Olaoniye Sarafa Olaito (Hon.)
Oyo | House of representatives
Oyo | House of representatives
Hon. Sarafa Olaito Olaoniye, popularly known as Bibire, is a Nigerian politician and public servant from Oyo State. He is the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North Federal Constituency in the 2027 House of Representatives election. His political career has been closely associated with grassroots administration in Ibarapa, where he previously served in leadership positions at the local-government level.
Olaoniye built his public-service profile through his involvement in local government administration in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area. He served as Executive Vice Chairman and later as Caretaker Chairman of the local government. These positions provided him with experience in local administration and direct engagement with communities, traditional institutions, community leaders and residents. His record in local government has subsequently formed an important part of his political profile as he seeks a seat at the federal level.
His political activities have also extended beyond holding public office. Olaoniye was involved in the political organisation surrounding the 2023 House of Representatives election in Ibarapa, serving as Campaign Director-General for Hon. Muraina Saubana Ajibola. His participation in that campaign strengthened his involvement in federal constituency politics and gave him further experience in political mobilisation across Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North.
Olaoniye's connection to the constituency is also reflected in his stated ancestral ties to communities within Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North. In accepting the APC nomination, he said that he could trace his ancestry to three of the five communities making up the federal constituency. He presented this connection as part of his understanding of the social and developmental concerns of the people of Ibarapa.
In 2026, Olaoniye entered the APC's contest for the House of Representatives ticket for Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North. Following the party's primary process, he emerged as the APC candidate and formally accepted the nomination in July 2026. In his acceptance statement, he described the nomination as a responsibility and called on other aspirants and party members to work together following the conclusion of the primary election.
As the APC candidate, Olaoniye has identified several areas of concern within the constituency, including infrastructure, youth employment, economic development and access to opportunities. He has stated that his intended approach to representation would involve collaboration with government institutions, development partners and other stakeholders to attract programmes and projects to communities across Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North. These are presented as his stated priorities rather than established outcomes of a federal legislative tenure.
The Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North Federal Constituency comprises communities including Igbo-Ora, Idere, Ayete, Tapa and Igangan. The constituency is one of the federal constituencies in Oyo State where several candidates are contesting the 2027 House of Representatives election. INEC's published candidate information lists Olaoniye as the APC candidate, alongside candidates representing other political parties.
Olaoniye Sarafa Olaito therefore enters the 2027 election with a political background rooted largely in local-government administration and grassroots political organisation. His previous service as Executive Vice Chairman and Caretaker Chairman of Ibarapa Central Local Government, combined with his subsequent political activities, forms the basis of his current public profile. As the APC candidate, he is seeking to represent Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North in the Federal House of Representatives and bring his experience in local administration into federal legislative service.