke said he had nevertheless extended a hand of sportsmanship to Alagbe and was still willing to help him secure the ADC ticket for the Oyo North Senatorial District if he was interested.
