A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Kayode Oladele, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will continue to face political challenges in Ogun State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Oladele attributed the development to what he described as the growing popularity and statewide acceptance of the APC governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as well as the agitation for power shift to Ogun West and the lingering leadership crisis within the PDP.
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Speaking on the political outlook of the state ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship election, Oladele said the electorate was increasingly looking beyond party slogans and focusing on competence, experience, performance and fairness.
He said, “the PDP will continue to hit a brick wall in Ogun because the political dynamics have changed considerably. The people are looking beyond party slogans. They are looking at experience, competence, performance, fairness and the capacity of the candidates to deliver.
“Senator Yayi has steadily built a formidable political movement across the three senatorial districts. His support is no longer about Ogun West alone. His interventions and empowerment programmes have touched lives in Ogun Central, Ogun East and Ogun West, and the people can see the evidence for themselves.”
Oladele said Adeola’s years of public service had equipped him with the experience required to govern the state, noting his legislative career in the Lagos State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate.
He also pointed to Adeola’s current position as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, arguing that his experience in legislation, public finance, budgeting and development planning distinguished him in the governorship race.
According to him, Adeola had also demonstrated the capacity to translate public office into tangible benefits through educational support, skills acquisition, empowerment programmes and infrastructure interventions across Ogun State.
“The difference is increasingly clear. Yayi comes into this race with a wealth of experience, a strong record of public service and measurable impact on the lives of the people. He has represented constituencies at the state and federal levels and today occupies one of the most important positions in the National Assembly.
Oladele further identified the agitation for power shift to Ogun West as a major factor that would shape the 2027 election.
He said the demand had increasingly assumed a statewide dimension, driven by what he described as the principles of fairness, justice and equity.
According to him, Ogun West has yet to produce a democratically elected governor since the creation of the State, despite repeatedly supporting candidates from other senatorial districts.
“This is not merely an Ogun West agitation anymore. It is increasingly becoming a question of conscience for the entire state. Ogun West has stood with other sections of Ogun State over the years. After 50 years without producing a democratically elected governor, many people now believe that fairness demands that Ogun West should be given the opportunity.
“The people of Ogun State understand fairness. They understand justice and equity. They also recognise that no part of the state should permanently feel excluded from the highest political office in the state.
“That is why the Yayi candidacy resonates far beyond Ogun West. It combines the legitimate aspiration of a senatorial district that has waited for five decades with the candidature of an experienced and widely accepted politician who has built relationships across the state.”
The APC chieftain also blamed the PDP’s political difficulties on its internal leadership crisis, saying the development had created divisions within the opposition party at a critical period ahead of the election.
He argued that a party struggling to resolve its internal differences would find it difficult to convince voters that it was prepared to provide stable leadership for Ogun State.
“The PDP today is battling serious internal contradictions. The party is split into competing camps as a result of its leadership crisis. A party that cannot successfully manage its own internal affairs will naturally struggle to convince the people that it can effectively manage a state as sophisticated and diverse as Ogun.
“While the PDP is consumed by internal disagreements, the APC is consolidating, mobilising and expanding its support across the state. That contrast will become even more apparent as we move closer to the election.”
Oladele further claimed that the PDP had lost significant support among Ogun voters, saying the APC would nevertheless not take the electorate for granted.
He said the ruling party and its candidate would continue to engage communities, listen to residents and strengthen their grassroots mobilisation ahead of the election.
“The APC understands that elections are ultimately decided by the people. That is why our focus is on the people. We will continue to engage them, listen to their concerns and demonstrate why Senator Yayi represents the better choice for the future of Ogun State.
“The combination of Yayi’s growing popularity, his statewide empowerment programmes, his wealth of experience, the demand for fairness to Ogun West, the PDP’s internal leadership crisis and its declining acceptance among the electorate makes the political direction of Ogun State increasingly clear.”
Oladele expressed confidence that the February 6, 2027 governorship election would be a defining moment in the political history of Ogun State, predicting that voters across the three senatorial districts would support Adeola.
“For us, 2027 is about bringing the people of Ogun State together around a candidate with the experience, capacity and statewide acceptance to take the state forward. It is also about giving Ogun West a deserved opportunity after 50 years.
“That is why I believe the PDP will continue to hit a brick wall in Ogun State. The people have moved ahead, the political tide has changed, and Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola represents the direction in which an increasing number of Ogun people want their state to go,” Oladele concluded.
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