The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State has replaced its governorship candidate for the 2027 election, with Mogaji Olusegun Agboola now set to fly the party’s flag in the contest.
Politics Nigeria reports that the change was formally approved on Tuesday during a substitution plenary held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The exercise brought to an end the candidacy of Michael Okunlade, who had previously been listed as the party’s governorship candidate.
Agboola was subsequently adopted as the new standard-bearer ahead of the 2027 poll.
The SDP leadership said the decision was part of its preparations to present a stronger challenge in the governorship election.
The party also tasked Agboola with consolidating its structures, bringing members together and expanding its presence across the 33 local government areas of the state.
Agboola, while speaking with journalists after his emergence, made it clear that the party was not preparing for the election with the intention of entering into political deals.
He said the SDP would campaign on its own platform and seek the support of voters based on its proposed programme for the state.
“The SDP is not in the race for political bargaining. It is determined to win the governorship election and to introduce a new approach to governance in the state,” Agboola said.
The new candidate said his political agenda would be built around changing the way government operates.
He argued that Oyo State needed to move away from traditional approaches and adopt systems that could produce lasting results.
According to him, governance should not be reduced to isolated projects or temporary interventions.
He said government must create structures that can continue to deliver value beyond the tenure of individual political office holders.
“The last time we declared our intent, we said pedestrian thinking has to stop and system-based thinking should now be the case. We should stop business as usual and bring new ideas to the table,” he said.
Agboola also outlined his intention to focus heavily on human development if elected governor.
He said his administration would seek to build systems that would help residents turn their abilities, skills and resources into sustainable economic opportunities.
“My administration, if elected, will prioritise the development of the people and establish systems capable of transforming the state’s human and material resources into sustainable economic opportunities,” he said.
He further argued that Oyo could do more with its human capital if the government created the right environment for people to develop their skills and participate effectively in the economy.
The SDP candidate maintained that the state could not continue relying on conventional methods of governance at a time when technology and the global economy were changing rapidly.
He also challenged other candidates preparing to contest the 2027 governorship election to a public debate on their policies and plans for Oyo State.
Agboola said such a debate would give voters an opportunity to compare the various programmes being presented to them before making their decision at the polls.
He also appealed to members who may have become dissatisfied with recent developments within the party to return and work with the new leadership.
“Anyone that is aggrieved out there, the door is open. Come back home. SDP is the home of true democrats, true progressives,” he said.
The party’s decision to replace its governorship candidate followed weeks of political activity around its 2027 ticket.
Agboola had earlier been introduced to SDP stakeholders in August as the politician the party intended to present for the governorship election.
At the time, the party leadership said it had commenced the necessary substitution process in accordance with electoral requirements.
The party had also stated that its structures were spread across the state’s 33 local government areas and that it intended to use the structure to mount a serious challenge in 2027.
Okunlade, whose name has now been replaced on the ticket, congratulated Agboola after Tuesday’s exercise.
He described the development as an important step for the party and urged members to remain focused on the larger objective of winning the election.
Okunlade also commended party members for what he described as their peaceful conduct during the substitution process.
He acknowledged the role played by the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies in monitoring the exercise.
He said the SDP’s immediate task was to increase its visibility and strengthen its structures from the local government level down to the wards.
Addressing the new candidate, Okunlade called for commitment to the party and its members as preparations for the election intensify.
“We want victory, not negotiation. We want commitment, not abandonment. We want unity, not division,” Okunlade said.
He also warned against a situation where politicians use a party’s platform to contest an election and later abandon the party’s structures after securing its ticket.
According to him, candidates must maintain a working relationship with the party and remain committed to its members because grassroots mobilisation would be central to the SDP’s performance in 2027.
The former candidate also spoke about allegations raised by another governorship aspirant over the handling of the party’s nomination process.
He said he would consider legal action if allegations made against him amounted to defamation.
He nevertheless urged members and aspirants with grievances to use the appropriate internal and legal channels instead of allowing disputes to damage the party’s preparations.
A governorship aspirant, Saheed Oladele, had recently initiated legal proceedings involving the SDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission over the handling of the party’s governorship nomination.
The suit reportedly challenged the process through which Okunlade’s name was submitted as the party’s candidate.