Segun Olatunji
A group, Ogun West Professionals for Yayi, on Sunday, adopted the Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly called Yayi for the 2027 governorship election in the state.
The group also endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term in next year’s presidential election.
The group unveiled its adoption of Senator Yayi and the endorsement of President Tinubu for the 2027 governorship and presidential elections, respectively, at a well -attended Media Chat 2026, held at the Frontier Hotel Resorts in Ilaro, Ogun State. The media chat was massively attended by various interest groups, clubs, associations prominent personalities and political figures from across Ogun West and the other parts of Ogun State.
While adopting Senator Adeola Yayi for the governorship of the state and President Tinubu for a second term in 2027, the 600-member strong Ogun West Professionals said it took the decision to adopt Senator Adeola Yayi for governor in 2027 following his unprecedented performance in the provision of life-impacting constituency projects across Ogun West and beyond, just as President Tinubu has been delivering the dividends of democracy to all Nigerians in ways never done before by his predecessors.
A member of the Ogun West Professionals, Balogun Aina Kusoro moved the motion for Senator Adeola’s adoption and President Tinubu’s endorsement while the motion was seconded by Prince Kunle Adebiyi shortly after the Guest Speaker and Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, delivered a lecture entitled, “The Power of Internal Coherence in Securing External Support: A Roadmap to Achieving Ogun West Governorship Ambition in 2027.”
Earlier in his lecture, the Guest Speaker and Senate Leader, Senator Bamidele blamed the preponderance of diverse sub-ethnic groups of the Yoruba in Ogun West for the discordant political tunes that have hindered the area from producing a governor for the state in the past 50 years of its creation.
He said unlike the two other senatorial districts – Ogun Central and Ogun East- that have taken their turns in governors for the state, differences in language and dialects have continued to make it impossible for the elites in Ogun West to form a consensus.
According to him, “Ogun West that shares international boundaries with Benin Republic has diverse ethnicities of Yoruba, including the Yewa ( formerly Egbado), the Awori, the Egun, the Anago and Ogu. By implication, it means, regardless of size and influence, Ogun West has more ethnic divergence and likely discordant political tunes to contend with even internally. Definitely, the multiplicities of sub-ethnic groups and even language/dialect disparities is an obstacle to forming elite consensus in Ogun West.”
The guest speaker further blamed the delineation of wards and local government areas at the creation of the state, 50 years ago, for the political disadvantage being suffered by Ogun West regarding producing a governor for the state.
He stated, “From available records, the ratio of the population of the three Senatorial Districts are almost even. The 2006 population puts the population of Ogun East with 9 local governments and 104 wards at 1,248,338 or 33.2% of Ogun State population; Ogun Central with 6 LGs and 75 wards has a population of 1,370,820 or 36.4% while Ogun West Senatorial District has 5 LGs and just 59 wards with a population of 1,146,006 or 30%.
“The delineation of wards and local governments, which determines number of delegates to vote at primaries, put Ogun West at a disadvantageous position if the delegate system is adopted during candidates’ selection. Certainly, this comparative allocation of LGs and wards is lopsided against Ogun West in a primary election, and it puts undue pressure on aspirants from Ogun West.”
Speaking earlier, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, described Senator Yayi as a renowned political figure who commands national recognition and has demonstrated the commitment that he’s someone that can be relied upon to lead Ogun State come 2027.
He said the journey of Ogun West towards occupying the Oke Mosan Governor’s Office in 2027 is project that is being implemented in phases, calling for concerted efforts to realise the goal.
“Let’s continue to reach out to everybody. We must not make enemies of who do not agree with us. We must win them over,” he said.
Salako also commended President Tinubu for deeming it fit to appoint a minister from Ogun West, a situation that had eluded the Senatorial District for about 30 years before the Tinubu-led administration came to the rescue of the area.
Delivering a solidarity message on behalf of the Ogun Central Senatorial District at the Media Chat, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Apostle Biodun Sanyaolu, said Senator Adeola Yayi is not just a political figure of note, but also a national asset, who is widely acknowledged for his legislative productivity.
Sanyaolu said the Ogun Central people regard Senator Adeola as a bridge builder.
He noted that Ogun West is blessed with a 2027 governorship candidate that is adequately prepared and widely accepted across the state, stressing that he’s most qualified and very suitable to lead Ogun State as the next governor.
The APC chieftain therefore assured Senator Adeola and the Ogun West people of the support of the Ogun Central for the governorship aspiration of the lawmaker.
“Our support for Senator Yayi in 2027 Ogun governorship is overwhelming; our people are waiting for him. This time, Ogun West must get it right,” he said.
Also speaking at the Media Chat on behalf of the people of Ogun East, Senator Lekan Mustapha, enjoined the leaders of Ogun West to join hands and unite so that the area can secure the governorship of Ogun State in 2027.
He lamented that Ogun West had been the “weeping boy” in Ogun State, stressing that denying the area the governorship of the state “is most unfair.”
A professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof Yemi Oke, who spoke on behalf of the Egba people, assured that his people would cast their votes for Senator Yayi as the next governor of Ogun State in 2026.
“Yayi is ours. Ifo, Odeda, Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Ewekoro and everybody will vote for him as governor in 2027,” Oke assured.
Other dignitaries who attended the media chat royal fathers led by the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewa land, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle and former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, represented by a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Adekunle Adeyemi.
A communique issued at the end of the media chat stated among others that it organised the media chat “in furtherance of a shared agenda to reposition the district for political inclusion and leadership at the highest level in Ogun State.”
The communique added that some resolutions were made at the end of the media chat, including the following:
1. The forum commended the Federal Government ably led by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the unprecedented infrastructural development across Ogun West senatorial district.
2. The gathering agreed that we have never had it so good like this in the past in terms of federal presence spanning political appointments and infrastructural development in Ogun West senatorial district. As a result, we unanimously resolved to vote en masse for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu second term ambition.
3. The engagement was anchored on the collective aspiration that Ogun West should produce the next Governor of Ogun State in 2027. Central to this objective is the provision of strategic professional support and the building of broad-based consensus within the district.
4. Participants unanimously endorsed Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi) as the preferred candidate for Ogun State Governor in the year 2027. This is in recognition of his unique service delivery, quality representation, and consistent advocacy for development.
5. The forum emphasized the urgent need for a unified and coordinated approach among political stakeholders in Ogun West, stressing that internal divisions could undermine the historic opportunity before the district.
6. The gathering appreciated the goodwill message and support from Ogun Central and East senatorial districts as presented by Apostle Biodun Sanyaolu, Prof. Yemi Oke and Senator ‘Lekan Mustapha while promising to work in unison towards achieving Ogun West governorship aspiration in the year 2027.
7. Finally, we reaffirmed our commitment to advocating cohesion, collaboration and collective purpose to build a strong and united front capable of securing the governorship for Ogun West in 2027
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