Ahead of the 2027 Ogun State gubernatorial election, the political ambition of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (popularly known as Yayi) has suffered a significant setback. A prominent political coalition, operating under the aegis of the Ogun West Concerned Stakeholders, has formally rejected his potential candidacy, throwing its weight instead behind Oladipupo Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The decision was reached during an expanded stakeholders’ meeting held at the Tetede Hall in Ilaro, the political headquarters of Yewa South Local Government Area.
During the communique presentation, leadership from the group—which claims a membership of over 5,000 voters across the senatorial district—questioned Senator Adeola’s ancestral ties to the region and accused him of being a “perennial political tourist” who only identifies with Ogun West during electoral cycles.
Mr. Hakeem Adetunji, speaking on behalf of the coalition, delivered a scathing review of Senator Adeola’s historical engagement with the district’s quest to produce an Ogun West governor. He alleged that the lawmaker was conspicuously absent during critical historical junctures when the region was closest to securing the governorship seat.
“We are here to rewrite our story,” Adetunji stated. “In 2011, when the late General Adetunji Olurin contested, Senator Yayi was nowhere to be found. In 2015, during the governorship bid of Gboyega Isiaka, we still did not see him. He was never part of our indigenous political journey.”
The coalition went further to allege that Senator Adeola actively worked against the sub-region’s collective interests in subsequent elections, specifically pointing to the 2019 polls and the 2023 gubernatorial bid of Chief Biyi Otegbeye.
“In 2019, he stood against the land he now claims as his own. By 2023, he deployed his vast political machinery and resources to frustrate Chief Biyi Otegbeye’s ambition,” Adetunji added.
The narrative of alienation was echoed by grassroots leaders present at the convention. Mrs. Olabisi Ogundare, a community mobilizer from Ward 1 in Ilaro, stated that the Senator remains an unfamiliar figure to core locals regarding his lineage.
“They say he is from Ogun West, but we don’t know his roots. As an indigene of Ward 1 in Ilaro, I have never known his family background. He may claim indigeneship on paper, but we know who truly has a structural relationship with our people,” Ogundare noted.
Similarly, another stakeholder, Adeshola Hakeem, cautioned voters against supporting politicians who “suddenly appear” ahead of major elections without a verifiable record of long-term local development and community impact.
With Senator Adeola’s potential bid facing friction from the group, the Ogun West Concerned Stakeholders officially ratified their endorsement of Ladi Adebutu for the 2027 race. The group cited Adebutu’s consistent political presence, long-term investments in human capital within the state, and established relationship with the Ogun West populace as the primary drivers for their support.
The coalition concluded the session by urging residents of the district to resist political imposition and align with a candidate who demonstrates genuine historical ties and sustained commitment to the development of Ogun West.
As of the time of filing this report, representatives for Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola have not issued an official response to the allegations raised by the stakeholders.
