IPERU-REMO — The Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as "Yayi," has officially emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the upcoming Ogun State gubernatorial election.
The deployment of a statewide direct primary system concluded on Monday, drawing thousands of party faithful across all 20 Local Government Areas and 236 wards to affirm Adeola's candidacy. The exercise, widely described by independent observers as peaceful and highly organized, was free from the structural gridlock or pocketed violence that historically characterizes competitive state primaries.
The Consensus Blueprint: Screening 700 Aspirants
Speaking shortly after casting his vote at Ward 3, Iperu 1, in the Ikenne Local Government Area, the incumbent Executive Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, provided inside context on how the ruling party managed its selection machinery.
According to Abiodun, more than 700 aspirants had initially expressed interest in various executive and legislative party tickets ahead of the upcoming general elections. To prevent factional infighting, the state leadership instituted a comprehensive consultation and consensus-building mechanism.
"In Ogun State, we have done things differently," Governor Abiodun noted. "We undertook a rigorous exercise to screen over 700 aspirants and engage with their leaders. The idea was to identify the best candidates for each election. Having done that, we reached out to those who were not eventually selected and ensured they were accommodated politically."
Abiodun emphasized that the consensus template was strictly voluntary and in complete alignment with recent amendments to the Electoral Act, which provides legal frameworks for either direct, indirect, or consensus primaries. He credited the peaceful outcome to the national leadership provided by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the internal structural reforms introduced by the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda.
Unanimous Ward Affirmation Results
The operational validity of the direct primary which utilized the open queuing system where registered card-carrying members line up behind their preferred candidate’s poster was highlighted by local returning officers.
Detailing the polling logistics for Governor Abiodun's immediate constituency, the Returning Officer for the governorship primary election in Ikenne Local Government, Dr. Femi Akinbile, announced the official tally for the apex ticket:
• Total Registered Ward Membership: 837
• Total Verified/Accredited Voters: 832
• Votes Cast for Senator Solomon Adeola: 829
• Votes Cast for Alternative Aspirants: 0
The lopsided results were replicated across alternative geopolitical hubs in Ogun Central and Ogun East, signaling that the party's elite caucuses successfully consolidated their grassroots structures behind Adeola well before the opening of the polling windows.
Transitioning from Lagos to Ogun Top Job
Adeola’s emergence marks a monumental milestone in a highly synchronized, decade-long cross-border political transition. A Chartered Accountant by profession and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), "Yayi" originally built his formidable political machinery in Lagos State. He served two terms in the Lagos State House of Assembly (representing Alimosho Constituency II) before moving to the House of Representatives and subsequently serving two terms as the Senator for Lagos West Nigeria’s largest senatorial district by population.
In 2023, Adeola successfully executed a historic political migration back to his ancestral home state, contesting and winning the Ogun West Senatorial seat under the APC banner. His rapid ascension to the position of Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations in the 10th National Assembly further cemented his status as a financial heavyweight within the ruling class.
With Governor Dapo Abiodun concluding his mandatory second term, Adeola’s formal adoption as the APC flagbearer positions him as the clear frontrunner to occupy the Oke-Mosan Government House, provided he navigates the upcoming general election campaigns against a fragmented opposition.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations secures the ruling party's flag following an extensive direct primary affirmation exercise across all 20 local governments.
