A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, Akeem Akilo, has strongly criticised former Senator Iyabo Obasanjo over her recent remarks describing Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as an opportunist.
Akilo, in a statement issued on Sunday, described Obasanjo’s comments during a radio interview as “misplaced and unfortunate,” arguing that they lacked substance and failed to reflect the current political realities in Ogun State.
The APC stalwart noted that it was ironic for a politician who had been largely absent from Nigeria’s partisan frontline since her unsuccessful re-election bid for the Ogun Central Senatorial District in 2011 to question another politician’s consistency and democratic credentials.
“For over a decade, Ogun Central has moved on. The political structure has evolved. New leaders have emerged. The grassroots she claims to understand have continued their journey without her visible participation or institutional footprint,” Akilo stated.
He dismissed the “opportunist” label as a simplistic narrative that does not withstand scrutiny, maintaining that Adeola’s political career has been defined by continuity and sustained voter endorsement rather than opportunism.
Adeola, who currently represents Ogun West and chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriation, previously served in the Lagos State House of Assembly, the House of Representatives, and completed two terms in the Senate representing Lagos West before securing victory in Ogun West.
“From the Lagos State House of Assembly to the House of Representatives, two terms in the Senate representing Lagos West, and now representing Ogun West in the Senate, Senator Adeola’s career reflects continuity, voter confidence, and strategic political expansion; not opportunism,” Akilo said.
He further argued that political mobility is not alien to democratic systems, noting that politicians in established democracies often expand their influence beyond their original constituencies.
“What matters is legitimacy through the ballot, and Senator Adeola has consistently earned that legitimacy,” he added.
Addressing claims that Adeola’s move from Lagos politics to Ogun amounted to “political shopping,” Akilo insisted that Ogun is the senator’s ancestral home, particularly Yewaland, and that his 2023 mandate in Ogun West was democratically secured.
“Ogun is not foreign territory to him. His connection to Yewaland predates the recent electoral cycle. The 2023 mandate he secured in Ogun West was hard-fought and democratically won,” Akilo maintained.
He also suggested that the criticism may be politically motivated, especially as Obasanjo recently completed her APC e-registration in Ibogun, Ward 11, Ifo Local Government Area, and declared her intention to contest the 2027 Ogun State governorship election.
“When a politician who has been largely absent from Ogun’s evolving political architecture resurfaces primarily to attack a sitting senator, observers are entitled to question the motive,” Akilo said.
“If opportunism is to be defined, it should include leveraging another’s rising profile to stage a personal comeback narrative.”
Akilo concluded that Adeola’s record of electoral victories across two states and sustained legislative service demonstrates adaptability and political durability rather than opportunism.
The exchange signals early political maneuvering ahead of the 2027 governorship race in Ogun State, with party alignments and rivalries beginning to take shape within the APC.
