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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
A senatorial aspirant under the Accord Party in Osun State, Sam Oyedotun, has urged stakeholders in Ife/Ijesa to support a candidate from the Ife axis, arguing that the senatorial seat should rotate back to the area.
Speaking with journalists in Osogbo on Thursday, Oyedotun said the Osun East senatorial seat has historically alternated between Ife and Ijesa, adding that it is now Ife’s turn to produce the next senator.
He maintained that he stands a strong chance of winning the election if given the party’s ticket.
The Modakeke-born politician said he enjoys the backing of the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the broader Ife community, noting that longstanding tensions between Ife and Modakeke have been resolved.
Oyedotun, who currently serves as Chairman of the Osun State Water Corporation Board, said he has the capacity to effectively represent the people, citing his interventions in education and healthcare through his foundation.
He also pointed to improvements in infrastructure across Osun State, particularly road construction, over the past five years, contrasting it with what he described as earlier conditions of poverty and poor infrastructure.
While acknowledging that some voters prioritise what he termed “stomach infrastructure,” Oyedotun argued that physical infrastructure such as roads creates sustainable economic growth.
According to him, his development efforts were not politically motivated but aimed at alleviating hardship and driving community growth.
He described the reign of the Ooni as one that promotes unity across Ife, Modakeke and the wider Yoruba region, adding that the monarch had publicly endorsed him during a recent trip to South Africa with the state governor.
Oyedotun further stated that the senatorial seat has been held by the Ijesa axis for the past eight years and should now return to Ife, adding that communities across Ife South, North and East, as well as Modakeke, are united behind the aspiration.
Meanwhile, no fewer than six aspirants are said to be vying for the Osun East senatorial seat to challenge incumbent Francis Fadahunsi, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and is seeking re-election under his new party.
Oyedotun noted that four of the aspirants are from the Ijesa axis, while two are from Ife, all under the Accord Party.
