The long-standing absence of Ogun West from the governorship of Ogun State is at the centre of Senator Solomon Adeola’s 2027 ambition, according to his campaign team.
Kayode Odunaro, Media Adviser and Chief of Staff to Adeola and Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Ogun State APC Campaign Council, said the Ogun West Senatorial District had not produced a governor since the creation of the state about five decades ago.
Odunaro made the disclosure on Monday during an interview on FRONTLINE, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.
According to him, Adeola’s aspiration is being presented not merely as a bid to secure political power for Ogun West but as an attempt to address what the campaign considers an imbalance in political representation and development across the state.
“Senator Solomon Adeola happens to come from a district in Ogun West where, over the past 50 years and counting, they have not been opportuned to govern Ogun State as a whole,” Odunaro said.
He linked the political argument to development concerns in the Yewa-Awori axis, saying residents had repeatedly complained about infrastructure and other development deficits in the area.
“The people of Yewa have been complaining; looking at all the infrastructure in Ogun West, it happens to be like third class in Ogun State,” he said.
Odunaro said Adeola’s proposed governorship would therefore seek to reduce the perceived development gap while extending his campaign’s focus beyond Ogun West to the entire state.
“Solomon Adeola is coming to Ogun State to fight and regain Ogun State reputation and legacy… Yewa Awori have been excluded completely from being in government,” he said.
Adeola’s projects cited
The campaign official also pointed to Adeola’s record as a senator as evidence of his ability to attract development projects to Ogun.
Odunaro said the senator had facilitated about 300 road infrastructure projects and other interventions across the state, arguing that his efforts were not restricted to his immediate senatorial district.
“Senator Solomon Adeola has done things that are unprecedented. Solomon Adeola has done more in infrastructure in Ogun State; about 300 road infrastructure have been done and some are being repaired by him,” he said.
Reports in recent months have also cited Adeola’s claim that he has attracted more than 300 projects, including roads, healthcare, education, security and other constituency interventions.
Odunaro said the interventions were intended to narrow the development gap between Ogun West and the other senatorial districts.
“Senator Adeola has done enough to bring the infrastructure to a level that is comparable to, if not better than, the one in Ogun Central or Ogun East,” he said.
Campaign promises continuity with Abiodun
Odunaro further positioned Adeola’s ambition as a continuation of the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun if the APC retains power in 2027.
“The governor of our State has done very well, whatever Senator Solomon Adeola is doing will compliment it,” he said.
He described the proposed transition as a departure from what he characterised as Ogun State’s history of difficult political succession.
“Definitely, he is going to embark on continuity of the current governor’s agenda, Dapo Abiodun… Overtime Ogun State has had hostile succession. This will be the first time there will be a harmonious succession,” Odunaro said.
No new airport priority
On calls for a new airport in Ogun West, Odunaro said the project was not among Adeola’s immediate priorities because the state already has an existing airport.
“Building a new airport in Yewa is not a critical agenda for Senator Solomon Adeola, whereas we have one over there that is working perfectly,” he said.
He said an Adeola administration would instead seek to upgrade the existing facility and make it commercially viable.
“He is just going to improve on the already existing one. Maybe take it to a level that it will be so commercially viable that Ogun will continue to benefit from it,” he added.
Adeola, who currently represents Ogun West in the Senate, emerged as the APC’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
His candidacy has, however, also become the subject of a separate controversy over his ancestry and claim to Ogun indigene status.
Political opponents, including PDP figures, have questioned his Yewa roots, while Adeola has challenged those making the allegations to produce evidence and threatened legal action.
His stepmother, Aminatu Abiola, has separately defended his Ogun ancestry and rejected claims linking his biological parents to Ekiti State.
The ancestry dispute remains a separate political issue from the campaign’s argument that Ogun West deserves greater representation at the governorship level.
Odunaro said the 2027 election should ultimately focus on the capacity of candidates to deliver development and represent residents across Ogun State.
