Former federal lawmaker and Allied Peoples’ Movement senatorial candidate for Oyo North, Shina Peller, has moved to consolidate the party’s structures in the district ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Peller hosted APM candidates and party executives from across the 13 local government areas covering the Oke-Ogun and Ogbomoso zones at a strategic retreat in Iseyin.
The meeting brought together House of Representatives candidates, State Assembly contenders, local government chairmen, youth and women leaders and other party strategists.
The retreat was convened to align the party’s machinery, harmonise campaign strategies and build a united political front ahead of the elections.
Addressing the delegates, Peller, the Ayedero of Yorubaland, said the 2027 election offered Oyo North an opportunity to demand accountable and result-driven representation at the National Assembly.
He urged the candidates and party executives to move away from conventional campaign methods and adopt a voter-centred approach that reflected the needs and aspirations of the people.
“What we are building across Oyo North is not merely an electoral platform; it is a popular movement for genuine development and inclusive governance,” Peller said.
He added, “To deliver real progress for our people, every candidate, from the State House of Assembly to the Senate, must operate in complete harmony.
“Our strength lies in our collective structure, our shared vision and our unwavering commitment to the grassroots.”
A major focus of the retreat was the development of a coordinated operational framework linking candidates at the state and federal levels with the wider APM campaign structure.
Peller stressed the need for seamless coordination between the senatorial campaign and candidates contesting federal and state constituencies.
He said such coordination would ensure that grassroots mobilisation efforts remained unified and mutually reinforcing.
Peller, who represented the Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa Federal Constituency between 2019 and 2023, also pledged to deploy his legislative experience and national network towards the development of Oke-Ogun and Ogbomoso.
He identified agricultural modernisation, youth empowerment and infrastructure as areas requiring stronger legislative intervention.
The former lawmaker said Oyo North, despite its importance as the agricultural heartland of Oyo State, needed stronger and more proactive advocacy at the federal level.
Party executives at the meeting described the retreat as a significant step towards political alignment in the district.
Local government chairmen also pledged to take the APM message to wards, villages and polling units across the senatorial district.
They cited what they described as growing public interest in the party as an alternative to the existing political order.
The meeting comes amid heightened political interest in the Oyo North senatorial race following the decision of the incumbent senator, Abdulfatai Buhari, to step aside from the contest to pursue executive ambitions.
Political analysts have consequently described Peller’s early consolidation of the APM structures as a strategic move that could strengthen the party’s chances in the district.
The retreat ended with the adoption of a strategic blueprint centred on voter engagement, youth and women mobilisation, polling unit protection and continuous consultations with traditional and community leaders.
With political activities ahead of the 2027 elections gathering momentum, the APM leadership in Oyo North said it was prepared to compete at every level of the electoral contest.