OYO STATE - The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State, Mogaji Olusegun Agboola, has said his administration, if elected in 2027, will transform the state’s 33 local government areas into service centres for development and grassroots governance.

Agboola stated this while outlining the SDP’s seven-point agenda, saying his proposed administration would decentralise governance and bring government services closer to residents.

According to him, local governments understand the specific challenges facing their communities and should therefore play a central role in delivering public services.

He said services including education, healthcare, agricultural support, infrastructure development and youth empowerment would be channelled through the local government system, with programmes tailored to the needs of individual communities.

Agboola also advocated greater fiscal autonomy for local governments, arguing that elected local government officials should have greater authority over the utilisation of funds allocated to their areas.

He noted that communities across Oyo State have different needs, stressing that development priorities in Oke-Ogun, for instance, may differ from those of the Ibadan metropolis.

On education, the SDP candidate said his administration would seek to reform the sector and address the challenge of out-of-school children, while promoting skills development and practical learning.

He further promised to revive school-based sporting and extracurricular activities, including the Academicals and Principal’s Cup, as part of efforts to identify and develop young talents.

Agboola emerged as the SDP’s Oyo State governorship candidate following the party’s substitution process in September 2026.