By Albert Asipa
In Ogun and Lagos States and by extension Nigeria at large, the name of the Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District and Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola popularly known as Yayi is a household name.
As far as I know, this is the first time a politician seeking for votes will instruct his coordinators that non-political class and opposition members must be accommodated in any of his empowerment programmes.
Senator Adeola do not believe in feeding his constituents with fish, he subscribes to the saying that they must know how to fish so that they can be self reliant.
According to him, any political office holder dishing out only money to his or her people will only have temporary, short lasting effects in contrast to empowerment with skills and working tools such as freezers, generators,hair dryers, tricycles, motorcycles, sewing machine, agricultural implements and so on that will no doubt be enduring bringing prosperity and abundant life for the people. Yayi, is indeed hope for the hopeless in this era.
With over 50,000 people empowered in Ogun West Senatorial District and the other two senatorial districts of Ogun State, Senator Adeola is without doubt walking the talk. His empowerment programmes when he was representing Lagos West Senatorial District were equally massive making him a household name that Lagosians will not forget in a hurry.
Our people says, ajanaku koja mo ri nkan firi (the elephant is beyond I saw someone fleetingly). The massive visuals of his usual empowerment programs are unmistakable which has alway provoke discussions within friends and foes. I have personally received phone calls from even the northern part of our country from people who wants to confirm that the empowerment images are not photoshops and I have always attest that they are as real the stars.
For me, I believe strongly that the humble background of Yayi is playing a key role in his disposition of always being ready to help. He knows where the shoe pinches his people, and he also knows how and where it is important to take care of them.
Interestingly, Yayi is not just a generous politician, he is a hardworking one who believes in connecting directly with the electorates to seek for their votes. Bulit up to the 2023 elections, without minding the cost implications, security risk and energy involved, he took the bull by the horns and embarked on ward to ward tour to 59 wards in Ogun West. This approach allowed him to experience first hand the infrastructural defficiencies in the nook and cranies of the district. Today, the experience is translating into the “weep no more Ogun West” infrastructural inteventions being facilitated by the ranking senator.
With the aforementioned , it was no surprise that even members of the opposition took permission from their parties to vote in favour of the APC in the last year national elections resulting in the massive victories of APC Presidential and national assembly candidates in Ogun West.
It is no exaggeration that this record of giving back to the people through massive empowerment reflected in the outcome of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections which emanated from Ogun West Senatorial District and eventually became the guarantor of success in the 2023 Ogun gubernatorial election. 3 weeks prior to the gubernatorial election, the margin of the victory by Senator Adeolao in the Ogun West Senatorial election which was unprecedented had already demonstrated that something new was happening in Ogun West.
Little wonder that Yayi as he is popularly called was recognised in an exceptional manner by the Yewa Traditional Council who bestowed on him the prestigious chieftaincy title of AREMO OF YEWALAND. The Awori Obas have also confereed on him the title of AREMO OF AWORILAND, only waiting for the formal installation.
As the incumbent senator representing Ogun West in the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Yayi continues to exhibit unparalleled generousity, innovative interventions and unprecedented project facilitation. No festival (Christian or Muslim) goes without him reaching out to a crosssection of his constituents with festival support.
His coming to the political arena has also recorded him as the first political office holder in Ogun West to organize ICT training and also provided digital gadgets for our traditional rulers.
YAYI AND OGUN 2027 GOVERNORSHIP BID.
There is a strong and overwhelming whisper that Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola is eyeing the Governorship seat of Ogun State. If this whisper is true and is crowned with victory come 2027, then I must say that Ogun West and indeed Ogun State is in for for a revolution in public governance judging by his antecedents. For me, I am excited that by the Grace of Almighty God, the jinx of Ogun West never occupying the number one seat in Ogun State will be broken by Yayi come 2027.
Let me use this platform to appreciate all those who have invested their resources, careers, and lives in the past in the agitation for Ogun West to produce the governor of Ogun State. The struggles which is now almost 50 years have seen the likes of Otegbeyes, Olabimtans, Adelakuns, Ogunsijis and lately Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, Adekunle Akinlade and Biyi Otegbeye who were able to clinch the nomination of a popular party and contested at various times to be the governor of Ogun State. Sincerely, they all tried their possible best, but only God ordains.
The 2027 gubernatorial process will soon be underway and my clarion call to the good people of Ogun West is for us to work as a team, so that this time around, the governorship slot will not elude us.
The way to do this is to identify THE CANDIDATE with overwhelming presence at the grassroots, robust political experience, elaborate network, strong financial muscle and records of performance in office that we all can rally around to clinch the seat for the first time.
I have gone round and consulted widely, and I make bold to say that from West to Central to East, it is YAYI KAJU E slogan pervading the air. In my discussion with one of my political leaders, who is a tested political “afobaje,” he said there are three factors that will work for Yayi to become the governor;
(1) He is endowed intelligently.
(2) He has a strong political base, and he is loved by all across the state.
(3) He has enough resources to prosecute the project in 2027.
I can’t but agree with this, my political leader.
There is a Yoruba proverb which says, ti o ba pe ti eeyan ba ti n da obi, to ba ya, obi a yan. This time around,, the Kolanut at every throw is signalling success and we only need to work together at home, consolidate the external and we should by God’s Grace seeing the first Ogun State Governor of Ogun West origin by May 2027. I therefore call on all of us in the Ogun West political class not to allow ourselves to play the spoiler’s game or be a destroyer of this good intention.
The initial campaign that Yayi is not from Yewaland is now completely untenable judging by the level of acceptance by the traditional institutions of the land and the overwhelming votes by the Ogun West elect. In any case. Insinuations of non-indigineship is not new to our political terrain in Ogun State. Such insinuation happened to the former Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, at that time, it was even alleged that OGD was from Delta State but today OGD performed wonderfully well and nobody is talking of his origin again. Baba Olusegun Osoba was once insinuated to be be from Osun State while Senator Ibikunle Amosun was said to be a northerner. They all without any question rose above those insinuations to contribute to the development of our dear state as governors.
With the unparalleled represention of Ogun West Senatorial District at the Senate, the full endorsement by our Kabiyesis and the support received from the electorates, Yayi has proven to be more Yewa and more Ogun State than most of those who initially alleged.
In conclusion, time is ripe for our traditional rulers in Ogun West, political leaders, youths, technocrats, market men and women to start consultation with other Senatorial Districts, working in unison not allowing any externalities to divide us.
May God spare our lives to witness the event in 2027.
Albert Asipa writes from Iwoye Ketu in Imeko Afon Local Government.
