Ogun 2027: Olamilekan, not the best foot to put forward as APC governorship candidate

By Hakeem Adisa

Ogun State is one of the states cross the country where there will be a statutory change of guard at the helm of affairs of the state come May 29, 2027. On this day, the eight-year tenure of the administration of the incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun will come to an end. The governor’s seat at the Oke – Mosan Government House in Abeokuta will be vacant for grabs.
Expectedly, as the year draws closer, there will be intense schemings, lobbyings, allignment, reallignments, different kinds of permutations, back-stabbing, intrigues and a deluge of innuendoes. These are part of game of politics across the world, Ogun State is not exception.
To get the best out of the power game that will soon play out in the state, insinuation is rife that some prospective aspirants have already kick-started flying the kite to test the water. They have been making behind- the – scene secret consultations, holding the nocturnal meetings, and strategizing.
One of the politicians that had started schemings for the coveted position in Ogun State is Senator Solomon Olamilekan popularly known in the political arena as Yayi. He is a Lagos based politician and former member of the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. He equally served as Senator representing Lagos West from 2015 to 2023, and delibrately crossed to neighbouring Ogun State purposely to take a chance on people of Yewaland because he have the financial capability to make the unthinkable happened, as it was in political space in Lagos State since the return to democratic governnce in 1999.
Those who are close to the distinguish Senator will not debunk that he is an uncurable dreamer with deep pocket. Aside from his huge financial war chest, he is also known for his strategy. If you ask the Senator himself about his most cherished ambition today, he would not hesitate before saying – Governor of Ogun State. This is no more news to politics followers particularly in Ogun State.
The Senator tested the waters in 2019 but failed to realise this after his collision with the then governor of the state, Ibikunle Amosun, who never hid his abhorrence for him. When he failed in that missison, he quickly ran back to Lagos to retain his seat as Senator representing Lagos West at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly. One who fight and run away , run to fight another day. He ran away in 2019 but returned in 2023.
Still beliveing the governorship seat in Ogun State is matter of throwing millions around party members for him to clinch, he relocated to Yewaland and put his political strategy into play. He promoted political sentiments emphasizing that it is the turn of a native of Yewaland to become the state governor.
Again, in 2023, he was unable to accomplish this dream based on different factors among which is Governor Dapo Abiodun’s second term arrangement, including alleged allegation that the spending Senator is not a true indigene of any part of Yewaland. He still have a herculean tasks to surmount this allegation in some quarters in Yewaland.
Since the creation of Ogun State in 1976, not only the Yewa area of the state is yet to produce a governor. The Aworis and the Egu hasn’t produced governor. But, that doesn’t mean an Awori or Yewa indigene has not compete in previous gubernatorial election in the state.
In 2011, Adetunji Olurin, (a retired Brigadier General) an a core Yewa indigene from Ilaro and former military governor of Oyo State 1985-1988, contested for the coveted position on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He lost to Ibikunle Amosun. In 2015, another core Yewa man, Adegboyega Isiaka, contested on the platform of PDP, he also lost to Ibikunle Amosun who contested on the platform of All Progressives lliance (APC).
In 2019, another core Yewa man from Ipokia district, Adekunle Akinlade, contested for Ogun state governorship post on the platform of Allied Peoples Movement (APM) while Gboyega Nasir Isiaka popularly called -GNI, contested for same seat on ADC platform including Biyi Otegbeye, another core indigene from Yewa South and Kunle Samson Elegbede, all these Yewa indigenes contested but they lost.
As 2027 draws near, the Senator Yayi’s camp has embarked on strategies to clinch APC ticket and become the party’s flag bearer, in a party that Gboyega Isiaka and Adekunle Akinlade, Dimeji Bankole (former Speaker House of Representatives) who contested for the governorship seat in 2023 under the ADP platform and several others have returned to in full force and they are scheming to clinch same ticket being eyed by Yayi.
As the nation moves towards 2027 general election, it is no longer news that Senator Olamilekan have been scheming, wooing every segments in Yewaland and reaching out to all stakeholders in the APC across Ogun State to ensure he become the party’s flagbearer come 2027 gubernatorial election in the state.
