Razaq Bamidele
National chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Hon. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje, always tells whoever cares to listen that there is no interregnum in politics.
According to him, before a contest is concluded, preparation for the next contest by serious political parties must have started if truly they want to really be a force to be reckoned with. Twenty four hours, he would tell you, is a very long period in politics to make or mar. Omo-Aje’s thought is in line with the mantra of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and current President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu that “Power is not served alakat” but should be struggled for.
Omo-Aje must have had the case of Ogun State presently in mind when making his submission. This is because the outcome of the March governorship poll is still being contested before the Election Petition Tribunal, preparations for the next gubernatorial poll in 2027 are already reaching feverish crescendo especially in the western senatorial district and the reason for that is not far-fetched. It is no more news that, since the inception of this democratic dispensation in 1999, despite the much talked about power shift and rotational arrangement across board, Ogun West Senatorial District has not had the taste of gubernatorial aroma while the other two districts-Central and East- have benefited more than once each!
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At the inception in 1999, Aremo Olusegun Osoba of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), was elected the executive governor. Osoba, the journalism guru, who was there till 2003 hails from Abeokuta in the Central District of the state. He was succeeded by Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Sagamu born Engineer hails from the East Senatorial District. He was there for two terms (2003-2011). Coming after him was another candidate from the Central District again in person of Senator Ibikunle Amosun (SIA) of the progressive camp. He also spent two terms in office (2011-2019). In 2019, another candidate emerged this time also from the East on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He is the incumbent governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. He has also won his second term bid in the last March 18 governorship election. Against the above analysis, one would clearly see that, two districts (Central and East) have had two governors each while the West is yet to have any!
It is therefore understandable if the West is having sleepless nights over what 2027 has in stock for its people. Investigations have however revealed that, the zone is not relenting in its efforts to clinching the 2027 gubernatorial trophy as concrete steps are being taken to break the governorship jinx this time once and for all. One of the steps according to our findings is the importation of a powerful Lagos based grassroots politician, Senator Adeola Olamilekan Solomon popularly known as Yayi to strengthen the capacity of the zone with deficit in the number of Local Governments in the state. Solomon Adeola was a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, later House of Representative from Alimosho Federal Constituency before graduating to the Senate to represent the Lagos West- the largest Senatorial District in the state.
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Currently, he has migrated back home to represent the often disadvantaged Ogun West District with a view to breaking the gubernatorial jinx for his people with the cooperation of other formidable political heavyweights from the zone who pundits believe are in abundance in the zone.
Other contenders
Checks have revealed that, the West Senatorial District of Ogun State is never at any time in short supply of political juggernauts that are of electoral values to make things happen in Nigeria. Beside Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), there are more than a dozen others whose names would be disclosed presently.
Hon Isiaka Abiodun Akinlade
Just like Adeola, Rt. Hon Isiaka Abiodun Akinlade is also a grassroots politician of repute. He is always referred to as legislative personified because he is the House of Representatives for the fourth term now to accumulate 16 years of law-making experience by 2027. And more interestingly, is the fact that his popularity has earned him the tickets of both the leading political parties in the country-APC and PDP.
This Federal Law maker, who was turbaned as Baba Adinni of Yewa land in Ogun State was born on March 21, 1967 in Owode/Yewa Local Government Area of Egbado South, Ogun State. Akinlade is versed in communication skills plus vast experience in the area of Legislation and governance with experience in various managerial capacities in the private sector.
Hon Abdul-Kabir Adekunle Akinlade
He was also in the House of Representatives twice on the ticket of the APC before crossing over to the newly founded political party; Allied Peoples Movement (APM), on which platform he contested 2019 governorship election and came second behind the sitting governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.
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In the 2023 contest, he contested on the ticket of the PDP as deputy governorship candidate pairing with Hon Ladi Adebutu, the party’s flag bearer.
Hon. Biyi Otegbeye
Biyi Otegbeye comes from a political family of Otegbeye dynasty. He is a formidable politician and governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). An Insurance Magnate, Otegbeye is also a political pillar to reckon with in the western senatorial district of Ogun State.
Hon. Gboyega Isiaka Nasiru
Popularly called GNI by admirers and supporters, Nasiru Isiaka is not new to governorship contest as he has contested at least three times in the past. A gentle, humble and easy going politician, the arrival of Yayi on the scene can constitute a stumbling block for him again towards becoming the first executive governor of Ogun State from the West Senatorial District.
Other factors
Tinubu’s influence can go a long way to wipe away the tears of the zone if he wades in. It is even in the grapevine that the migration of Yayi to Ogun State was at the instance of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu with the aim of ‘installing’ him as the next governor of the state on one hand and breaking the jinx on the other hand in the spirit of power ship and rotational principles.
Moving from one state to another to contest within same Nigeria, observers see nothing wrong in it once it is in line with the rule. It is even on record that Yayi’s ‘Importation/Exportation’ is not the first in this dispensation. Former governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola was a commissioner in Lagos State from Alimosho axis as Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), the powers that be ‘exported’ him back to his ancestral base in Osun to slug it out with the incumbent governor from the opposition party and he was eventually declared governor in 2010. He governed for two terms (2010-2018).
The same thing in the case of Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke from Ikeja Federal Constituency of Lagos, he was also moved back to his origin in Kogi State. He paired with the former governor of the state, Alhaji Abubakar Audu as deputy governorship candidate. But as fate would have it, his principal Audu, though leading, died before the election was declared conclusive. Another primary was conducted after law books were perused and the outgoing governor, Alhaji Yahya Bello was favoured and he eventually won.
Having said all the above, pundits believe the major impediment to the governorship aspirations of the Ogun West has to do with its population. In a state that has 20 Local Governments, a senatorial district with only five governments may not likely be on a good stead to produce the governor.
However, according to Omo-Aje, politics is about serious lobbying, high level consultations, give and take, handshake across boundaries and bringing together all the relevant stakeholders across the state from all the political parties to agree on common ground. Omo-Aje, also a grassroots politician from Osun State is of the view that, “the way out is for all the stake holders to jettison political affiliations by coming together at a round table to examine the popularity of all the big parties in the state and settle for the most popular.”
In addition to that, a politician of the second republic clout in Osun State, Alhaji Osuolale Jimoh Olatola, said, “after the most popular party has been settled for, the next step is consensus on the most popular candidate with wherewithal of acceptability across the state.” It is on this arrangement that the whole zone would go out in full force to work on, Olatola stated, warning that a divided house cannot achieve the goal!
