Ijebu and Egba are celebrating ogun state greatness at 50 today, while some ogun westerners are celebrating foolishness at 50

By Adegoke Adeyanju-Awoso

Ogun State at 50th celebration today, 3rd of February 2026, should call for sober reflection and deep rethink for every reasonable and serious-minded Ogun Westerner at home and abroad, regardless of our political affiliation and even our different cultural entities.

A great State was created five decades ago with three Senatorial Districts constitutionally, but unfortunately, a particular district has not governed the State since creation, while the two others have governed with the full support of the other district.

Even by virtue of population and revenue generation, this district is not a minority because they have proved and shown that they contributed immensely to the success of the political victories of the two other Senatorial Districts and even contributed majorly to the funds for the development of Ogun State.

Meanwhile, Ogun West Senatorial District was neglected and marginalized, while at every political poll they came to us with empty promises and we fell for it without having any rethink on how to be part of the rotation to govern our dear State.

Although I would like to recognise the heroes and heroines that have fought the good fight in one way or the other to govern Ogun State since 50 years of creation but proved abortive, I salute those alive and those that have gone to rest. A rational person who continues doing something and strives hard to get it, but unfortunately could not get it, I think such a person should look back and search the cause of his or her failure so that he or she can move forward.

I think after looking back and forward to know the cause of Ogun West’s failure to rule Ogun State since creation, I arrived at the following reasons.

Firstly, Ogun West lacks unity of purpose and we also lack a conventional place to bring our matters to resolve whenever we have issues. Ijebu has Ojude Oba and sees the Awujale as their head whom they honour all the time. Likewise, Egba has Lisabi, where they all see the Alake of Egbaland as their head and converge to resolve matters. Our own highly revered Kabiyesi, Oba (DR) Kehinde Olugbenle, the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount ruler of Yewa Land whom also double as Chairman Council of Obas in Ogun State presently has been leading efforts on the unity of Yewaland since his ascension to the throne of his forefathers.

Secondly, we did not have the good spirit both Ijebu and Egba have in helping themselves to attain the top, either in their careers or personal daily lives whenever they meet here in Nigeria or abroad. This has made the level of poverty thrive and become higher in our Senatorial District compared to the other two districts in Ogun State.

Lastly, the high level of marginalisation of our region and poverty has set us backwards in many infrastructural developments which could improve our areas, to mention a few: tertiary institutions, good roads, modern hospitals, and so on. Education is the bedrock of all development, but to talk of it, Ogun West only has Ilaro Polytechnic despite our sharing boundaries with an international country that gave us the “Gateway State” slogan, compared to Ijebu and Egba with many government and private tertiary institutions.

Whereas we have good land mass and share international boundaries that favour this, unfortunately we were neglected as if we are not part of Ogun State. As we all know, good access roads pave the way for many modern developments to any area, but unfortunately Ogun West is the only district that has the worst roads in the history of Ogun State till today, if not for the intervention of Sen. Adeola Solomon Yayi in recent times.

“History matters. Records were not kept because of the weakness of the memory but to guide the future,” says Prof. Wole Soyinka.

I could not believe it that with what happened in the days of our National Leader in APC, Chief Olusegun Osoba, the Araba of Yewa Land, while serving as Governor of Ogun State from 1999 to 2002 with his unbeatable records in terms of rural development (rural electrification, rural tarred roads, and rural pipe-borne water) and also being a good party manager, unlike what we are facing now, Chief Olusegun Osoba failed the re-election in Ogun State. This tells us that the power of incumbency against the wish of the electorate is a failure in Ogun State.

OGD, with his philanthropic nature and kindness, stood behind GNI to take over from him, but failed again with all his political tentacles across 236 wards in Ogun State till date. He failed woefully. Senator Buruji Kashamu, the originator of Omoluabi Foundation and political caterpillar in Ogun State then, because of the way he spent money as if he printed it, also gave GNI strong support. In 2015, he also failed, although he delivered Ijebu for GNI.

