Ijebu Obas endorse Yayi for Ogun Governor, back Abiodun’s Senate bid

By Adejoke Adeleye

The Ijebu Traditional Council of Obas has unanimously endorsed the governorship ambition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2027 Ogun State election, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, alongside his running mate, Alhaja Kudirat Abiodun Adegunwa Balogun.

The traditional rulers also threw their weight behind the bid of Governor Dapo Abiodun to represent Ogun East Senatorial District in the 11th Senate after the expiration of his tenure as governor.

The endorsement was announced on Friday during a meeting of the Ijebu Traditional Council of Obas at the Awujale’s Palace in Ijebu-Ode, where Governor Abiodun formally presented Senator Adeola and his deputy to the monarchs.

Speaking on behalf of the 56 monarchs that make up the council, the Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo, Oba Lawrence Jaiyeoba Adebajo, said the traditional rulers unanimously resolved to support Adeola because of what they described as his remarkable contributions to infrastructure development and other intervention projects that have benefited both Ogun West and other parts of the state.

Oba Adebajo recalled that the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, had publicly expressed his intention during the last Ojude Oba Festival to support Adeola’s governorship ambition, citing his developmental impact on Ijebuland. According to him, the council remains committed to fulfilling the late monarch’s wish in the interest of the state.

He further disclosed that the Olu of Ilaro and Chairman of the Ogun State Council of Obas, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, had also sought the support of the Ijebu monarchs for Adeola’s aspiration, assuring that the council would stand firmly behind the APC candidate.

Governor Abiodun described the gathering as historic, recalling that he was similarly presented to the council by former governor Olusegun Osoba before the 2019 governorship election.

Explaining his choice of successor, the governor said Adeola possessed the experience, leadership qualities and political maturity required to sustain the progress recorded by his administration.

“I have found a worthy successor in Senator Olamilekan Adeola. He ticks all the boxes. I was looking for someone with business experience, political maturity, mental capacity and leadership skills—someone who can immediately continue the trajectory of development we have established over the past seven years,” Abiodun said.

Responding, Adeola thanked the governor, APC leaders and the traditional rulers for their confidence in him, describing the endorsement as a call to greater service.

He pledged to consolidate the achievements of the current administration through inclusive governance and sustained stakeholder engagement across the state.

The senator also outlined plans to accelerate economic growth in Ijebuland by leveraging key infrastructure projects, including the proposed deep seaport at the Ogun Waterside axis, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the state’s anticipated emergence as an oil-producing region.

According to him, these projects would position Ogun as a major economic hub while boosting Ijebuland’s contribution to the state’s economy and the wider national economy.

Adeola assured the monarchs that, if elected governor in 2027, he would build on the foundation laid by the Abiodun administration and pursue policies that would deliver sustainable economic development across Ogun State.

His visit to Ijebu-Ode attracted a large turnout of residents, APC members and supporters, who lined major roads to welcome him. The consultation also provided an opportunity for the governorship candidate to meet community leaders, party stakeholders and traditional rulers as he continues consultations across the state’s three senatorial districts ahead of the 2027 election.

The meeting was attended by members of the Ijebu Traditional Council of Obas as well as APC leaders and stakeholders from across Ogun State.