The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State has replaced its governorship candidate for the 2027 election, naming Mogaji Olusegun Agboola as its new standard-bearer.
Agboola emerged on Tuesday at a substitutional plenary held at the party’s secretariat in Bodija, Ibadan, as the SDP intensified preparations to challenge the major political parties for control of the state.
The party ratified the substitution of its state chairman, Michael Okunlade, with Agboola as its candidate for the 2027 governorship poll. The development follows earlier internal disagreements over the party’s ticket, including a legal challenge by Saheed Oladele concerning the nomination process.
The latest development also formalises the party’s decision to present Agboola, who was introduced as its intended governorship candidate at a stakeholders’ meeting in August. At the time, Okunlade said the party had begun the necessary substitution process in accordance with electoral requirements.
Following his emergence, Agboola said the SDP was contesting the election to win and not to use its governorship ticket as an instrument for political bargaining.
He said the party intended to take control of the state and introduce a new approach to governance, particularly through what he described as “system thinking” rather than conventional, short-term approaches.
Agboola said his administration, if elected, would focus on developing Oyo’s human capital and creating systems capable of transforming the state’s resources and skills into sustainable economic opportunities.
He also reiterated his call for fresh ideas in governance, with emphasis on education, innovation and preparing young people for changes in the global economy, particularly those being driven by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Rejecting suggestions that the SDP could negotiate its governorship ticket or enter into political bargaining ahead of the election, Agboola said the party was determined to contest and win the governorship.
“There’s no negotiation on the table as far as we are concerned,” he said.
The new candidate also promised to pursue an open-door approach within the party, saying disagreements among members would be addressed through dialogue and reconciliation.
The SDP leadership, meanwhile, charged Agboola with the responsibility of uniting party members, strengthening its structures and taking the party’s message to communities across Oyo State’s 33 local government areas.
The substitution comes as political activities intensify in Oyo ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with several parties positioning candidates and building structures for the contest.
