A socio-political group called Ogun West Concerned Stakeholders and Mr Kayode Odunaro, who is the Special Adviser on Media to Senator Solomon Adeola, known as Yayi, argued on Thursday about the senator's roots in Ogun West Senatorial District.
At a meeting in Ilaro, the group insisted that Adeola is not a native of the area. They want only candidates with clear local ties in Ogun State and a history of community service to run for governor after Governor Dapo Abiodun in 2027.
The group strongly opposed Adeola’s ambition to be governor. They raised concerns about his roots and his past opposition to Ogun West’s chances in the 2019 and 2023 elections.
They claimed that Adeola, who chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations, did not support Ogun West when they put forward Adekunle Akinlade from the Allied Peoples Movement in 2019 and Biyi Otegbeye from the African Democratic Congress in 2023.
The group then showed its support for Oladipupo Adebutu, calling him a true son of Ogun State. They believe he knows the state well and can help develop Ogun while addressing the neglect of Ogun West by past leaders.
Mr Adetunji Adedeji spoke for the group. He called Adeola’s ambition “daylight robbery” against the true sons of Yewa. He said they would regret it if they did not fight against what he called falsehood.
Adedeji said, “We are here to rewrite our story because, over time, we’ve heard people around calling us bastards because some of us do not support the aspiration of Senator Olamilekan Yayi, who happens to be contesting for Ogun State Governor. Yes, we do not support him for a very clear reason.
“As a person, I challenge those people supporting him and those people calling us bastards. In 2011, when the late Olurin was contesting for the governorship in Ogun State, we did not see Senator Olamilekan Yayi around. He was never in our history, nor in our story. The same thing happened in 2015, when GNI was contesting for governor of Ogun State. We did not see any record of Senator Yayi’s activities in our story or our journey.
“Now, I’ve mentioned two political seasons. Now let us talk about 2019 and 2023. Of course, Yayi was around during those two periods. What exactly was his contribution? In 2019, he fought against the success of Ogun West. He stood against this land he claimed to have come from, even when we know clearly that he’s never been one of us.”
Adedeji accused Adeola of working against Ogun West’s chance to be governor for his own benefit, alleging that he opposed Biyi Otegbeye to push his own ambitions.
“The same thing repeated itself in 2023 when we had something unprecedented in the political history of Ogun West, that we had just a single candidate from Ogun West contesting for governor of Ogun State. I’m talking about Biyi Otegbeye.
“This Senator Yayi stood against him. He threw his influence, his resources and his network into ensuring that the vision and the journey did not see the light of day.
“Today, you are telling people like us to forget where we are coming from, to forget our history. No, we won’t do that. But that is not even enough reason why some of us are agitating that we will not support him.
“The clear reason this time around is the fact that he does not share any historical background with us. He did not share our history or our journey. So, how do you expect some of us to align with the vision or aspiration of such a man? It is not possible.
“Therefore, some of us have identified with the aspiration of Honourable Oladipupo Adebutu. We have identified him as one of us.”
Adeshola Hakeem also spoke. He questioned Adeola’s claim to Ogun West. He said Adeola only came around during elections without any real family ties or long-term connection to the area.
Hakeem said Adeola abandoned Ogun West in earlier elections and only returned to seek the governorship in 2027.
“I don’t believe in somebody just coming around for a few years and telling us that he is from our midst or one of us.
“We have not seen any antecedents here. We have not seen any impact you have made over the years. We have not seen any meaningful contribution you have made even to Ogun State itself.”
In response, Odunaro called the group faceless. He insisted that Adeola’s roots in Ogun West had already been established.
He said, “Reaction to a faceless group on a settled matter? Please.”
PUNCH Online reports that Adeola served two terms in the Lagos State House of Assembly. He then represented Alimosho Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. He was elected senator for Lagos West from 2015 to 2023. Before the 2023 elections, he came back to Ogun State and won the Ogun West Senatorial District seat.
The senator has always said he is from Ilaro, the capital of Yewa South Local Government Area. Recently, his maternal family from Kemta-Odusolu Township in Abeokuta introduced him to the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, as a true son of Egbaland.
He explained that the visit, led by the Oluwo of Kemta, Chief Abayomi Rotimi, was to inform the monarch about his nomination as the APC governorship candidate for the 2027 election. The lawmaker also said he is a true son of Egbaland through his maternal lineage. He has kept strong ties with the area for over twenty years.
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