The 2027 Ogun State governorship contest is already generating debate over the kind of leadership the state needs, with an All Progressives Congress (APC) supporter, Keshiro Sulayman Oluwasesan, popularly known as Onilogbo, making a strong case for Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly called Yayi, as the preferred successor to Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Sulayman, an APC member in Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area, said Ogun State needs a governor with the experience, courage and vision to consolidate its development gains rather than a leader driven by what he described as political desperation.
He urged voters to approach the 2027 election by examining the records and capabilities of the various contenders, arguing that the quality of leadership that emerges from the election will have far-reaching consequences for the state’s economic and infrastructural development.
Making a case for Adeola, Sulayman described the senator as a “quintessential democrat”, pointing to his years of legislative service, political experience and engagement with communities as qualities that, in his view, distinguish him from other contenders.
He said Adeola’s experience in the National Assembly had given him considerable exposure to lawmaking, public policy and the workings of government, adding that such experience would be valuable in managing a state as economically diverse and strategically important as Ogun.
According to Sulayman, Ogun requires continuity in areas such as infrastructure, industrialisation and investment while also demanding new initiatives capable of addressing emerging challenges.
He therefore argued that the next governor should be someone who understands the development trajectory of the state and possesses the capacity to build upon existing achievements.
The APC supporter also placed Adeola’s candidacy within the context of the political rotation debate in Ogun State.
He argued that the senator’s emergence as the APC’s consensus governorship candidate reflects what he described as the longstanding expectation of Ogun West to have an opportunity to produce the governor.
For Sulayman, political equity should be considered alongside competence, insisting that zoning or rotation should not be viewed in isolation from the candidate’s capacity to deliver effective governance.
He said Adeola’s political journey and representation of Ogun West had provided him with considerable grassroots exposure and an understanding of the concerns of people across the state.
Sulayman, however, turned his attention to the opposition, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and 2023 governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu.
He accused Adebutu of adopting what he described as a politically desperate approach, while also referring to what he characterised as repeated electoral failures.
The allegations are Sulayman’s views and were not independently substantiated in the statement. Adebutu was not quoted as responding to the accusations.
Rather than allowing the 2027 contest to become dominated by personal attacks, Sulayman challenged opposition politicians to present concrete programmes capable of addressing the concerns of Ogun residents.
He said political parties and candidates should explain their plans for employment, infrastructure, education, healthcare, industrial growth and other areas directly affecting the people.
He maintained that elections should be contests of ideas and competing development visions rather than exchanges of accusations between political actors.
“Voters should be looking at competence, experience and development credentials rather than personal attacks and baseless political arguments,” he said.
Sulayman also addressed the controversy surrounding Adeola’s ancestry and political roots, claiming that traditional institutions in Yewaland and Egbaland had examined and affirmed the senator’s ancestry.
He argued that the issue should not overshadow the more important questions concerning governance and development.
According to him, what should ultimately matter to Ogun voters is the ability of a candidate to provide effective leadership, attract investment, strengthen infrastructure, create opportunities and ensure that development reaches communities across the state.
He called on residents to scrutinise the records and manifestoes of all candidates as the 2027 election approaches instead of allowing political sentiments or personality-driven campaigns to determine their choices.
Sulayman expressed confidence that Adeola possesses what he described as the courage, competence and vision required to lead Ogun State, particularly at a time when the state is positioning itself as one of Nigeria’s major investment and industrial destinations.
His endorsement adds to the growing political conversation surrounding the succession to Governor Abiodun, with questions of zoning, experience, continuity, competence and competing development agendas expected to feature prominently as the 2027 governorship race gathers momentum.
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