By Annette Ikponmwonba | October 15, 2026
Key Points
· The APC Presidential Campaign Council for Tinubu and Shettima’s 2027 re-election bid is paying a courtesy visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja
· The visit is taking place at the Olubadan’s palace in Oke-Aremo, Ibadan North Local Government Area, Oyo State
· The delegation is led by the council’s Director-General, Abubakar Yari
· Former governors Gbenga Daniel, Olusegun Mimiko and Rochas Okorocha, as well as Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), are among the dignitaries present
· Oyo APC governorship candidate Sharafadeen Alli and State Chairman Moses Alake also joined the visit
· Members of the Olubadan-in-Council and market women led by the Iyaloja of Ibadanland, Saratu Konibaje, are in attendance
Main Story
The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima is paying a courtesy visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his palace in Oke-Aremo, Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, The delegation is led by the council’s Director-General, Abubakar Yari, and comprises prominent APC chieftains, party supporters, members of the Olubadan-in-Council and market women.
Dignitaries at the visit include former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel, former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha and Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo. Others are the Special Adviser to the President on Digital Information, Sunday Dare; the APC governorship candidate in Oyo State, Sharafadeen Alli; his campaign Director-General, Yemi Aderibigbe; Senator Yinusa Akintunde, representing Oyo Central Senatorial District; and the Oyo State APC Chairman, Moses Alake.
The Issues
Courtesy visits to traditional rulers are a familiar early move in Nigerian campaigns, aimed at securing goodwill and visibility in regions where royal institutions carry real influence. Ibadan, as a major population centre in the South West, is an important stop for the Tinubu re-election effort.
The make-up of the delegation also matters. By bringing together former governors from different states and parties of origin, alongside local candidates and market women, the council is projecting a broad coalition and trying to link the presidential campaign to the Oyo governorship race, At the same time, the South West is a region where the APC faces competition, so how far these gestures turn into votes remains to be seen.
What’s Being Said
The report so far covers the arrival and composition of the delegation. No remarks from Yari, the Olubadan or other attendees had been included at the time of reporting.
What’s Next
Attention will turn to what the Olubadan and Yari say during the visit, including any endorsement or message of support. The council is likely to make similar courtesy calls on traditional rulers and stakeholders in other states as the campaign builds toward 2027.
Bottom Line
The APC campaign council’s visit to the Olubadan is an early show of strength in Ibadan, bringing together prominent figures to court traditional and grassroots support for Tinubu’s re-election, though the real impact will depend on what comes out of the meeting and how it plays at the polls.