The distinguish Senator has started the behind -the -scene scheming on a wrong foot with a loud agitation for a power shift to Yewaland not minding Aworiland that is yet to produce a governor in the history of the state. Nonetheless, he represents Yewa/Awori people at the Senate.
Speaking recently at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, during the 8th Yewaland Development Forum Distinguished Lecture Series – ”Yewas Talk” and his investiture as the Grand Patron of the Forum. The Distinguished Senator said: ”In the over 48 years’ history of Ogun State, no one from our Senatorial District has been opportuned to lead the state as number one citizen.”
While addressing the gathering on the lecture titled, Yewaland: ”Harnessing Our Potential Opportunities towards 2027 and Beyond,” Senator Olamilekan said: ” This unjust and inequitable anomaly is not a result of not presenting ourselves for service or indeed a result of lack of eminently qualified persons.”
Towards 2027, he urged a political group in Yewaland, the Yewa Development Forum (YDF), to dispassionately look at all the factors that should endenger success for Ogun West Senatorial District for the governorship race adding, ” I have the wherewhittal to achieve the just aspiration of our people but we must conciously and painstakingly put our best food forward this time around.”
This confidence of the distinguish Senator that APC gubernatorial ticket is for him to grab because he is close to President Bola Tinubu will not work when the time comes. Obviously, by late 2026, Mr. President will be battling for his second term opporunity owing to the current high living cost of living brought upon Nigerians as a result of his government policies.
President Tinubu’s hand would be filled with work to do to secure second term in office. He would have an uphill task cross in wooing people of the north as against the free support he enjoyed from the region in 2023. Asiwaju is a master strategist, he will not partake in imposing anyone as APC governorship candidate in Ogun State come 2027 because he have his own cross to carry. He won’t take a step that will affect Yoruba votes.
Senator Olamilekan is not the best foot to put forward as APC governorship candidate from Yewaland in 2027. He has started the move secretly on a wrong strategy believing that the coveted position must be grabbed on the basis of sentiments and bravado. If he continue to believe that because he brought billions to spend on the project to becoming next Ogun governor, then he’s living in a dreamland.
The Senator shouldn’t think that because he came with huge money he has been spending in Yewaland for political jobbers just under five years ago he should be given 2027 APC ticket in Ogun state, then he has missed it especially with the controversy surrounding his ancestry. There is deep division in Yewaland over Yayi’s ambition and spending of large amount of money to reap the fruits of labour core Yewa politicians such as late Tunji Olurin, GNI, Abiodun Akinlade, Tripple A, BOT and several others who have been on the frontline struggling for Yewa to produce Ogun governor since 2011.
Distinguish Senator Yayi, his strategists and followers wholeheartedly believe nothing money cannot do. But the senator must be ready to ‘buy’ all these core Yewa politicians for them to throw away all what they have laboured for for over a decade. There’s division already within Yewa politicians in the APC, aside Yewa politicians in the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun Stte and other minor political parties because of Yayi’s making efforts to use Yewaland to realise his governorship ambition in the state and push back the like of GNI, BOT and Tripple A whose ancestry is easily traced in Yewaland.
As it stand today, there is a coalition of core Yewa political and traditional leaders in Ogun West who are not happy with Yayi’s incursion into politics in Yewaland. Winning party ticket in the APC is beyond having large amount of money to fling around like the senator used to do in the past and still doing right now.
The major challenge confronting Yewa politicians who have been in the vanguard of Yewa producing governor for the state since 2011 is that Yewa politicians had not been strategic in some of the past elections. They are are yet to deploy social intelligence through alliances within and without, exploring blood linkages particularly with the Egbas and the Aworis to achieve the political goals of the Yewa people.
There is need for the Yewa politicians and people, north and south, to sit down, work hard, give and take. That is the oil that runs the wheel of politics. It is the hard work and collaboration that will speak for Yewaland in 2027. There are notable Yewa politicians who are have unquestionable ancestry with high pedigree within the APC in Ogun State to fly the flag of Yewaland and win the party’s primaries and subsequent gubernatorial election.

• Hakeem Adisa writes in from Idi-Iroko, Ipokia Local Government Area, Ogun State.