By Sunday Ameh
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Omosuyi, has urged constituents of the Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency to reject the All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that the party’s position on the 2027 House of Representatives seat runs contrary to the long-established zoning arrangement in the constituency.
According to him, claims that no rotation or zoning formula exists within the federal constituency are inconsistent with historical records, stressing that power-sharing between Okitipupa and Irele has been in place since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
Omosuyi argued that the APC is “swimming against the tide” because the existing zoning arrangement does not favour the party’s current position. He maintained that history has consistently shown that whenever Irele produces the member representing the federal constituency, the seat returns to Okitipupa after four years. Once it returns to Okitipupa, the local government retains the seat for eight years, rotating between its two state constituencies before power shifts back to Irele.
To support his argument, he cited previous representatives of the constituency:
- Hon. Sheba Abayomi (1999–2003) – Irele Constituency
- Hon. (Dr.) Olakunde Oluwole (2003–2011) – Okitipupa Constituency II
- Hon. Albert Akintoye (2011–2015) – Irele Constituency
- Hon. Mike Omogbehin (2015–2019) – Okitipupa Constituency I
- Hon. Gboluga Ikengboju (2019–2023) – Okitipupa Constituency I
- Hon. Okunjimi Odimayo (2023–Present) – Irele Constituency
According to Omosuyi, the arrangement is based on the structure of the federal constituency, which comprises three state constituencies: two in Okitipupa Local Government Area and one in Irele Local Government Area. He explained that because Okitipupa has two state constituencies and a larger population, it traditionally holds the House of Representatives seat for two consecutive terms (eight years) before returning to Irele for a single four-year term.
He insisted that this pattern has endured since 1999 and that no political actor has successfully gone against it. “The bottom line is that once the mandate returns to Okitipupa, it stays there for eight years before going back to Irele. This is based on equity, population, and the fact that Okitipupa has two state constituencies, while Irele has only one,” he argued.
Furthermore, Omosuyi claimed that the incumbent has performed below expectations, especially considering the substantial amounts allocated for zonal intervention projects under Tinubu’s government since the removal of the fuel subsidy. He emphasised that there needs to be a shift from mere cosmetic projects to genuine development that addresses the real needs of the constituents.
Omosuyi maintained that the historical pattern of representation clearly demonstrates an established zoning arrangement and urged political stakeholders to respect what he described as the constituency’s long-standing tradition of fairness, equity, and balanced representation.
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