Sir: As the new year approaches, pre-election manoeuvring in Ogun State is set to reach a fever pitch. Due to historical imbalance in the existing power sharing arrangement dating back to over four and half decades, the Ogun West Initiative has been a leading voice advocating for the governorship ticket, emphasising the need for equity and fairness.
With the sustained quest, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (aka Yayi) has become the focal point of Ogun West’s long-standing bid for the governorship. He is the most prominent one among heavyweights vying for the top seat.
Before this time, Ogun Central and East had dominated the power scene, with past governors hailing from these districts. Many stakeholders have now thrown their weight behind the prolonged call for justice, arguing it’s time for Ogun West to take the reins.
The goodwill and support Adeola enjoys in his gubernatorial bid is not blind; it is rooted in a proven track record. Throughout a legislative career spanning over 20 years, he has established a reputation for quality representation, tangible service delivery, and an unwavering commitment to the welfare of his constituents.
For Ogun West, a region long sidelined in the state’s leadership history, Adeola’s proven capacity represents more than just a political ambition; it is the most viable path to finally realising their gubernatorial aspirations. Ultimately, it is this fusion of legislative excellence and grassroots loyalty that transforms him from a mere candidate into the definitive vessel for Ogun West’s historic struggle for the governorship.
In a race where experience will be the ultimate currency, Adeola’s track record provides the credibility Ogun West needs to lead the state into a new era.
His impact in Ogun West is not merely anecdotal; it is etched into the very landscape of the district through what many now call an infrastructure revolution. His tenure has been defined by a rapid-fire delivery of projects that address the fundamental needs of the Yewa-Awori people.
Beyond building over 150 new classrooms across 25 locations, he was a pivotal force in the historic transition of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, to a Federal University of Technology. This achievement serves as a monumental milestone in the ‘Ogun West Lokan’ agenda, providing the region with a premier degree-awarding institution.
To combat the region’s long-standing power challenges, Adeola facilitated the installation of over 200 electric transformers and spearheaded the reactivation of critical high-tension lines, such as the Ilaro-to-Ibeshe 33KV overhead lines. His road interventions, including the reconstruction of the long-abandoned Ilara-Ilashe road, have reconnected dozens of rural communities to the state’s economic hubs.
Through the Oloja Yayi scheme, he has provided direct financial grants to over 5,500 market traders. Furthermore, his agricultural interventions have equipped over 50,000 farmers with tractors, improved seedlings, and cash grants, ensuring that Ogun West remains the food basket of the state.
For accessible healthcare delivery, he has facilitated the completion of 32 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and specialised Intensive Care Units (ICUs), bringing quality medical services closer to the grassroots than ever before.
For the people of Ogun West, these are not just constituency projects—they are the dividends of a representation that prioritises results over rhetoric. This tangible record of performance provides the moral and political capital that fuels his current gubernatorial aspiration.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Adeola’s political journey is his seamless and successful transition from the Lagos political theatre to the Ogun West heartland. Rather than being viewed as an outsider, his move has been widely embraced as a strategic homecoming.
Having represented Lagos West—the largest senatorial district in Nigeria—Adeola brought with him a blueprint of metropolitan governance and high-level legislative experience. He didn’t just move; he imported a culture of proactive representation that had already been tested and trusted in Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre.
His return to his roots in Ilaro and the wider Yewa-Awori land was marked by a deep immersion into local traditional and social structures. By aligning himself with the aspirations of the traditional councils and grassroots youth movements, he transformed the Lagos to Ogun narrative into one of repatriating success for the benefit of his kinsmen.
Adeola’s ability to navigate the complex intra-party dynamics of the APC in Ogun State demonstrated a rare political maturity. He successfully bridged the gap between his established national influence and the local needs of the Ogun West electorate, proving that his mission was not just about holding office, but about ending the region’s marginalisation.
Olanrewaju Fatunmbi wrote from Okeagbede in Imeko-Afon Local Council of Ogun State.
