2027: Why I Want to Represent Egbeda/Ona-Ara Constituents – Dr. Temitope Oladimeji (OTOPE)

A leading Aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) looking forward to represent the people of Egbeda/Ona-Ara federal Constituency at Federal House of Representatives, Abuja in 2027, Hon (Dr.) Dr. Ezekiel Temitope Oladimeji affectionately known as OTOPE sat down with journalists at his private residence in Ibadan recently. No campaign flags. No loud music. Just a man talking about why he believes he is the right fit for Egbeda/Ona-Ara Federal Constituency in 2027.

“The House of Representatives is not a right,” he said, speaking calmly. “It is a responsibility. And that responsibility must be earned. Through dedication. Through competence. Through showing up long before election season.”

He is known simply as OTOPE. And when asked why he wants to go to the Federal House of Representatives, he said it straight: it is not about the title. It is about service.

Dr. Oladimeji currently serves as the Oyo State Director-General for the Liaison Office in Abuja and Lagos. But he does not lean on that. Instead, he talks about something deeper. “I have remained stable and loyal to Oyo State. I love my constituents, and I live with them, that is how I know what they truly want. I have always placed service above personal gain.”

Since 2020, his OTOPE Foundation has been touching lives. Monthly. Hundreds of people. He does not brag about it. He just throws the challenge out there.

“OTOPE Foundation has been reaching out to hundreds of people on a monthly basis since 2020. You are free to go out there and ask people who I am, and how my foundation has impacted many lives. Truth does not need a lawyer—go and verify.”

Oladimeji is from Ona-Ara Local Government. And he makes a case that has been brewing for nearly twenty years.

“The representation should be rotational between the two local governments,” he said. “That is what I am advocating for. Egbeda has had its turn. Now Ona-Ara is ready to reclaim its right. It is only fair that we bring the dividends of democracy to residents on this side as well.”

On what he will do differently, he did not roll out a long list of big grammar. He kept it simple. “We need to support small and medium-scale enterprises. Real businesses. Run by real people. Empowered our youth through vocational training and real working-tools to be used for the work. We need to create jobs not just slogans. We need to improve livelihoods in a way that people can feel in their pockets and in their daily lives.”

As the conversation wound down, he leaned forward. His voice dropped a little.

“You see, when you want to harvest yam, you don’t wait until the season is over before you start digging. You prepare the ground early. You water it. You stay with it through the sun and the rain. That is what I have been doing for years. I am not a stranger coming to ask for a seat. I am a son coming to ask for a responsibility.”

He smiled. Then added:

“Some people will tell you they are the ones who cooked the soup. But when you ask for the ingredients, they cannot name one. In Egbeda and Ona-Ara, we have tasted empty promises before. This time, we are not looking for a cook who talks. We are looking for a cook who can show us the pot.”

When asked if he worries about the rough side of politics, he waved it off.

“A child who washes his hands clean will eat with the elders. I have washed my hands with service, with loyalty, with humanity. Let the table be set. I am not worried.”

By the time the interview ended, one thing was clear. For Dr. Ezekiel Temitope Oladimeji (OTOPE) to the people who know him, this is not ambition chasing a title. It is a man who believes he has earned the right to ask. And a constituency that may finally be ready to give.

In Oyo politics, talk is cheap. Loyalty sometimes bends with the wind. But OTOPE is betting on something else. Truth, as he put it, does not need a lawyer. And if the people of Egbeda and Ona-Ara have anything to say about it, that truth may just carry the day.

The PDP aspirant further seek unwavering support for the ongoing administration in Oyo State led by His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde. “Governor Makinde is my leader and whatever he said is the final. I am ready to serve my people and my people are ready to vote for me in the poll”, Dr. Oladimeji said.