2027: Yayi, Ogun APC and the Promise Ahead

By Remi Adefulu

The recent consensus reached on the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State is bound to go down in history as a significant chapter in our polity.

This is in view of the shape and manner it took, to the amazement of some who had thought a day like that would be a mirage. You may not really blame such pessimists in view of the political trajectory of the Gateway State, which has always been full of intrigues. Worse still, no political leader in the state’s recent history was successful in an attempt to actualise that the governorship seat should go to Ogun West Senatorial District.

This time, Ogun APC has grown to become a Mecca of sorts, going by the quality and quantity of politicians who have trooped to the party in droves to realise their ambitions. Many were even surprised when Dr Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who used to be a vocal critic of President Bola Tinubu, joined the fray.

With this convergence of political heavyweights, doomsday analysts had predicted a return to the days of yore for the APC in Ogun State, banking on the usual acrimony that usually followed governorship primaries. But that was not to be, as Nigerians were shocked to the marrow by the commendable approach and uncommon understanding shown by all stakeholders.

Trust politicians, an elated Governor Dapo Abiodun, flanked by the APC leader in Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba; former governors Gbenga Daniel, Ibikunle Amosun and other party leaders, gave their backing to the choice. Therefore, the euphoria that greeted the announcement of Senator Solomon Adeola representing Ogun West in the Senate was deafening and tumultuous.

By that announcement, the APC finally succeeded in giving justice to the only zone that has never attained the exalted seat of the state governor several decades after the creation of the state. No doubt, this is the first time in the history of the state APC that a landmark decision of this magnitude has been agreed to by all stakeholders.

This must have taken a lot of work by forces within and outside the state to achieve, given the history of past election cycles in Ogun State. According to Governor Abiodun, President Tinubu kick-started the process of the historic endorsement of Yayi, a process which was said to have started months back.

The state helmsman took the exercise further by prevailing on other contenders to step down for the governorship candidate, an advice which was heeded by all. The announcement by Prof. Obasanjo that she had stepped down for Senator Adeola was a clear deference to the governor’s intervention.

From Ogun East, Prince Abiodun Akinlade and Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, both strong contenders, threw in the towel in the interest of their zone and its people. Aside from clearly showing that Ogun APC can speak with one voice at very critical moments, the decision was a clear demonstration of party supremacy.

While Ogun APC holds the ace as the first state chapter of the party to come forward with a governorship candidate, close followers of the state’s politics would know that some significant factors made Yayi’s emergence an easy task. One of these is the unparalleled support he received from President Tinubu, who sees Yayi as a dependable ally, thoroughbred politician of many years’ standing, an astute professional and a loyal party man.

Unlike some of those before him, Senator Adeola has built bridges of unity among the political class across the state such that he is a friend to all the who’s who in the state and beyond. Aside from this, every part of Ogun State has the footprints of the lawmaker, something he has been doing without altercations with the authorities.

Yayi also has a very rich backroom staff led by Kayode Odunaro, a foremost journalist and strategist of no mean order who readily deploys over three decades of experience in navigating political waters.

This is surely unsurprising considering the public service records of Adeola, especially from the House of Representatives, where he was Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation. Following his exceptional performance in that position, he was given the same portfolio when he was elevated to the position of Senator, and he never dropped the gauntlet.

It was therefore normal when his people in Ogun West Senatorial District persuaded him to come home to bring his wealth of experience to bear on his roots. Thus far, he has not disappointed them, shattering the record of representation of his predecessors since the advent of democracy in 1999.

On the floor of the Senate, he proved his mettle as the assertive voice of Ogun West, receiving accolades for his superb performance in return. It is on record that the elevation of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, and the establishment of a Police Academy in Ogun West, among others, are products of his tireless efforts.

This is aside from the many programmes including poverty alleviation, vocational education, scholarships, employment opportunities, food palliatives and grants to the elderly, among others.

The ball is now in the court of Senator Adeola to up the ante of governance in Ogun State by bringing his wealth of experience to bear, since it is crystal clear that he is destined to become the state’s next governor. Ogun State surely has a lot to offer Nigeria, and it would take a man of Yayi’s vision to unleash a brand new idea of governance on the people and the nation at large.

Luckily, he has all that is needed to excel and prove that his public service record cutting across decades is no fluke. One of the things working in his favour is his personality as a man endowed with the capacity to relate with all critical stakeholders within and outside the state.

As someone who has built a network of contacts in very strategic places over the years, this surely is payback time for this technocrat. His acceptance by all political blocs in the Gateway State, including the opposition, which eventually led to his emergence as consensus candidate, is a testimony that he would be a rallying point for all.

This is something he needs to leverage to repair broken political bridges within the Ogun APC, an issue that has been a recurring decimal over the years. With a rock-solid political base, Adeola would have to heal the wounds of the past to avoid needless distractions from his party and focus on taking Ogun State to its desired destination.

-Adefulu, a journalist, lives in Lagos.