Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, has called on political and traditional leaders in Southern Nigeria to unite in defending President Bola Tinubu against a small faction of elites from the North who are allegedly determined to sabotage his 2027 re-election bid.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday in Osogbo, Oyintiloye praised Tinubu as a longstanding ally of the North, who has consistently supported the region’s political interests. He argued that the President therefore deserves robust backing from the North for a second term in office.
However, Oyintiloye voiced concern over a splinter group within the North that frequently mobilises to oppose Southern Presidents, often resorting to tactics such as blackmail to undermine their governments. He lamented the repeated intimidation Southern Presidents have faced from this minority faction throughout Nigeria’s political history.
“This pattern has been persistent, and history will not forget the humiliation Southern Presidents have endured at the hands of a few Northern individuals bent on disrupting their tenure,” he stated.
Oyintiloye stressed that President Tinubu has already secured the support of the main power blocs in the North and urged the region’s recognised political and traditional leaders to confront and isolate the disruptive elements.
“These self-appointed leaders do not represent the North’s true voice. It is time for the region’s genuine leaders and royal fathers to prevent these mischief-makers from gaining ground through blackmail,” he added.
He also appealed to Southern political leaders and traditional rulers not to be swayed by “rejected politicians from the North” who may seek to undermine Tinubu’s presidency.
“The South must rise and unite behind the President to end the recurring negative trend that has often plagued second-term bids of Southern Presidents,” Oyintiloye emphasised.
Specifically, he called on prominent Southern figures, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, chairman of the Council of Southern Traditional Rulers, along with co-chairmen Obi of Obinugwu, Cletus Illomuanya, King Jaja of Opobo, Dandeson Jaja, and the Council’s secretary, Dein of Agbor Benjamin Ikenchuku Keagborekuzi I, to lead the campaign for Tinubu’s support in the South and collaborate with Northern counterparts to ensure his victory.
Furthermore, Oyintiloye appealed to Southern elders such as former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, and ex-Senate President Ken Nnamani to rally in defence of Southern Nigeria against what he described as a “handful of Northern power mongers.”
Declaring that Tinubu’s re-election would stabilise the nation, Oyintiloye expressed confidence that a second term would see continued equitable development across all Nigerian regions under the federal government.
