- Southwest governors, meeting in Lagos, condemned Yoruba secessionists following the recent Oyo State secretariat invasion by alleged separatists
- Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was elected as the new chairman of the Southwest Governors’ Forum during the meeting
Governors from Southwest states met in Lagos and strongly condemned the group of people agitating for a Yoruba nation. This statement comes after the recent invasion of the Oyo State secretariat by alleged secessionists. During the meeting, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was elected as the new chairman of the Southwest Governors’ Forum, succeeding the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, who passed away in December 2023.
Governors Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), and Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti) were also present at the meeting held at the Lagos House, Ikeja. After a closed-door session lasting about five hours, the forum released communiques outlining the governors’ resolutions on national and regional issues.
The forum unanimously nominated and adopted Sanwo-Olu as its Chairman. Additionally, the governors paid their respects to Akeredolu and congratulated the new Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on winning the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship ticket for the upcoming election.
Furthermore, the governors adopted “Ise wa fun ile wa” as the Southwest Anthem. Regarding the Minimum Wage, the forum supported the ongoing conversations between the Federal Government, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), and the Organised Private Sector with the Labour Union. They expressed confidence that the outcome would reflect true fiscal federalism.