Courtesy: Society Now
Recently, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, representing Ogun West, made a bold move in his bid to become the next Governor of Ogun State.
The politician, famously known as Yayi, validated his status as a potential candidate from Ogun Central with a talk-of-the-town homecoming to “Kemta-Odutola, in the heart of Itoku Adire Complex in Abeokuta (the state capital).”
He labeled the place his maternal home.
This strategic political play strengthens his position as a significant stakeholder in Ogun Central, which has consistently shared prominence in producing Governors of Ogun State since its creation in 1976.
Ogun West, a low-vote area that Senator Yayi represents, is yet to produce a Governor and has been plagued by infighting, which has historically worked against presenting a united front.
Checks revealed that Senator Yayi’s positioning in Ogun Central is boosting his gubernatorial ambition, allowing him to transcend the limitations associated with coming from Ogun West.
“He is now increasingly being considered as someone from Ogun Central despite representing Ogun West in the Senate. Talks on the streets are major indicators of this,” sources say.
This perception is reportedly grounded in Yayi’s far-reaching statewide campaigns—which include various life-touching gestures themed around empowerment—that have endeared him to people across political divides, with traces of these efforts dating as far back as 2012.
Unverified claims suggest that Yayi’s ancestral assertion in Ogun Central is part of a calculated arrangement to gain the support of decision-makers in the zone. This strategy is reportedly playing to his advantage in the race to succeed Governor Abiodun, who will leave office in 2027 after serving two terms of four years each.
