Eniola Yekini
Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, is expected to address traditional rulers and community leaders from across the Southwest at a regional conference scheduled for November 19.
Fashola, who is the South-West Zonal Coordinator for Stakeholders’ Mobilisation within the 2027 All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, will speak at the gathering organised by the Southwest Nigeria Baales Forum Conference at the historic Oduduwa House.
The conference, themed “Re-election in Large Turnout Across Southwest Regions,” is expected to attract Obas, Chiefs and Baales from the six Southwest states, with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, serving as the royal father of the day.
The gathering is expected to provide a platform for traditional institutions and grassroots leaders to discuss regional development and mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and other APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on the level of preparedness, the convener and Chairman of the Planning Committee, Dr Seyi Bamigbade, said the conference was informed by what he described as the impact of the Tinubu administration on the Southwest and the country.
He identified infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, economic reforms and federal interventions in regional security as some of the administration’s initiatives with implications for grassroots development.
According to him, improvements in trade, transportation and community development have strengthened confidence in the administration.
Bamigbade said traditional institutions from the six Southwest states were prepared to converge on Oduduwa House to deliberate on issues bordering on regional development, national prosperity, security, education and food security.
He also appealed to governors in the region to support the traditional rulers in hosting the engagement, describing it as an opportunity to strengthen grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the traditional rulers would formally endorse Tinubu and present a blueprint aimed at securing increased voter turnout for the APC across the Southwest.
The strategic engagement has also received the endorsement of Senator Buhari AbdulFatai, Secretary of the Southwest Stakeholders Presidential Campaign Council.
AbdulFatai, while speaking on the administration’s performance, highlighted its interventions in agriculture, education, infrastructure and fiscal reforms as factors expected to drive grassroots support.
He said the Federal Government’s subsidised fertiliser distribution and mechanised farming initiatives were designed to boost agricultural production and strengthen food security.
The senator also cited the operationalisation of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying it had helped reduce financial barriers to higher education for students across the country.
“President Tinubu has demonstrated unprecedented courage in steering Nigeria towards sustainable growth,” AbdulFatai said.
He further identified fiscal reforms, local government autonomy and targeted infrastructure funding as measures aimed at strengthening governance and improving the welfare of Nigerians.
“These nationwide strides give our traditional leaders the confidence to mobilise the grassroots ahead of 2027,” he added.
The conference is expected to bring together traditional rulers and other stakeholders to articulate their positions on governance, development and political participation in the Southwest.