As the 2027 elections draw closer in Ogun State, discussions about who should represent Ogun Central in the Senate are gradually gaining momentum. Across Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Odeda, Obafemi-Owode, Ifo, and Ewekoro, the mood among the people appears largely the same. The people have made their preference clear. Not in anger or protest but in the quiet and wilful way that voters do when they still believe you can do better. The unifying thing in the people's agitation is the call for credible, competent, and accessible representation.
This is not a new demand from the people of the district. The demand for a paradigm shift has been growing in recent times. Residents across the district are showing a preference for leaders who can demonstrate measurable capacity in healthcare, infrastructure, education, youth empowerment and constituency development. The calls for palpable development, responsive engagement, and effective legislative outcomes have become too obvious to dismiss.
We can all recall that in the last elections in 2023, the All Progressives Congress rallied behind Senator Shuaibu Salisu with considerable optimism. Party leaders and stakeholders presented his candidacy to the people as the strongest path to meaningful progress for the district. That mandate carried real expectations, and it is fair to say that, in several communities, those expectations have not been fully met.
Concerns have been raised across town hall meetings, community forums, and on social media about the speed of infrastructural projects, the reach of scholarship and empowerment programmes, and the overall visibility of senatorial intervention in major sectors. Whether one attributes these gaps to constraints of the Senate's systems or individual legislative capacity, the perception of underdelivery is widespread enough to warrant serious attention from party leaders.
For now, this dissatisfaction has not translated into rejection of the APC. Instead, it has taken the form of an expectation to do better next time. Voters in Ogun Central are not asking for a fundamental change in the party structure or traditions. They are asking for the incorporation of wider grassroots inputs and candidates' worthiness in the process.
This presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is that the culture of selecting candidates through elite consensus without genuine grassroots consultation is a risk that may worsen the growing disconnect between elected representatives and the communities they serve. Political observers across the nation have questioned this practice repeatedly, and Ogun Central may be feeling its effects most.
The opportunity lies in what the APC does with this feedback. The party's senatorial selection is not a formality to be managed. It places a decisive moment for public trust at the feet of the party leaders. It is also an opportunity to reposition the district for future outcomes. That means looking beyond the financially powerful or politically connected aspirants and instead evaluating candidates on measurable criteria like competence, work experience, community engagement, and constituency presence.
There is also a broader shift worth noting. The era in which financial muscle alone could determine electoral outcomes is visibly passing. Many voters across southwestern Nigeria, especially our people, are increasingly attentive to antecedents, accountability, and impact. They want representatives who can speak with authority in the Red Chamber, secure federal projects, and translate legislative work into visible improvement in their daily lives.
None of these is to suggest that Senator Salisu's tenure should be written off. A single term in the Senate, particularly within Nigeria's complex federal system, does not allow for a complete verdict. But it is sufficient for the electorate to form impressions, and those impressions should shape how the APC approaches 2027.
The path forward does not require the party to bring down the house. It only requires discipline. The leaders of Ogun Central APC would do well to begin inclusive consultations with stakeholders, community leaders, youth groups, women's organisations, and ordinary party members so that the candidate who eventually emerges carries not just the party's endorsement but also the people's confidence.
The 2027 senatorial election will be more than a contest. It will be a test of whether the APC in Ogun State can translate its dominance at the polls into dominance in governance. The people of Ogun Central are watching, and their expectations are high. The party's consideration or dismissal of the concerns raised above will influence public confidence in Ogun State.
