The Oyo State gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mogaji Olusegun Agboola, has unveiled an ambitious development agenda focused on education, skills acquisition, industrialisation, digital transformation and job creation as the party intensifies its mobilisation ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Agboola, the Mogaji Abiolu of Oke Ofa Tite, spoke during a political gathering and reception held in Ogbomoso, where he joined party leaders and supporters to welcome SDP leader, Honourable Mulikat Adeola Akande.
The gubernatorial candidate described the large turnout and reception accorded party leaders as an indication that residents of Ogbomoso and other parts of the state are yearning for change.
According to him, the presence of representatives from all 33 local government areas of Oyo State at the gathering demonstrated that the SDP remains strong and well represented across the state.
Agboola said his decision to seek the governorship was driven by his desire to expand the community-oriented interventions he had undertaken through the foundation established in honour of his late father, Chief Ezekiel Atanda Agboola, popularly known as “Mafoya,” one of the founding fathers of the Bodija International Plank Market in Ibadan.
He noted that the foundation had contributed to communities through healthcare interventions, scholarships, solar panel donations and provision of boreholes, stressing that his administration would seek to take such interventions to a much larger scale if elected.
“I’m here obeying the call to serve our people, and we’ve been serving the people for a while,” Agboola said.
He identified education as one of the major areas requiring urgent attention, lamenting that Oyo State, which he said was once among Nigeria’s leading states in education, had lost ground.
Agboola promised comprehensive educational reforms, including the expansion of vocational education, skills acquisition and youth development programmes. He also emphasised the need to equip young people with knowledge of Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies.
The candidate, who studied Biochemistry at the University of Ibadan and has spent more than two decades working in the Information and Communications Technology sector, said his experience had convinced him that young people could build sustainable careers when given access to the right skills and opportunities.
He projected that his proposed reforms could generate thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities across different sectors.
“By the time we’re done with the educational reform, we’ll be creating nothing less than 15,000 educational services people — teachers, mentors and sports coaches,” he said.
He added that the revival and expansion of industrial activities in the state would create opportunities for professionals including industrial chemists, engineers, accountants and lawyers, while improvements in the water sector would also generate employment for water engineers and other specialists.
According to Agboola, the proposed digital transformation of the state would have an even wider employment impact.
“By the time we deliver the digital transformation we require for the state to function efficiently, more than 100,000 jobs will open up,” he said.
He also pledged to strengthen the agricultural and agro-industrial sectors, improve healthcare delivery and create more opportunities for young people through vocational and technical training.
Agboola urged residents of Oyo State to take the 2027 election seriously, stressing that their votes remain a powerful tool for determining the direction of the state.
“Your power is that one vote. Don’t give up on it,” he told the gathering.
Also speaking, the SDP Oyo State Chairman, Honourable Okunlade Michael, said the party had conducted sensitisation exercises across the three local government areas in Ogbomoso.
He said the response from residents showed a growing desire for change, adding that the SDP was prepared to provide an alternative political platform for the people of Oyo State.
Similarly, the SDP Chairman representing Oyo Central Senatorial District, Alhaji Agboola Fatai, urged citizens to participate actively in the electoral process and vote for candidates of their choice.
He maintained that the SDP had a long history in Nigerian politics and called on residents to come out en masse during the election.
The Ogbomoso gathering forms part of the SDP’s wider mobilisation and sensitisation activities across Oyo State as the party prepares for the 2027 governorship election.