If the visit to Obasanjo was a test of Yayi’s policy credentials, the subsequent visit to the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, was a masterclass in navigating raw, tactical internal party politics. Amosun, the fiercely loyal, high cap-wearing commander of a massive, stubbornly devoted faction within the Ogun APC, has long been a formidable obstacle for anyone trying to consolidate power in the state without his explicit sign-off
By Segun Olatunji
The political weather in Ogun State does not gently shift from season to season; it breaks suddenly, dramatically and intensely loud like a thunderstorm. Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, is the man at the centre of the current tempest in the Gateway State. For months, the ranking Senator has been running a masterclass in perpetual political movement, turning his ongoing stakeholder consultations into a traveling political carnival aimed squarely at snatching victory in the 2027 gubernatorial race in the state.
However, the true test of an Ogun governorship run is not just winning over the ecstatic grassroots—it is about securing peace with the living monuments who stand guard at the gates of the state’s fiercely divided senatorial zones. Yayi, in a single, whirlwind day in Abeokuta, pulled off a masterstroke of legacy diplomacy, capping his high-octane tour with vital visits to two of the state’s most formidable, and historically unyielding, political titans: former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the mercurial immediate past governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
Senator Yayi has for weeks been threading the long roads through the wards all over Ogun State. To understand the weight of his Abeokuta visits, it’s imperative to take a look at the exhausting, deliberate legwork that preceded them. Since his emergence as the ruling All Progressives Congress’ consensus candidate for the 2027 succession race, the incumbent Ogun West senator has treated his momentum not as a crown to be worn, but as a licence to hunt for broad-based legitimacy.
His campaign team has systematically crisscrossed the three senatorial districts with one clear objective: Consultation, Consolidation and Conciliation. These tours have felt less like a stiff boardroom negotiation and more like an expansive, breezy roadshow. In the sprawling industrial hubs, Yayi has been seen rubbing shoulders with local leaders, pitching a grand economic vision that links the state’s agricultural base directly to neighbouring commercial engines.
The strategy behind this relentless movement is clear. For years, Yayi’s critics have attempted to tag him with the “Lagos boy” label, painting him as an outsider trying to gatecrash into the politics of the prestigious Gateway State. By showing up physically in every corner, displaying deep familiarity with local issues, and deploying substantial personal resources for immediate community interventions, Yayi has sought to render that line of attack obsolete. This is further practically underscored by his recent release of funds to contractors for the restoration of electricity supply to over 50 communities in Ogun Waterside and other towns in Ogun East Senatorial District. The affected communities have been wallowing in blackouts for over 10 years following the vandalisation of electricity infrastructure in the area. Senator Yayi didn’t just release funds, he directed the contractors handling the re-electrification projects to expedite action.
The Ogun APC governorship flagbearer isn’t merely asking for votes; he is making deliberate efforts to blend seamlessly into the everyday landscape of Ogun State. This explains why he’s been traversing the length and breadth of Ogun State holding consultative meetings with all willing stakeholders without discrimination.
The Ifo Grassroots Stronghold
If there is a physical heart to the APC governorship flagbearer’s sprawling consultative matrix, it beats loudest in the Ifo Local Government Area. While his grand tour spans the length of the state, it was his tactical, high-energy invasion of this crucial Ogun Central progressive stronghold that truly showcased his grassroots mastery. Instead of hiding behind elite gates, Yayi took his signature campaign directly to local party structures. He surrounded himself with a formidable political vanguard, including Ogun State APC Chairman Chief Yemi Sanusi; former deputy governor, Prince Segun Adesegun, and former Speakers of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Suraj Adekunbi and Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo.
Senator Yayi’s strategy in Ifo was deliberate. As a massive, highly competitive voting bloc, Ifo represents a critical component of the state’s electoral map. By rallying local ward leaders on their home turf, Yayi launched his aggressive “Operation Deliver Your Wards” initiative, checking past electoral data and building a robust reward system designed to eliminate internal friction. What transforms these consultative stops from mere rhetorical exercises into undeniable political capital is his aggressive, project-first approach to campaigning. In Ifo and across his native Ogun West border communities, Senator Yayi has rolled out an unprecedented wave of localised interventions. Rather than dealing in future promises, he points directly to tangible and physical infrastructure he has already facilitated in the areas of healthcare, particularly the newly constructed and fully equipped Primary Health Centres in rural hubs like Ebute Igboro, Ijaka Oke, and Atapele; security interventions such as the modern, newly delivered Ayetoro Police Station and the expansive foundation of the Imeko-Afon Area Police Command Office and boosting the local economy through the ultra-modern local markets, including the Imasayi Modern Market and the Koko Market in Ipokia, designed to immediately uplift rural traders.
