A prominent socio-political group, the Oyo Alaafin Forum, comprising sons and daughters of Oyo Town residing in Abuja, has expressed strong support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the nomination and appointment of Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of Power.
The group, in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday and signed by its Chairman, Engineer Segun Owolabi, and Director of Media, Ambassador Tunde Mustapha, described Tegbe’s appointment as a strategic and commendable decision by the President.
According to the Forum, Tegbe is “a consummate professional whose impressive credentials span both the public and private sectors,” adding that his experience, managerial competence, and strategic insight make him well-suited to lead reforms in Nigeria’s power sector.
The Forum expressed confidence that the new minister would deploy his expertise to improve electricity supply and drive meaningful transformation in the sector.
The Senate had on Wednesday screened and confirmed Tegbe as Minister of Power following the resignation of Chief Adebayo Adelabu. Shortly after his confirmation, Tegbe assured Nigerians that the power sector would witness significant improvements within 100 days of his assumption of office.
Reaffirming its support for President Tinubu, the Forum said it remained committed to the administration’s “bold, innovative and transformational policies” under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The statement noted that the President’s economic reforms and fiscal policies, though ambitious, had begun yielding positive results capable of restoring macroeconomic stability, boosting productivity, and rebuilding public confidence.
The Forum also endorsed President Tinubu for re-election in 2027, pledging to mobilise support for the continuation of his administration’s programmes and reforms.
While congratulating Tegbe on his appointment, the group renewed its longstanding appeal for the appointment of a qualified indigene of Oyo Town and its environs as minister representing Oyo State.
According to the Forum, Oyo Town has remained underrepresented in federal ministerial appointments for decades, despite its historical and political significance in the state.
The group recalled that ministerial appointments from Oyo State in previous administrations had largely gone to other zones, citing Aderemi Babalola and Olajumoke Akinjide from Ibadan under former Presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan respectively, as well as Adebayo Shittu from Saki and Sunday Dare from Ogbomoso during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
It further noted that under the current administration, former Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu and newly appointed Minister Joseph Tegbe are both from Ibadan, while Sunday Dare from Ogbomoso currently serves as a Special Adviser in the Presidency.
The Forum therefore appealed to President Tinubu to consider appointing a competent son or daughter of Oyo Town in future ministerial nominations in the interest of equity, fairness, and inclusiveness.
According to the group, such a move would help correct longstanding political imbalance, strengthen national cohesion, and deepen public trust in the Federal Government.
