Beyond Endorsements: Why Oyo South Is Rallying Around A Movement, Not A Moment

by Deyemi Adegbagbo

In the ongoing conversations around the 2027 Oyo South Senatorial race, one distinction is becoming increasingly clear. While moments may be announced, movements are built patiently, consistently, and over time. And across the district today, what is gathering around Kolapo Kola-Daisi is not a moment, it is a movement, the type that stands sure no matter what is thrown at it.

Rooted in the enduring values of Omoluabi, Kola-Daisi’s political journey has come to represent something deeper than ambition. Both keen and just everyday observers within and outside his political party all seem to agree that his journey reflects character, restraint, respect for process, and a quiet but firm commitment to service. These are values that resonate strongly with the people of Oyo South, not as slogans, but as lived experience.

Especially as that experience is not new to most of them. It did not begin with his recent declaration, nor is it dependent on assembled affirmations. It has been shaped over years of consistent engagement, accessibility, and an uncommon willingness to remain present before, during, and after electoral cycles. For many across the district, this is where the trust lies. This is why they trust him this much to command such clout of love.

To them, leaders and party faithful alike, KKD, as he’s widely called, is not trying to become relevant, he has remained relevant. And now, the people are simply closing ranks around him and the foundation they built together for the progres of Oyo South.

This enduring relevance is closely tied to his roots. As a son of Ibadan, Kola-Daisi carries a heritage that is both respected and deeply familiar. The Kola-Daisi name is associated with philanthropy, community support, and a long-standing culture of giving back. Across generations, that identity has been defined not by visibility, but by impact, something that continues to shape how he is received across the senatorial district today.

In communities across Ibadan and Ibarapa, what stands out in conversations with leaders and party faithful is not just support, but a sense of ownership. People speak of access, of openness, of a leader who listens without distance and engages without pretense. This has translated into what many describe as unalloyed and genuine goodwill, earned not through political convenience, but through consistency of presence and sincerity of intent, not just sudden performance for elections.

Even within inner party circles, Kola-Daisi’s trajectory remains instructive. Having secured victory at the primaries in the last election cycle, he demonstrated early confidence in his capacity to lead. Yet, despite the circumstances that followed, he chose continuity over disruption, getting back within the fold, supporting party structures, and sustaining relationships across the district. That decision, in many ways, reinforced the very qualities now drawing more people back to him: loyalty, capacity to lead, patience, and long-term thinking.

It is also this blend of experience and forward-looking vision that continues to shape his engagements beyond the grassroots. His recent interaction with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reflects not just political access between father and son, but alignment in thinking, particularly around the need for innovative, youth-driven approaches to governance and representation. For many observers, it signals a recognition of Kola-Daisi’s capacity to bridge generational leadership with grounded local understanding, hence, the President’s nod for his aspiration.

And then, at the heart of this growing movement is a simple but powerful idea captured in his slogan: Jéká Dási – Let’s get involved. It struck many as more than a slogan, but an invitation to shared responsibility. KKD himself as been quoted saying “JÉKÁ DÁSI” was informed by his sincere desire to frame leadership not as a one-sided promise, but as a collective effort between representative and people.

Across Oyo South from three (3) years ago till date, that message keeps finding resonance.

These factors, among others, explain the steady growth in support for Kolapo Kola-Daisi’s senatorial bid.

And in the end, these same factors make the distinction clear that endorsements are good, and KKD’s got them in abundance, but he also has something that runs even deeper, a movement; one built on trust, strengthened by history, and driven by a shared belief in what the district can become.

Deyemi Adegbagbo, a Publisher, writes from Bodija.