By Bolaji Adeniji
Ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Ogun State, a striking feature of the emerging contest is the unassailable electoral credibility of the APC candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, fondly called YAYI. A contrasting reality however, is the inability of the opposition, to proffer a compelling option before the electorate. Rather than confront YAYI’s swashbuckling record of service and impeccable capacity, with an alternate record and competing ideas, the opposition is increasingly preoccupied with ludicrous noise around identity. This anomalous stance affirms the verdict about the paucity of plausible ideas within the opposition ranks and their incompetence to be entrusted with governance.
Over the past three years and four months of representing Ogun West Senatorial District at the Senate, YAYI has built a profile that is anchored on direct impact on the welfare of the people and the development of the communities, through unprecedented constituency interventions and empowerment. That record has become the fulcrum of YAYI’s appeal across Ogun State today. While the word on the streets reveal an electorate that is already decided on YAYI as their next governor, the opposition rhetoric has rather focused on attacking the APC candidate on jejune matters that have nothing to do with his character, competence and policies by which he intends to govern.
Where political campaigns become dominated by personal attacks and attempts to discredit a popular candidate rather than by competing ideas, the electorate is ultimately denied the quality of political debate it deserves. The naysayers have failed to place before Ogun people, an alternative agenda to YAYI’s progressive footprint and legacy of service as a transformational leader. Instead, the energy being directed at YAYI increasingly gives the impression of an opposition that is more interested in stopping a candidate who is about to breast the tape, rather than explaining why the people should choose its own candidate; if it indeed has a credible one.
An election cannot be reduced to a campaign against one individual; at some point, every political party must answer the basic question in democratic politics: What do you have to offer? The apparent absence of a persuasive answer is what has given off the opposition campaign as empty. In contrast, YAYI continues to polish his credentials with unabated intervention in human capital development, infrastructure development, and economic empowerment of the masses. Unfortunately, it continues to elude the understanding of naysayers that a politically sophisticated state such as Ogun, cannot permanently thrive on propaganda, innuendo and personality attacks.
The Ogun electorate is interested in what the candidates can deliver. They want to know how roads will be built , how schools will improve, how healthcare will become more accessible, how young people will secure meaningful employment, how artisans will thrive, how businesses will receive support and how communities across the state will benefit from governance. Interestingly, all these continues to be the focus of YAYI – not as a promise, but a reality of what he has been doing, still doing today, and with a guarantee to elevate them to higher pedestals when elected as the governor.
While YAYI supporters are at liberty to showcase his achievements as a passport for higher service, the opposition has a democratic choice to provide an alternative; but what would not amount to responsible course of action is an endless attempt to pull down a strong opponent with falsehoods. There is also the danger in cultivating ethnic arguments to gain electoral capital. Ogun State is home to different ethnic communities whose interests intersect across political geography. Voters may have ethnic identities, but they also have roads they need fixed, schools they want improved, hospitals they need to access and economic opportunities they seek – all that is being provided by YAYI. Therefore, reducing a governorship contest to questions of ethnicity (without empirical facts), undermines the sophistication of the electorate.
Where political campaigns become dominated by personal attacks and attempts to discredit a popular candidate rather than by competing ideas, the electorate is ultimately denied the quality of political debate it deserves. The naysayers have failed to place before Ogun people, an alternative agenda to YAYI’s progressive footprint and legacy of service as a transformational leader. Instead, the energy being directed at YAYI increasingly gives the impression of an opposition that is more interested in stopping a candidate who is about to breast the tape, rather than explaining why the people should choose its own candidate; if it indeed has a credible one
Interestingly, YAYI supporters are lapping up the criticisms as opportunities to shift the campaign towards his records. Every attempt to diminish him paradoxically creates opportunity to remind voters of his people-centred works that is visible all around Ogun State. Importantly, the APC candidate is set to officially unveil the suite of programme with which he intends to seek the mandate of the entire state when the campaign formally begins in a few days, and the opposition, currently bereft of innovation, will find itself confronting an herculean proposition; that is, a candidate who already has a visible record and also presenting a progressive agenda for the future.
The 2027 governorship election would not be a referendum on who can shout the loudest against YAYI. It will be a contest of meritocracy over the leadership and future of Ogun State. If the opposition believes YAYI is incapable of governing Ogun, it should demonstrate why through superior ideas. If it believes his record is exaggerated, it should produce evidence. If it believes it has a better pathway for development, it should present it to the people. Anything less, confirms the impression that the opposition is out not to win an election but to prevent YAYI from making it to the finish line – which is an insurmountable task to say the least.
As YAYI continues to consolidate his grassroots appeal and is prepared to take his campaign message to the people, the central challenge before his opponents is clear: They must rise from their current prostrate, lethargic and indolent position, and find something meaningful to offer Ogun people (that is if they have any); rather than attacking Ogun’s beautiful bride. The verdict is almost written and the statistics cannot be wrong; “vox populi, vox dei”. As the February 6th 2027 election beckons, the acceptability of YAYI is daily soaring and indeed, an unstoppable march towards victory.
. Adeniji, a Journalist and Communications Consultant, writes from Ota, Ogun State via bolajipundit@gmail.com
