By Sunday Ameh
The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship campaign of Senator Solomon Adeola has hinged his 2027 ambition on what it described as the long-standing political exclusion of Ogun West from producing a governor of Ogun State.
Kayode Odunaro, Media Adviser and Chief of Staff to Adeola, said Ogun West had not produced a governor in about five decades, describing the situation as one of the factors behind the senator’s ambition to govern the state.
Odunaro, who also chairs the Media and Publicity Committee of the Ogun State APC Campaign Council, made the remarks on Monday during an interview.
He said Adeola’s ambition was not simply about securing political power for Ogun West but also about addressing what he described as an imbalance in political representation and development across the state.
“Senator Solomon Adeola happens to come from a district in Ogun West where, over the past 50 years and counting, they have not been opportuned to govern Ogun State as a whole,” Odunaro said.
He linked the issue of political representation to development concerns in the district, particularly across the Yewa-Awori axis.
According to Odunaro, residents of the area had repeatedly expressed concerns over infrastructure and development in Ogun West compared with other parts of the state.
“The people of Yewa have been complaining; looking at all the infrastructure in Ogun West, it happens to be like third class in Ogun State,” he said.
Odunaro said Adeola’s governorship bid was therefore being presented by the campaign as an opportunity to address the perceived imbalance and improve development across Ogun West and the wider state.
“Solomon Adeola is coming to Ogun State to fight and regain Ogun State reputation and legacy… Yewa Awori have been excluded completely from being in government,” he said.
The campaign official also pointed to Adeola’s record as a senator, arguing that he had attracted development projects beyond his immediate constituency.
He claimed that the senator had contributed to infrastructure development across Ogun State, particularly through road projects and other interventions.
“Senator Solomon Adeola has done things that are unprecedented. Solomon Adeola has done more in infrastructure in Ogun State; about 300 road infrastructure have been done and some are being repaired by him,” Odunaro said.
He added that the senator’s interventions were intended to reduce what the campaign described as the development gap between Ogun West and other parts of the state.
“Senator Adeola has done enough to bring the infrastructure to a level that is comparable to, if not better than, the one in Ogun Central or Ogun East,” he said.
Odunaro maintained that Adeola’s ambition should be viewed as a state-wide project rather than an exclusively Ogun West agenda. He said a prospective Adeola administration would also build on what he described as the achievements of Governor Dapo Abiodun.
“The governor of our State has done very well, whatever Senator Solomon Adeola is doing will compliment it,” he said.
He further described the proposed transition from Abiodun’s administration to Adeola’s as a departure from what he characterised as previous difficult political successions in the state.
“Definitely, he is going to embark on continuity of the current governor’s agenda, Dapo Abiodun… Overtime Ogun State has had hostile succession. This will be the first time there will be a harmonious succession,” Odunaro said.
On the possibility of constructing a new airport in Ogun West, Odunaro said the project was not among Adeola’s immediate priorities, arguing that the state already had an existing airport.
“Building a new airport in Yewa is not a critical agenda for Senator Solomon Adeola, whereas we have one over there that is working perfectly,” he said.
He said the focus would instead be on improving the existing facility and making it more commercially viable.
“He is just going to improve on the already existing one. Maybe take it to a level that it will be so commercially viable that Ogun will continue to benefit from it,” Odunaro said.
Odunaro added that the 2027 governorship contest should ultimately focus on the ability of candidates to deliver development and represent residents across Ogun State.
The comments come amid growing political activity ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with Ogun West’s representation, Adeola’s candidacy and questions surrounding his ancestry featuring prominently in political discussions. Adeola has challenged opponents to provide evidence for claims concerning his origin.
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