In the era of ‘Eyi owu ki ewi, ti inu mi ni ma se,” Governor Ibikunle Amosun (SIA), in addition to his federal might due to his good relationship with late President Buhari, which even led to chaos in MKO Stadium to impose who would take over from him against the interest of Ogun electorates—when nobody ever thought of Governor Dapo Abiodun as number two in the race then, as everyone believed it was either TRIPLE “A” or GNI—the power of incumbency, both State and Federal, failed SIA.

The support of Baba Obasanjo to GNI in ADC, where I contested under, also failed GNI, although I won my seat as State Legislator under ADC. In history, the Isokan State Constituency was first won by me for GNI. In all his three attempts to contest for Governor of Ogun State, he only won Ketu State Constituency, Imeko-Afon State Constituency, and Yewa North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency steadily before my emergence. All is history now, so we thank the Lord.

In all this analysis, we should all agree that a serious-minded contender should never depend on “BABA SO PE” in the matter of the Governorship race in Ogun State again, but depend on Almighty God and work tirelessly with enough self-sponsorship, being financially buoyant and not depending on anyone for sponsorship, unless he or she wants to become a serial failure that enemies or fake prophets, Alfa, or Babalawo will tag as a “curse.”

Ogun State is a State of noble people. Ogun State has the first church, first school, and even the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria. So, for any entity to impose or dictate to them will be very difficult.

In the recent selection process of the new Awujale of Ijebu, despite the sitting Governor being from their Senatorial District, we all saw what happened on social media. Do not forget that in our Constitution as amended, traditional rulers are under the Local Government Chairman and even their meagre salaries are paid by LG Chairmen, unlike before independence. Also, by protocol, a State Legislator is superior to a Council Chairman, not to talk of the Governor, the Chief Security Officer of the State.Either rumour or genuine, we heard in the news that Governor Dapo Abiodun showed interest in a particular candidate and that power from the Presidency also directed them to choose that person. But the regents who were to choose the candidate, less than ten in number, said no—they had the freedom and autonomy to do the right thing traditionally. They even made a video that went viral. What a bold step and power of unity against dictatorship that will soon help our democracy in this country.

Thank God for the good step our amiable Governor took, as he always portrays Omoluabi plus Omo-Teacher. He debunked the rumour and said he did not send any message for them to choose a particular candidate, and there was nothing like power from Headquarters (Aso Rock).

He allowed the Afobaje to do the right thing. If choosing a king cannot be dictated by a sitting Governor, for him to even write a rejoinder, and with what has happened to the power of incumbency to dictate who becomes the next Governor—which has failed woefully—yet foolishly, some errand boys and girls and even some claimed serious-minded governorship aspirants are still waiting for directives from a sitting Governor for their ambition in 2027. Such a person is a big FAILURE and not prepared at all.

A proverb says, *“A man who is prepared has his battle half fought’Sen. (Aremo) Solomon Adeola Olamilekan YAYI is prepared.

I can say categorically to the whole world—and I believe thousands of people within Ogun APC, as well as members of different opposition parties, can bear me witness—that if not for Almighty God and the victory powered by the unbeatable political structure of Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan Yayi , which has become the only nightmare of the main opposition to Omo Baba Ijebu (LADO), we would not be celebrating any APC victory in Ogun State from the 2023 general election today.

The final results at the polls clearly attest to this fact. Senator Yayi’s political influence and effectiveness, even extending to his maternal roots in Ogun Central, were evident, as his outstanding works spoke volumes and translated directly into electoral victories. Meanwhile, the overwhelming results delivered in Ogun West successfully neutralised all unforeseen electoral deficits in Ogun East, which is the home base of our sitting Governor.

In Ogun East, APC struggled to secure just 3 out of 11 State House of Assembly seats, whereas all 7 legislators in Ogun West were delivered with wide margins, followed closely by Ogun Central, with the invaluable support of our National Leader, Chief Olusegun Osoba, the Aremo of Egba Land.