By showing up at these grassroots stops with finished health centres and police stations in tow, Yayi changes the entire conversation on the trail. The APC governorship hopeful is no longer an aspiring candidate begging for a chance; he is presenting himself as a hyper-effective developer who is already governing from the hallowed chamber of the Nigerian Senate.
Although Senator Yayi, through his unprecedented project deliveries and consultative tours represents a masterclass in legacy diplomacy, the real test of a Southwestern political campaign does not happen on the open state roads; it unfolds behind the heavily fortified, air-conditioned doors of the state’s elder statesmen. On the Ogun State political turf, the path to the Oke-Mosan Governor’s Office invariably runs through the living rooms of its legendary past leaders.
Therefore, the arguably most intimidating stop on Yayi’s capital itinerary was the hilltop residence at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL). Chief Olusegun Obasanjo remains the ultimate, unpredictable oracle of Nigerian politics, a leader whose public tongue-lashings can derail an ambitious campaign in one fell swoop. To make the stakes even more fascinating, Yayi had previously spent months making polite, strategic overtures within the family network, navigating the complex waters of Egba politics.
When Yayi and his high-powered entourage continued his drive toward his politics of inclusion with a homage to former President Obasanjo, and they finally stepped into the former president’s inner sanctum, the atmosphere was thick with anticipation.
In company with the Ogun West senator were APC leaders, including Hon. Abdulrasaq Balogun, husband of the Deputy Governor-designate; Alhaja Salmot Badru, former deputy governor of Ogun State; Dr. Kunle Isiaq Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Services; Hon. Gboyega Nosiru Isiaka(Imeko Afon/Yewa North Federal Constituency); Rt.Hon. Suraj Adekunmbi and Rt. Hon. Oluomo, Rt. Hon. Titi Oseni, Rt. Hon. Muyiwa Oladipupo, all former Speakers of Ogun State House of Assembly; Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, immediate past Inspector General of Police; Hon Bisiriyu Popoola, former House of Representatives member; Chief Olu Agemo; Hon. Jimoh Ojugbele, APC Senatorial candidate for Ogun West; Hon. Olaolu Olabimtan, Ogun State Commissioner for Budget; Hon. Jagunmolu Akande Omoniyi, Ogun State Commissioner for Housing; Hon Wasiu Isiaka, Ogun State Commissioner for Sports; Chief Derin Adebiyi, former Ogun State APC chairman; Hon. Adeyanju Awoso, Hon. Adebisi Oyedele Citiside, (APC, Ipokia State Constituency); Yayi’s Chief of Staff/Media Adviser, High Chief Kayode Odunaro and Pharmacist Lekan Asunin, among others.
Obasanjo, characteristically holding court in casual traditional attire, greeted the APC governorship candidate with his trademark mix of piercing scrutiny and disarming wit.
The conversation that followed was an exercise in vintage governance lecturing. Rather than dealing in standard partisan pleasantries, Obasanjo launched into an expansive discourse on the long-term economic destiny of Ogun State. He spoke passionately about the untapped potential of the state’s agricultural value chain, the absolute necessity of maintaining disciplined public infrastructure budgets, and his firm expectations for any leader wishing to steer the ship of the Gateway State.
In a moment of unexpected introspection that temporarily hushed the room, the octogenarian statesman shared a deeply personal anecdote from his youth. He recalled how his early, passionate dream was to study geology and build a lucrative career in the oil and gas sector. “But that was not God’s plan for me,” Obasanjo mused, explaining how divine providence instead routed him through a distinguished military career that eventually saw him lead the nation twice as military head of state and two term elected civilian president.
His ultimate parting advice to the aspiring governor was sharp, pragmatic, and free of partisan colour: “My prayer is that your desires and ambitions will align with God’s purpose for your life. Be focused on what you want to do and what you want to achieve. If anyone has a goal or an aspiration, let them pursue it with determination and leave the rest to God and to our people”.
