Ogun West Group Rejects Yayi, Supports Adebutu

James Sowole in Abeokuta

As preparations for 2027 Election is gathering momentum, a political group in Ogun West Senatorial District, known as Ogun West Concerned Stakeholders Thursday, faulted the candidacy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Gubernatorial Candidate, Senator Olamilekan Adeola.

The group which expressed support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Hon Ladipupo Adebutu, expressed its position at a news conference addressed at Tetede Hall, Ilaro in Yewa South Local Government. It said that only candidates with verifiable local roots and a proven track record of community service should represent the region.

Speaking for the group, Mr Hakeem Adetunji described Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as an imported Senator, while also raising questions concerning his indigenship.

The group also alleged that the candidate had not been faithful to the course of Yewa in the past elections.

Adetunji said Adeola did not work to ensure victory of governorship candidate in 2019 when Yewa indigene contested, adding that he was no where to be found or identified with them as an indigene of the area in 2011.

The group, which Adetunji said had over 5,000 members, declared support for Hon. Adebutu, noting that his lineage and origin is traced to Ogun state and they would not allow a foreigner to govern them.

Adetunji described Yayi’s candidacy as a robbery on the true son of Yewa, declaring that posterity will judge and future generation shall ask questions.

He said, “We are here to rewrite our story because, over time, we’ve heard people around calling us bastards because some of you do not support the aspiration of Senator Olamilekan Yayi, who happens to be contesting for Ogun State Governor.

​”Yes, we do not support him for a very clear reason. As a person, I challenged those people supporting him and those people calling us bastards that in 2011, when the late Olurin was actually contesting for the governorship in Ogun State, we did not see Senator Olamilekan Yayi around. He was never in our history, nor in our story. The same thing in 2015, when GNI was actually contesting as Ogun State governor, we did not see the record or the activities of Senator Yayi in our story or in our journey.

“Now, I’ve mentioned two political seasons. Now to talk about 2019 and 2023, of course, Yayi was around those two periods. What exactly was his contribution?

​”Today, you are telling people like us to forget where we are coming from, to forget our history. But that is even not enough reason why some of us are actually agitating that we will not support him. The clear reason this time around is the fact that he does not share any historical background with us. He did not really share our history, nor our journey with us. So, how do you expect some of us to align with the vision or the aspiration of such a man? It is not possible”.

​”Therefore, some of us have been able to identify the aspiration of Honorable Oladipupo Adebutu. Some of us have been able to identify him as one of us”.

Also speaking, Adeshola Hakeem expressed deep concern over Yayi, saying that he suddenly claimed ties to Ogun West during election cycles without having any tangible family background or history of investment in the local community.

​Hakeem accused Yayi of abandoning the region in past elections, only to return to seek the governorship for 2027.

“We have not actually seen any antecedents here. We have not seen any impact you have been doing for several years here. We have not seen anything you have actually contributed even to Ogun State itself.”

Corroborating, Olabisi Ogundare, a prominent community leader and member of Ward 1 in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government, openly declared her unwavering support for governorship candidate of PDP’s Ladi Adebutu saying that Yayi’s local lineage is not traceable to any family in Ogun West.