A sociocultural group in Remoland, the Pan Remo Movement (PRM), has warned political leaders and aspirants from the zone against any attempt to derail the zoning arrangement ahead of the 2027 governorship election, saying such a move could undermine the goodwill and trust built between the various zones of Ogun State.

The group, which spoke against the backdrop of the ongoing debate over the aspiration of a governorship hopeful from Remo, said the people of the zone should be mindful of the support they received from other parts of the state when Governor Dapo Abiodun contested and won the governorship in 2019 and 2023.

In a release signed by its President, Otunba ‘Poju Akintayo-Ayodele and General Secretary, Oloye Tunde Adekoya, PRM argued that Remo had occupied the governorship for 16 of the 28 years since the return to democratic rule in 1999, having produced former Governor Gbenga Daniel and the incumbent, Prince Dapo Abiodun.

The group said the time had therefore come for the zone to reciprocate the support it had enjoyed by allowing power to shift to another part of the state, particularly Ogun West, in the interest of equity and fairness.

“We are not ingrates. Remo has had its fair share of the governorship. Governor Gbenga Daniel and Governor Dapo Abiodun have both represented our zone and the state.

“We must therefore appreciate the support extended to us by other zones and be willing to support the legitimate aspiration of other parts of the state to also produce the governor.

“Yewa deserves a sense of belonging. It is only fair that power should move to another zone,” the group said.

It cautioned politicians and stakeholders in Remo against putting personal ambition above the broader interests of the zone and the state, warning that any deliberate attempt to upset the existing understanding on power rotation could have far-reaching consequences.

The group also appealed to the people of Remo not to support what it described as a selfish political agenda capable of eroding the confidence other zones have in the zone.

According to it, political arrangements are sustained by trust, reciprocity and mutual respect, stressing that the support Remo receives today could be affected if the zone is perceived as unwilling to reciprocate such gestures.

“Those who deliberately work against this understanding may be sowing seeds of conflict and destruction for generations yet unborn. We must think beyond one election, one candidate or one political ambition.

“The question should be what is fair and equitable for Ogun State and how we preserve the trust among the different zones,” it added.

The group, which also announced plans to host the 2026 edition of its annual Pan Remo Forum soon, said this year’s edition will focus on the need to preserve the goodwill and peaceful coexistence among the various zones of Ogun State before, during and after the forthcoming general elections.

PRM maintained that the political leadership of Ogun should continue to promote an arrangement that gives every zone a sense of inclusion and belonging.

It therefore urged Remo political leaders, traditional institutions, community leaders and other stakeholders to consider the long-term political stability of the state and resist actions that could create unnecessary division among its various zones.

The group further appealed to all stakeholders to respect the principle of equity and allow Ogun West, which it said had yet to produce a governor since the creation of the state, an opportunity to occupy the governorship.

It stressed that the issue should not be reduced to the ambition of any individual, but viewed from the broader perspective of fairness, political accommodation and the need to preserve harmonious relationships among Ogun’s major political blocs.

The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned that Nigerians could face deeper economic hardship if they elect what he described as the “wrong candidate” in the 2027 presidential election.

Ayodele, in a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, predicted that petrol could rise to N2,500 per litre and diesel to N3,000 under such a scenario.

The cleric also forecast increases in electricity tariffs, examination fees and the price of cement, alongside worsening insecurity and economic pressures.

“If Nigeria votes for the wrong candidate in 2027, petrol will rise to N2,500, and diesel will go to N3,000. There will be economic hardship, and insecurity will increase,” Ayodele said.

He further predicted the emergence of another terrorist group, warning that the development could compound Nigeria’s security challenges.

“Another new terrorist group will come up, and electricity tariffs will rise. WAEC fee will rise to N70,000, and a bag of cement will rise to N18,000 regardless of whatever Dangote does,” he said.

According to the cleric, the poor would bear the brunt of the predicted economic difficulties, while unfavourable policies, declining foreign reserves and increased corruption could further worsen conditions.

“The poor will suffer it greatly, and everything will change. There will be wrong policies, our foreign reserves will go down, corruption will increase,” he added.

Ayodele urged Nigerians to scrutinise the candidates ahead of the 2027 election rather than making voting decisions based on immediate material inducements.

“Nigerians must open their eyes before voting for any candidate in the forthcoming election. This election will determine a lot, and if care isn’t taken, Nigerians will move into another round of hardship,” he said.

The cleric said he would in the coming months disclose what he described as “God’s choice” for Nigerians and explain how citizens could identify the candidate he considers suitable.

“In the coming days, I will reveal God’s choice for Nigerians in the coming election. I will let the people know how to identify the best candidate, but it’s left to them to decide what they want to follow,” he said.

Ayodele’s warning comes amid ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to cushion transportation costs through alternative energy, particularly compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric-powered public transport.

President Bola Tinubu, in an update on the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme on Saturday, directed state governments to intensify efforts to ensure that more Nigerians begin to experience measurable reductions in transportation costs from October 1.

Tinubu said the initiative followed his August 27 meeting with the 36 state governors, after which an implementation committee was established under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, chaired by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The President cited existing reductions in transport fares in several states, including Borno, Oyo, Adamawa, Enugu, Plateau and Niger, which he attributed to CNG and electric-powered transport schemes.

Tinubu said more than 120,000 vehicles had been converted to CNG over the past three years, while Nigeria now has more than 400 certified CNG conversion centres and over 90 CNG refuelling stations.

He also rejected calls for a return to the petrol subsidy regime, arguing that it had exposed the economy to international oil-price fluctuations and consumed trillions of naira.