Obasanjo’s was a classic oracle play—an endorsement of focus and purpose rather than a blanket political blank cheque – but for Yayi, leaving the hilltop with Obasanjo’s explicit guidance and a warm public reception was an undeniable victory. Emerging into the afternoon sun, a visibly relieved Yayi told waiting journalists that he intended to fully absorb the former President’s rigorous development counsel directly into his administration’s blueprint.
If the visit to Obasanjo was a test of Yayi’s policy credentials, the subsequent visit to the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, was a masterclass in navigating raw, tactical internal party politics. Amosun, the fiercely loyal, high cap-wearing commander of a massive, stubbornly devoted faction within the Ogun APC, has long been a formidable obstacle for anyone trying to consolidate power in the state without his explicit sign-off.
The history between the various factions in the state has often been fraught with tension, marked by sharp media statements and intense rivalries over local party dominance. For Yayi to walk into Amosun’s domain with his campaign train was an explicit, humble recognition that you cannot build a stable political house in Ogun while pretending the master of Ogun Central’s grassroots doesn’t exist.
Yet, the actual meeting defied the predictions of political pundits who had anticipated a cold, stiff standoff. Instead, Amosun received Yayi and his sizable delegation with a surprisingly relaxed warmth, immediately setting a tone of mature statesmanship.
The immediate past governor used the occasion to deliver a firm sermon on the necessity of absolute political cohesion, explicitly warning against the temptation to fracture the ruling APC into warring, self-sabotaging fiefdoms. “What our people are looking for is good governance,” Amosun stated, his voice carrying the deliberate weight of a veteran who knows exactly how destructive internal divisions can be. “We are one big family, and there is absolutely no need to form separate, hostile groups,” he counselled.
In a move that showcased his deep understanding of political leverage, Amosun playfully but firmly described the day’s encounter as a pleasant, brief consultative visit. He noted with a knowing smile that while the immediate gesture of respect was highly appreciated, the Ogun APC governorship flagbearer would still need to return for a formal, comprehensive working visit. That future meeting, Amosun insisted, would see the state’s full assembly of elder statesmen and community leaders properly seated for a “real, detailed conversation” regarding the specific future of the state.
It was a quintessential Ogun political compromise: Amosun opened his doors, accepted the homage, and openly declared that the fundamental support for the progressive cause was already intact. However, he subtly reminded everyone in the room that true loyalty is negotiated in stages, and that his formidable political family expects to be treated as equal partners in the journey ahead. Yayi, ever the smooth strategist, readily agreed to the terms, promising that his future administration would continuously protect the rights, legacies and inputs of all past leaders.
Driveway to Oke-Mosan
As dusk fell over the ancient rocks of Abeokuta, the true impact of Yayi’s whirlwind diplomatic offensive became clear to observers of the state’s political landscape. By successfully managing to secure warm audiences with both Obasanjo and Amosun within the span of 24 hours, the ranking senator achieved something remarkably rare in the state’s fractured political history: he got the oracle and the general to speak, however briefly, with a single, harmonious voice of caution and encouragement.
With the culmination of his consultations, consolidation and conciliation tour with his Abeokuta visits to both Obasanjo and Amosun, the APC governorship candidate has successfully brought his high-octane project caravan to the elder statesmen, proving that the road to the Oke Mosan Governor’s Office in 2027 runs through due respect accorded the political heavyweights deserving of it.
The long, windy road to the 2027 election is still littered with potential pitfalls. Factional grievances always simmer just beneath the surface, local turf wars will inevitably flare up during the primary season, and the task of keeping an incredibly broad coalition happy across three distinct senatorial zones is an exhausting, delicate balancing act.
But for now, as his consultative train rolls smoothly out of Abeokuta and back into the grassroots heartland, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola has proved that he possesses the patience, the diplomatic tact and the strategic maturity required to play at the very highest level. By matching concrete grassroots project delivery in places like Ifo with deep respect for the state’s ultimate gatekeepers, Yayi has ensured that as the race for the next governor heats up, his machinery is moving forward with a very powerful wind at its back.
Senator Yayi has effectively solidified his 2027 gubernatorial momentum by capping off a sweeping statewide tour with high-profile visits to Obasanjo and Amosun. What began as a grassroots consultative drive across Ogun State’s 20 local government areas has transformed into a masterclass in inclusive politics, demonstrating his formidable regional influence.
•Olatunji, a Journalist, Political/Crisis Communication Strategist, writes from Ilaro, Ogun State
•Opinions, positions or thoughts expressed here are personal and strictly of the writer/author and do not represent the views of The Daily Crucible.
