The Kwara South Peoples Assembly has faulted a directive by Omo Ibile Igbomina, asking political aspirants of Igbomina origin to delay the collection of nomination forms until April 29, 2026.
- +Group faults directive on nomination forms
They described the move as insensitive, ultra vires, and capable of deepening divisions within the polity.
They described the move as insensitive, ultra vires, and capable of deepening divisions within the polity.
In a rejoinder obtained by Arewa PUNCH in Ilorin on Monday, and signed by its Chairman, Otunba Babatunde Akinyemi, the Assembly said the socio-cultural group had overstepped its bounds by attempting to regulate the political activities of Igbomina sons and daughters across party lines.
The Assembly was reacting to an earlier statement dated April 25, 2026, by Barrister Bisi Adedayo, National Publicity Secretary of Omo Ibile Igbomina, directing aspirants to refrain from obtaining nomination forms pending deliberations by the group’s National Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, and Council of Elders.
“The said directive is insensitive, wrong, and a clear departure from the mandate of a socio-cultural organisation,” Akinyemi said.
“Omo Ibile Igbomina was not founded to regulate the political aspirations of Igbomina sons and daughters. It has no business dictating when and how aspirants should engage their political parties,” it further noted.
The Assembly maintained that the core mandate of Omo Ibile Igbomina is to promote culture, unity, and development among the people, stressing that interference in party processes was beyond its jurisdiction.
“Meddling in party nomination processes is ultra vires and sets a dangerous precedent. What happens if Ibolo Association, Ekiti Kwara Association, or Ilorin Descendants Union also begins to issue political bans to their kinsmen?” the statement queried.
It further cautioned that such a directive could heighten political tension in Kwara South by breeding suspicion and factionalisation among aspirants.
“The directive is unnecessarily heating up the polity in Kwara South, creating avoidable suspicion among aspirants who should ordinarily be free to pursue their ambitions,” the group added.
Questioning the motive behind the directive, the Assembly alleged that the move could be a ploy to favour a particular aspirant, thus raising concerns about the neutrality of the group’s leadership.
“Hiding under culture to play partisan scripts is unacceptable,” Akinyemi said.
The Assembly also pointed to the political background of the group’s Executive Committee leadership, noting that its head, Chief Bisi Fakayode, is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party who recently stepped down as the party’s Kwara South Senatorial Chairman.
It, therefore, called on the Board of Trustees and the Council of Igbomina Elders to rein in the Fakayode-led executive to prevent further damage to the organisation’s image.
“If the current leadership lacks ideas on programmes to advance Igbomina culture, education, and economic empowerment, it should seek help. It should not disgrace a highly respected association that has existed for decades,” the statement stressed.
Reaffirming its position, the Assembly insisted that political activities should remain the exclusive preserve of political parties and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“Politics should be left to political parties and INEC, while socio-cultural groups must stick to their lane; unity, development, and advocacy for our people,” the rejoinder concluded.
