By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

All nine transport unions in Ogun State, under the aegis of the Transport Unions Alliance for Yayi, have endorsed the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, ahead of the 2027 election.

The unions announced their endorsement at a rally held at the Ake Palace Pavilion, Abeokuta, saying their decision was based on what they described as Adeola’s antecedents and capacity to lead the state.

The unions are the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Ogun State Park Management Services Limited (OGSPAM), Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), Articulated Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (AMORAN), Riders and Owners of Motorcycle Organisation (ROMO), Tricycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (TORAN), Three Wheelers Operators and Riders Association (TWORA), and Riders and Owners of Tricycle Organisation (ROTO).

Chairman of the planning committee and State Secretary of RTEAN, Tiwalade Akingbade, described the endorsement as historic, saying it was the first time the transport unions had collectively backed a governorship candidate.

“This is historical because this is the first time we are coming out to endorse a governorship candidate,” Akingbade said.

Addressing Adeola, he said the unions’ decision was based on their assessment of his record and capacity rather than ethnicity or sectional considerations.

“We are doing this because you are capable and we have seen the antecedent,” he said.

Akingbade said the unions believed Adeola could sustain the development of the state, adding that the theme of the rally, “Consolidation of Proven Capacity and Competence,” reflected their position.

“We know you are competent. We know you are capable. We know you can do it,” he said.

He also disclosed that the chairmen of all nine unions had signed the endorsement card presented to Adeola.

“On behalf of all the transport unions in the state, we are endorsing you today. And all the nine transport union chairmen in the state have appended their signatures,” he said.

Adeola pledges continuity

Responding, Adeola thanked the unions for their support and pledged to consolidate the development of Ogun State if elected governor in 2027.

He said residents should expect further development under his administration.

“I can tell you that the people of Ogun State are about to witness the biggest development in the history of this state,” Adeola said.

The APC candidate said he would build on the achievements of Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration while pursuing further development across the state.

“We will continue to grow higher and higher and higher and higher. We can never relinquish this state to mediocre, to power grabbers, to people who only want to satisfy their personal gain. Ogun State deserves better,” he said.

Abiodun backs continuity

Abiodun, who also addressed the gathering, described the unions’ endorsement as “truly unprecedented and historic”, saying their collective position demonstrated unity among transport operators in the state.

“Today, we are standing here hand in hand in unity. We are all here. All the transport unions collectively and individually are here,” the governor said.

He said the development was significant against the backdrop of what he described as the need for stability and continuity in Ogun State.

“Something unprecedented in the 50-year history of this beloved state. Stability,” he said.

Abiodun added that the development would promote continuity, socio-economic development and investor confidence in the state.

“This speaks to continuity. This speaks to socio-economic development. This speaks to investor confidence because investors are looking at Ogun State and they are saying nothing will change,” he said.

The governor also appealed to transport operators to refrain from arbitrary increases in fares, saying his administration had invested significantly in road infrastructure and other measures aimed at creating an enabling environment for the transport sector.

According to him, the government had constructed or reconstructed more than 1,700 kilometres of roads across the state and implemented a multimodal transport master plan.

“For you transport unions, we have reconstructed or constructed over 1,700 kilometres of roads across the length and breadth of this state,” Abiodun said.

“We have by so doing created an enabling environment for your sector to not only thrive but to succeed.”

ACOMORAN seeks transport sector development

Also speaking, the National President of ACOMORAN, Alhaji Shamsudeen Apelogun, said the unions’ decision to endorse a governorship candidate demonstrated their political awareness and importance to the state’s economy.

Apelogun described transport operators as major stakeholders in Ogun, noting that they possessed significant organisational and numerical strength.

He said the unions were organised groups capable of using their votes to support candidates they believed deserved their backing.

He called for greater attention to roads and transportation infrastructure, arguing that an efficient transport system would contribute to increased economic activity across the state.

Apelogun, however, cautioned against turning transport unions into instruments of political division, urging members to examine the records and antecedents of candidates seeking public office before deciding whom to support.