A former Chairman of Oluyole Local Government Area in Oyo State, Kehinde Olaosebikan, has declared his intention to contest the Oluyole Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

He made the declaration at the APC’s weekly meeting in the local government on Monday, during which he also donated a new secretariat to the party.

Olaosebikan, who once served as Chief Press Secretary to the late Governor Lam Adesina, said he was already mobilising support across party lines for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

He said Nigeria would vote for Tinubu on account of several reforms introduced under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The former council boss also pledged to work towards a resounding victory for the President in the federal constituency, saying he had consistently supported the Tinubu administration and was committed to tripling the President’s votes in the area by 2027.

On his House of Reps ambition, Olaosebikan said supporters from other political parties had assured him that if APC handed him the ticket, they would mobilise their members not only for his election but for all APC candidates in the constituency.

“Members of other political parties in Oluyole Local Government are already assuring me that if the APC gives me the ticket, they will mobilise their members not only for my elections but for all the APC candidates in next year’s election,” he said.

Speaking on the secretariat donation, Olaosebikan said it was necessary for a progressive party like the APC to have a more spacious and befitting facility for its activities.

He said the new building would have offices for the party chairman, secretary, state party executives from the local government and spaces for other officers.

“With the spacious place now, our youths and our women can have a convenient place for their meetings,” he said.

On his legislative agenda, Olaosebikan pledged to prioritise development of the constituency, provide education support and skills acquisition programmes for youths, facilitate employment opportunities, assist indigent students and extend support to women.

The event, which drew a large turnout of party faithful, was presided over by the APC chairman in the local government, Dotun Oladipupo.

Notable party leaders in attendance included Adeyemo, Razak Akilapa, Muideen Abiodun, Ibrahim Olaifa, Moruf Lamolo, Tunde Elegbede, Waheed Adewale, Kamorudeen Adeoye and Alamu.

The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Sunday, explained why it declined approval of the proposed venue for an event, where the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, was scheduled to deliver a lecture in the institution.

The clarification follows an alarm by Obi over what he described as a disturbing pattern of cancelled university engagements across Nigeria, warning that intellectual freedom in the country’s institutions of higher learning was increasingly under threat.

Providing details of the events that eventually led to the refusal to approve the request for the venue of the proposed event, OAU management, in a statement made available by the Public Relations Officer of the university, Abiodun Olarewaju, explained that the organisers of the lecture did not provide details of the calibre of the guest until Friday, just a day before the scheduled programme.

The OAU management further said the short notice made it impossible for it to carry out proper security and logistical arrangements necessary whenever high-calibre personalities are visiting the university.

“The general public is hereby informed that a particular group within the Students’ body extended an invitation to the former presidential candidate and two-term governor of Anambra State to deliver a lecture within the University premises.

“It is important to note that events involving high-profile personalities of such standing require adequate prior notification to the university authorities because it will enable the institution to make necessary logistical and security arrangements, including proper liaison with relevant security agencies such as the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS), to ensure the safety of the guests, members of the university community and the general public.

“Consequently, given the short notice and the attendant inability to complete these critical arrangements, the university authorities could not approve the use of Oduduwa Hall for the event as requested by the organisers,” the statement signed by Olarewaju read.

Insisting that the decision was taken purely in the interest of safety, orderliness and adherence to established protocols governing the use of university facilities, the management further said: “It is not, in any way, a reflection of disregard for the person or status of His Excellency, Peter Obi, whom the university holds in high esteem.”

The PUNCH reports that Obi, in a statement released on Saturday via X.com, said he was scheduled to deliver a keynote lecture at OAU, Ile-Ife, at 9 am, before proceeding to Ibadan for an opposition party’s political summit billed to commence at noon, when he received word that the event had been called off.

The former Anambra State governor said the development was far from an isolated occurrence, disclosing that similar cancellations had taken place on more than 10 separate occasions.

“While such occurrences may be dismissed in isolation, it is important to state clearly that this has now happened more than 10 times.

“This is no longer incidental; it points to a troubling pattern that should concern all well-meaning Nigerians,” he said.

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