2027: Ogun West Professionals Back Tinubu, Adeola

A group, Ogun West Professionals, has come out formally to support the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu and the gubernatorial ambition of ranking member of the National Assembly, Senator Olamilekan Adeola in Ogun state.

On February 1, 2026, all roads led to Ilaro, Ogun State, where experts from all walks of life from the area and beyond under the aegis of Ogun West Professionals took crucial and bold steps towards the realisation of the long term ambition of the people of the area to produce a governor for Ogun State, a prime political office that has eluded them since the creation of the state about 50 years ago.

Members of various political and social groups, associations and clubs, prominent politicians, university lecturers, journalists from various media organisations, medical doctors and other health professionals, students of higher institutions, artisans, traders and market women and many others, in their thousands, from Ogun West and across the state, besieged the venue of the media chat to witness the historic occasion.

This unprecedented large assemblage of the people of Ogun West Senatorial District and beyond had come together for one particular purpose, and that was to celebrate and endorse President Bola Tinubu for his monumental achievements in government while also adopting the Senate Committee Chairman on Appropriation, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, who they fondly call Yayi, as their consensus candidate for the governorship of Ogun State in 2027.

The well-attended auspicious event began with a media chat and lecture with the theme, “The Power of Internal Coherence in Securing External Support: Roadmap for Achieving Ogun West Gubernatorial Ambition in 2027,” delivered by the cerebral Leader of the 10th Nigerian Senate, SenatorvOpeyemi Bamidele, who was the Guest Speaker.

Bamidele in his lecture was unsparing as he blamed Ogun West’s inability to produce a governor for Ogun State in the past 50 years on persistent internal political discord, largely driven by the district’s diverse Yoruba sub-ethnic composition.

According to the guest speaker, unlike the two other senatorial districts – Ogun Central and Ogun East- that have taken their turns in producing governors for the state, differences in language and dialects have continued to make it impossible for the elite in Ogun West to form a consensus.

He said, “Ogun West that shares international boundaries with Benin Republic has diverse ethnicities of Yoruba, including the Yewa ( formerly Egbado), the Awori, the Egun, the Anago and Ogu. By implication, it means, regardless of size and influence, Ogun West has more ethnic divergence and likely discordant political tunes to contend with even internally. Definitely, the multiplicities of sub-ethnic groups and even language/dialect disparities is an obstacle to forming elite consensus in Ogun West.”

Bamidele also blamed the delineation of wards and local government areas at the creation of Ogun State half a century ago for the political disadvantage Ogun West faces in its quest to produce a governor for the state.

He stated, “From available records, the ratio of the population of the three Senatorial Districts are almost even. The 2006 population puts the population of Ogun East with nine local governments and 104 wards at 1,248,338 or 33.2% of Ogun State population; Ogun Central with six LGs and 75 wards has a population of 1,370,820 or 36.4% while Ogun West Senatorial District has five LGs and just 59 wards with a population of 1,146,006 or 30%.

“The delineation of wards and local governments, which determines number of delegates to vote at primaries, put Ogun West at a disadvantageous position if the delegate system is adopted during candidates’ selection. Certainly, this comparative allocation of LGs and wards is lopsided against Ogun West in a primary election, and it puts undue pressure on aspirants from Ogun West.”

Earlier in his opening remarks, Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, described Senator Adeola as a renowned political figure who commands national recognition and has demonstrated the commitment that he’s someone that can be relied upon to lead Ogun State come 2027.

He said the journey of Ogun West towards occupying the Oke Mosan Governor’s Office in 2027 is a project that is being implemented in phases, calling for concerted efforts to realise the goal.

“Let’s continue to reach out to everybody. We must not make enemies of who do not agree with us. We must win them over,” he said.

Salako also commended President Tinubu for deeming it fit to appoint a minister from Ogun West, a situation that had eluded the Senatorial District for about 30 years before the Tinubu-led administration came to the rescue of the area.

Delivering a solidarity message on behalf of Ogun Central Senatorial District at the Media Chat, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Apostle Biodun Sanyaolu, said Senator Adeola is not just a political figure of note, but also a national asset, who is widely acknowledged for his legislative productivity.

Sanyaolu said Ogun Central people regard Senator Adeola as a bridge builder.

He noted that Ogun West is blessed with a 2027 governorship candidate that is adequately prepared and widely accepted across the state, stressing that he’s most qualified and very suitable to lead the Gateway State as the next governor.

The APC chieftain therefore assured Senator Adeola and the Ogun West people of the support of the Ogun Central for the governorship aspiration of the lawmaker.

“Our support for Senator Yayi in 2027 Ogun governorship is overwhelming; our people are waiting for him. This time, Ogun West must get it right,” he said.

Also speaking on behalf of the people of Ogun East, Senator Lekan Mustapha, enjoined the leaders of Ogun West to join hands and unite so that the area can secure the governorship of Ogun State in 2027.

He lamented that Ogun West had been the “weeping boy” in the State, stressing that denying the area the governorship of the state “is most unfair.”

A professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof Yemi Oke, who spoke on behalf of the Egba people, assured that his people would cast their votes for Senator Adeola as the next governor of Ogun State.

“Yayi is ours. Ifo, Odeda, Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Ewekoro and everybody will vote for him as governor in 2027,” Oke assured.

Highlight of the day was the formal endorsement of President Tinubu for a second term and the adoption of Senator Adeola as the consensus governorship candidate of Ogun West in the forthcoming general elections.

Members of the 600-member strong Ogun West Professionals for Yayi said they took the decision to adopt Senator Adeola for governor  following his unprecedented performance in the provision of life-impacting constituency projects across Ogun West and beyond, just as President Tinubu has been delivering the dividends of democracy to all Nigerians in ways never done before by his predecessors.

A member of the Ogun West Professionals, Balogun Aina Kusoro moved the motion for Senator Adeola’s adoption and President Tinubu’s endorsement while the motion was seconded by Prince Kunle Adebiyi.

Dignitaries who attended the event included royal fathers led by the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewa land, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle and former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, represented by a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Adekunle Adeyemi.