By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

The 2027 governorship race in Ogun State has assumed a new dimension, as supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in their hundred took to the streets of Ado-Odo/Ota local government area to canvass support for Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi.

The mobilisation, organised by the Ogun State Pathfinder for Yayi for Good Governance, also featured calls for support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s expected second-term bid, with the organisers insisting that it was time for Ogun West Senatorial District to produce the next governor of the state.

The street walk, the first leg of a three-part sensitisation tour across the state’s three senatorial districts, attracted participants from Ipokia, Yewa South, Yewa North, Imeko-Afon and Ado-Odo/Ota local government areas.

The procession commenced at Ansar-ud-deen Nursery and Primary School, Ota, and moved through major roads, including Sango Under-Bridge, Sango garage and the Lagos-Abeokuta Tollgate, before returning to the starting point.

The participants, many of them dressed in APC colours, displayed placards and banners endorsing Tinubu and Adeola while chanting solidarity songs along the route.

Speaking at the Lagos-Abeokuta Tollgate, Convener of the Ogun Pathfinder and National Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Comrade Kayode Agbeyangi, said the mobilisation was aimed at taking political engagement directly to the grassroots.

Agbeyangi said political leaders could no longer afford to rely solely on conventional town-hall meetings to engage voters, stressing that direct contact with the people was critical ahead of the 2027 elections.

“We have to come down to the grassroots, put ourselves on the street, and let people feel that we have their concerns at heart. Let them see that we can walk and do a walk for life, rather than sitting in halls.”

He said the political mood in Ogun West has changed, arguing that the district had supported governorship aspirations from other parts of the state for years and was now prepared to produce one of its own.

Agbeyangi urged residents to support Adeola, claiming that the senator had already begun implementing projects and initiatives across the state even before seeking the governorship.

“Adeola is already doing a lot of projects now, even before becoming governor. The people can see what he is doing; it is not hearsay and it is not an unfulfilled promise. When he becomes governor in 2027, we believe he will do much more.”

On the Tinubu administration, the APC chieftain appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the President and allow him more time to implement his policies.

“Let us have patience; let this man complete his job. Don’t cut it short. If we cut it short, we are cutting the vision of our life, our children, and all of us short.”

He added: “Yayi, we know; Yayi, we trust, and Yayi is the one capable of delivering.”

Also speaking, Ogun State Chairman of the NURTW, Alhaji Mustapha Ismail Adewale, commended Agbeyangi for returning to the state and participating actively in the political process.

Adewale urged residents to support Adeola in the 2027 governorship election, while calling for continued support for Tinubu.

“I want everyone to support Adeola because the convener is a good man.

“However, our support should not stop with Yayi. We should also extend our support to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term so that the good work can continue.”

An APC coordinator and participant in the rally, Olori Kuye Ganiyat, said her support for Adeola was informed by what she described as his interventions in infrastructure, agriculture and employment.

Ganiyat said Adeola had facilitated road projects in parts of the state, created employment opportunities for more than 300 market women and supported farmers with tractors and fertiliser.

She also listed the provision of transformers and other electricity infrastructure to communities among the senator’s interventions.

The Ogun Pathfinder said the street mobilisation was designed to deepen grassroots sensitisation and build support ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The group said similar exercise would be held in Ogun Central and Ogun East as the three-part sensitisation tour progresses.