Battle for Oyo Intensifies as Gbolarumi Camp Takes Possession of PDP Molete Secretariat

IBADAN — The political battle ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State intensified on Thursday as loyalists of Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi announced that they had taken possession of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat at Molete, Ibadan.

The development, announced in a statement by the Gbolarumi Campaign Organisation, was described as a major political victory for what the group called the "authentic PDP," marking what it said was the beginning of a renewed struggle for the control and future of the party in the state.

The organisation alleged that the Molete secretariat had been under the control of Governor Seyi Makinde and his loyalists despite his reported political alignment with the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), insisting that the recovery of the facility represents the restoration of the party's legitimate structure.

According to the statement, reclaiming the party's headquarters has effectively completed the reorganisation of its political machinery ahead of the 2027 governorship race.

"The authentic PDP is back home. The battle for the soul of Oyo State has officially begun, and we are marching forward to absolute victory," the campaign stated.

The Gbolarumi camp further disclosed that it had concluded plans for an extensive grassroots mobilisation campaign across the 33 local government areas of Oyo State, expressing confidence that its structures had been fully strengthened for the political contest ahead.

It maintained that the occupation of the Molete secretariat would serve as the operational base for its statewide campaign, which it said would focus on reconnecting with party members and mobilising support across the state.

The latest development is expected to heighten political activities within the PDP in Oyo State as rival factions continue to assert control of the party's structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.