Governors and resource allocation in Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria: do the incumbents favour their constituencies?

The distribution of state resources and the influence of political leadership in shaping development outcomes are critical issues, particularly in developing nations. Nigeria’s federal system, with its distinct layers of governance, raises concerns over equity and fairness at the national, state, and local levels. However, scholars have focused more on ethnic, regional, and religious factors in the national government. The extant theories explaining political motivation in resource allocation and the inherent problems offer valuable insights, but lack a nuanced approach to intra-state analysis, where ethnicity and religion may be constant when a homogeneous region/state falls under a single governor’s jurisdiction. Findings show that incumbency confers systematic resource advantages on districts and social affiliations even in a seemingly homogeneous Oyo State. The perception of marginalization in resource allocation catalyses political demands such as a powershift/rotation and state restructuring/carving out a new state, highlighting the gap between objective allocations and subjective perceptions.