By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Political support groups, Positive Thinkers, a development-driven group and YAYI Progressive Movement, respectively have urged the people of Ogun State to look beyond sentiment and rally behind capacity, character, and a record that is already statewide by electing Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly called Yayi as the next governor of Ogun State in the 2027 guber poll, under the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Therefore, the groups enumerated at least six reasons why the people of the state should elect Adeola in 2027 guber poll.

The groups made the remarks in a joint statement by it’s President Comrade Ogunpaimo Olaiwola, Secretary, Mallam Egunleti Olalekan, and YAYI Progressive Movement on Tuesday.

This follows Monday unveiling of Adeola, the current Senator, representing Ogun West as the consensus governorship candidate of the Ogun State APC for the 2027 poll.

Unveiling the aspirant at the APC Strategic Caucus Meeting, held at the party’s secretariat in Iyana Mortuary, Abeokuta, Governor Dapo Abiodun, who is the leader of the party in the state, said the decision was aimed at presenting a formidable candidate and breaking the jinx of Ogun West Senatorial District not producing a governor since the creation of the state.

Governor Abiodun explained that the caucus meeting was convened to secure the buy-in of major party stakeholders, disclosing that he had earlier met with other aspirants who agreed to support the party’s choice.

According to him, the choice of a consensus candidate is aimed at avoiding internal conflicts and ensuring that the party remains strong and united going into the next election

Although Adeola has not made a formal declaration of his governorship ambition, Monday’s endorsement places him in a strong position ahead of other potential aspirants within the party.

The APC has been the dominant political force in Ogun State since 2011, when it took over power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Since then, the party has maintained its hold on the state through successive administrations.

Governor Abiodun, who is currently serving his second term, will complete his tenure in 2027 and is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election. This makes the question of succession a key issue within the party.

The groups’ statement read in part; “For almost five decades, Ogun State has been celebrated as the Gateway State, a land of “firsts”, of industry, and of brilliant minds.
“Yet one reality has lingered: Ogun West, with its proud Yewa-Awori heritage, has never produced a governor since the state’s creation in 1976, despite the appeals and agitations by Ogun West people during every election cycle.

“The agitation has begun again! However, in 2027, the people of Ogun State have a chance to correct that imbalance while choosing proven competence.

“Our resolve on this conviction is based on the following reasons: Firstly, a record of delivery across Ogun State Leadership is not promised in speeches; it is measured in footprints. This is in line with a statement commonly attributed to Hon.

“Patrick Obahiagbon – a former National Assembly Member, who noted that “Political Sagacity is not a garrulous asperity but an acrobatic gingoism”. In about three years as Senator representing Ogun West, Yayi has taken development beyond his district infrastructure, primary health centers, electrical transformers, solar streetlights, and ICT hubs, bearing his facilitation, now cut across Ogun West, Ogun Central, and Ogun East.

“More so, over 4,000 market women and youths have been empowered with grants, working tools, and training, because Senator Yayi believes that an economy grows when its people grow.

“When a lawmaker treats the entire state as his constituency, it reiterates what state governance under his watch will look like.

“Secondly, legislative weight that benefits Ogun it is also noteworthy that, across the South West, from 2023 to date, Yayi is among the senators who have sponsored the highest number of bills.

“As Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Yayi sits where Nigeria’s budget is shaped. That experience matters. It means he understands the processes, revenue flows, and how to attract projects that complement state resources.

“Ogun needs a governor who can negotiate at the center and still thinks like a grassroots mobilizer. Yayi’s many years in parliament give him the institutional memory to hit the ground running.

“Thirdly, equity, inclusion and stability fairness is the foundation of peace. Ogun West’s call for a governorship seat is not a sectional demand; it is a state-building project.

“Electing a competent son of Yewa-Awori is how Ogun State completes its tripod and buries the old narrative of marginalisation.

“Yayi is consistently seen as a bridge builder and unifier who relates easily with Egba, Ijebu, Remo, and Yewa-Awori stakeholders. Unity is not a slogan, it is what happens when every zone feels included.

“Fourthly, diaspora and youth are buying in Development today is global. The Ogun State indigenes in diaspora have passed a vote of confidence in Yayi’s capacity and launched coordinated support from abroad.

“At home, thousands of students under the Yayi Student Vanguard are organizing in support of Yayi’s gubernatorial bid.”

The groups described Yayi as a leader who can inspire both the diaspora’s investment and the youth’s energy, who can expand Ogun State’s economy beyond federal allocation.

“A clear vision: Ogun beyond civil service Ogun State’s future must rest on production, rather than just administration. Yayi has a focus on infrastructure that unlocks commerce, on education that produces skills, and on empowerment that creates employers.

“From agro-processing in Yewa, to tech hubs in Abeokuta, to leveraging Ogun’s border-economy advantage with Lagos, means that the vision is a state where every district becomes a growth pole.

“Our conclusion:2027 is not just another election cycle in Ogun State. It is the moment to match competence with equity.

“Senator Solomon Adeola Olamilekan has shown he can legislate, appropriate, attract projects, and unify people.

“Ogun West has waited for 48 years; Ogun State has waited long enough for a governor whose work already touches all three zones.

“To move Ogun forward, the people of Ogun State should look beyond sentiment and rally behind capacity, character, and a record that is already statewide.

“That is why supporting Yayi’s governorship ambition is not charity to one district, it is strategy for one Ogun,” the groups stated.

Meanwhile, the grassroots structure are quietly, effectively, and strategically mobilizing for Yayi’s course with a pledge to purchase his nomination form, while 41 councillors across Ogun West endorsed him and committed funds to the course.

Senator Adeola, is a well-known figure in both state and national politics. Before moving to Ogun State politics, he served as a lawmaker representing Lagos West, building a reputation as an experienced legislator.

His political journey and visibility within the APC are believed to have contributed to his emergence as the party’s preferred candidate.

Supporters describe him as someone with the experience and network needed to continue the policies of the current administration.

Instructively, when structures like these exist before campaigns even peak, it signals depth, not hype.