Following the victory at the polls in the 2023 general election in Ogun State, Senator Adeola Yayi’s uncommon legacy projects spread across the three Senatorial Districts, massive empowerment programmes across Ogun State, and numerous stomach infrastructure initiatives have continued to positively impact lives. As a result of these tangible achievements, thousands of decampees across Ogun State today are in APC solely because of his good works.

Even now, thousands openly testify to this reality during ward meetings across Ogun State, and these achievements have continued to earn him widespread endorsements for Ogun State Governor come 2027. These endorsements are coming from various organisations, artisans, and non-political groups, whose lives have been directly touched by his people-oriented interventions.

As it stands today in Ogun State, the only real nightmare and strongest threat to the opposition against APC remains Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan Yayi.

Kindly tell me or show me anyone that has governed Ogun State in the past or even the present Governor, Dapo Abiodun, whose source of living is rooted in any part of Ogun State. So I don’t know why the noise about Senator Yayi is different.

When you shout Omoluabi-Promax about an interested candidate who has tried his best with Omoluabi and failed thrice, are you telling us that Chief Olusegun Osoba’s legacy projects—which touched many lives in rural communities and whose records have not been broken by past or present Governors—were not enough for his re-election in 2002? Or that OGD is more Omoluabi than Baba Osoba? The answer is capital NO.

OGD brought another dimension into Ogun governorship campaign tactics. He moved with long trailers doing empowerment and stomach infrastructure across Ogun State, and immediately people forgot Baba Osoba’s legacy projects and Omoluabi-Promax. GNI is also a product and beneficiary of those political dynamics.

Chief Olusegun Osoba, OGD, SIA, and present Governor Dapo Abiodun—all had their source of living and families in Lagos before contesting. So why the crocodile tears about YAYI? The only difference people are beefing about is that YAYI spent over a decade in power under Lagos State.

But he is not the only one in the South-West. Many learned under the tutelage of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu before returning to serve their states: Aregbesola, late Sen. Pepper (from Ogun), Obasa (Lagos Speaker, from Ogun), Hon. Kuye (served as Rep twice in Lagos), the present Lagos Deputy Governor, and Hon. Hamzat formal House of Rep. in Lagos State now Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy, all from Ogun State.

Even the so-called Omoluabi GNI suffered evil lies against his late father just to disenfranchise him. Some even said if Ogun West must produce a Governor, it shouldn’t be from Imeko-Afon, as if Imeko-Afon is not part of Ogun West. These foolish talks did not come from Ijebu or Egba but from us, Ogun Westerners. So what is our problem?

YAYI contested Senate in 2023 and won. You took him to court up to the Supreme Court challenging his origin, and he won. What else do you want? Even some serving Representatives today could not have taken their tickets without the intervention of Baba Osoba and Senator Yayi.

Another foolish talk is that YAYI used money to buy APC leaders, followers’ conscience, and even Obas. I challenge you to also use cane or juju to control their conscience. What did OGD use to unseat Baba Osoba? What did SIA use to defeat GNI twice? What did Dapo Abiodun use to relegate ADC to third position in 2019?

In conclusion, with what Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan Yayi has done and is still doing—his legacy projects across Ogun State, his political structure, and his influence with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—no one contesting has matched this level. Yet some people still say he will fail without Governor Dapo Abiodun’s support. Tell me where the Governor said he does not want YAYI. If such people say they are celebrating Ogun at 50, they are deceiving themselves. What they are celebrating is Ogun West foolishness at 50.

I, Hon. (Chief) Adegoke Adeyanju-Awoso, the Afi Opa Te Ote Mo Le of Yewa Land and Convener of AWOSO-YAYI Ambassadors, Kogbagidi, Ogun State 2027, across the entire Ogun State, hereby endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for re-election in 2027, and Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan (Yayi) for Governor of Ogun State in 2027, by the grace of God

Hon. (Chief) Adegoke Adeyanju-Awoso is a member representing Yewa North I State Constituency, and Afi Opa Te Ote Mo Le of Yewaland.

FOOTNOTE: You want to share story with us? You want to advertise with us? You need publicity for product, or service, or   event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348073463653 or email [email protected]