Will Gov. DAPO ABIODUN Support YAYI’s Ambition?

That is the big question among politicians in Ogun State right now, as the 2027 Ogun guber race begins. With the Supreme Court Verdict out of the way, big political actors, across the state, have begun work on what and what will happen next. Although there are so many names being mentioned already as possible candidates for governorship, top on the list is Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly called YAYI from Ogun West Senatorial district.

He is the man who everyone is talking about right now. This is because he has been in the race for governorship for the past 10 years and has built a formidable political structure which has been on ground since all these years. It was this same structure that Prince Dapo Abiodun used to win his first term. And also the second term.

But the question people are asking right now is if Prince Dapo Abiodun will throw his weight solidly behind Yayi, who has revved up his political activities. He is vastly popular across Ogun West which he currently represents at the Senate. Also, his presence across the other senatorial districts is quite visible.

What many people are saying is that going by Prince Dapo Abiodun’s political style & pattern of not coming clear on such issues, and his body language, which look hazy, he might not just support Yayi who had helped him to power twice. Those in the Yayi Camp say they are aware of this possibility and they are not totally dependent on Gov. Abiodun for Yayi’s victory. They have their Plan B and Plan C.

There is also the issue of who will Pres. Tinubu support in Ogun State. There are strong indications that Mr. Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance & Co-ordinating Minister is likely to run. If he does, he will definitely have the support of Tinubu. Yayi also is a Tinubu Loyalist. He enjoys the President’s support.

So, who will Gov. Dapo Abiodun support? Many feel it is not Yayi for so many reasons. One, Gov. Dapo Abiodun feels the Yayi brand will be too big for him to manage. It is intimidating. It is believed that he will prefer a candidate he produces that he can control like its done in other states.

Abiodun feels he also has a strong political machinery that can throw up a good candidate that will be fiercely loyal to him.

Senator Olamilekan Solomon is the current Senator representing Ogun  Lagos West Senatorial District at the Senate. Everyone calls him YAYI. Though he is from Yewa in Ogun State, he has always lived in Lagos in the Alimosho area of Lagos. That is why before now, he was the honourable representing Alimosho Federal Constituency.

The hottest gist right now is that, Yayi has started consulting widely across the state. He has also mobilised the traditional rulers in his zone. The gist is that he has his eyes on the Ogun governorship, come 2027 and he is moving really fast. He has been doing serious empowerments (since he won last year), across Yewa. We can authoritatively reveal that, Yayi has moved into the state to mobilise support, deploying humongous resources and this has helped him gain support.

Because of his unparalleled generousity, a lot of groups and associations now invite him to be Chief Launcher at their empowerment events. He is also often invited to chair events and he supports them generously.

A close associate of YAYI revealed that the political activities of YAYI has begun to yield fruits. He revealed that since he came in, YAYI has revved up his political machinery that is quite formidable, with the result that, right now, he has won a lot of grassroot politicians to his side. Yayi is said to control over many out of the 20 LG Chairmen in the state; about 80% of the 236 Councillors across the state and 80% of 20 Council Vice-Chairmen. We gathered also that many of the Commissioners that served Amosun during his term and those who served Prince Dapo are all YAYI group. We hear he also has the backing of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Yayi is from Yewa. Although Yayi tried to come out from Ogun State in 2014, he was blocked by Amosun who fielded another Yewa man.

But right now, Yayi is moving at the speed of light.

Who is this Solomon Olamilekan Adeola that every one is talking about? City People can tell you all about him. He is an extremely humble man with uncommon qualities, born on August 10, 1969, in Lagos, by Mr. and Mrs. Adeola Ogunleye. He is an indegene of Ago-Isaga Pahayi, of Agbole Onibata, Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government, Ogun State. He has lived greater part of his life as a transformational agent, building bridges in the actualisation of lofty goals in business and politics.

As a generational figure, a deep incursion into his humble beginning, individual effort towards achieving educational success , his perseverance at his early stage of life as an employee, who was ready to learn the curves and his undying faith in turning dreams and visions to realities in business and politics, are evidently worthy in serving as an inspirational meal to younger generation, and progressives who are determined to improve the situation of our country at all levels of governance.

His loyalists describe Hon Solomon Olamilekan Adeola as a complete Ogun indigene, born by Mr. Ayinde Adeola Ogunleye and Madam Abeeni Olasunbo Oluwaseun (Nee Akinola), of Yewa South and Abeokuta North respectively.

His Yewa lineage is as current as in the 3rd paternal ancestral origin from the Agbole Onibata, Ago Ishaga-Pahayi in Ilaro. He is the third son of Ayinde Adeola Ogunleye, grandson to Ogundimu-Sangoloni, great grandson to Olege (third ancestral father). Ogundimu-Sangoloni married two wives, Atikekerewoba Alake and Alaba as first and second wives respectively. Alaba who hailed from Agbole Alapapo of Joga-Orile, Yewa North, gave birth to only one son; Ayinde Adeola Ogunleye.

A sizeable number of the evolved families are till today settled at Ago-Ishaga, Pahayi, in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area, involved in primary occupations like farming, trading etc.

Also, his immediate maternal lineage is of a very rich Egba/Yewa origin. Being born by Madam Abeeni Olasunbo Oluwaseun of the highly respected Akinola family. His maternal Grandfather Pa. Akinola Julius Sodipo Alias Baba Pupa of the kilaso compound in Kemta Odutolu; *Abeokuta North Local Government area was widely respected as a much disciplined man, lived for over 115 years and was a successful farmer and trader with exceptional leadership qualities.

Adeola has grown through self development. He began his formal education at State Primary School in Alimosho, Lagos and proceeded to Community Grammar School Akowonjo, Lagos for his Secondary Education.

He subsequently proceeded to the prestigious Ondo State Polytechnic Owo, now Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, where he bagged a Higher National Diploma in Accounting (H.N.D). Out of personal zeal to excel, he got enrolled for his professional courses while in school, becoming a Chartered Accountant at a very young age. He is a distinguished Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and a distinguished Member of Associate Chartered Accountants- ACA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Yayi started his professional career as a junior staff with “The Guardian Newspapers Limited”, worked for 12 years and rose to the position of the Accountant. He later, proceeded to Olatunji Omoyemi and Company, a Chartered accounting firm, where he led the audit team for several years. He was promoted to the position of a Senior Auditor. He much later floated his own company, SOOTEM Nigeria Limited, where he is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. SOOTEM is specialised in tax consultancy.

His political philosophy has been of a very rich fighting tradition for political, social and economic rights for the people. He strongly feels that people should have access to the basic necessities of life without hindrances. He believes in the enthronement of democratic tenet, principles of justice, rule of law, equity and civil liberty. He is also of the view that there should be entrenchment of true federalism in the Nigerian polity and supremacy of the people’s constitution. His dream is that of a Nigeria where your tribe, religion and economic status will no further be an impediment to personal pursuit and growth in life.

As a young man, he was part of the many Nigerians who protested the annulment of the June 12 Presidential election won by Late Chief M.K.O. Abiola. At a time when the country was heavily militarised, he joined forces with other youths in his neighborhood to protest the annulment. It was in one of such protest that he lost his immediate younger brother, who was killed by stray bullets of the Nigerian army.

Rather than deter him from pursuing his political belief, the incident spurred him to forge ahead. With a determination to serve humanity, he contested keenly for the House of Assembly seat into Lagos State House of Assembly in the year 2003 and convincingly won the seat, represented Alimosho Constituency 02, with a two term ticket, under the auspices of Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now All Progressives Congress (APC).

While at the Lagos State House of Assembly, he was a member of several select/Ad-hoc

Committees which included: *Budget and Economic Planning , *Health Committee , *Human Right and Public Petition, *Special Duties etc.

He’s an Intelligent and articulate Chartered Accountant. He served as the House Committee Chairman on Finance while at the Lagos State House of Assembly between 2005-2011. The high point in serving as Chairman was in passing into law a bill setting up Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, an independent revenue arm of Lagos State government which as at today generates 15 to 20 billion naira monthly, supporting the massive transformation going on in Lagos State.

Among other achievements, he contributed in passing into law, the bills on Fiscal responsibility, Public Procurement and Audit bill. These assisted Lagos state government in approaching reputable banks, like the world bank, in granting developmental loans for the state, having met all necessary requirements in assessing the loans. He is presently a member of the Federal House of Representatives from Lagos State, representing Alimosho federal constituency.

Despite being a first timer at the Federal House of Representatives, then, he was the House Committee Chairman on Public Accounts. These enviable achievement is based on his sterling qualities in time past in Lagos State. That position saddled him then with the responsibility of checking the Auditor-Generals reports for relevant years.