ABEOKUTA– As the race to the 2027 gubernatorial aspirations and ambitions hot up, with various events surrounding one of its frontrunners, Sen. Olamilekan Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi; Our reporter, Hakeem Adegbenro encapsulate his chances and political manoeuvrings in this write up.
Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola, the senator representing Ogun West at the National Assembly, is considered as one of the frontrunners to replace Governor Dapo Abiodun as the number one citizen of Ogun state in 2027.
Senator Yayi, representing a section of the state, which since the creation of the state haven’t produced or been elected as governor, makes it more dynamic and stakeholders see his entrance as one of the best opportunity for the Ogun West extraction to finally take a shot at the exalted position.
With his growing political credence across the state, owing to his projects facilitation to all region of the state, Yayi’s silence ambition has been echoed by his followers, which is evident to the deaf and dumb.
However, in recent times, the dynamics of politics is beginning to set the tone to what is expected as the race continue to hot up.
Yayi and the Ake Palace Pavilion debacle
The Ake Palace Pavilion crisis revolves around a controversy between former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola
Amosun claims to have single-handedly funded the construction of the Ake Pavilion project, a 95% completed, 3,000-capacity Amphitheater with various facilities, as a gift to the people of Abeokuta, Yayi, on the other hand, facilitated a library project.
Amosun accuses Yayi of project diversion, citing that the library project facilitated by Yayi in Ewang Estate Extension, Abeokuta, had a project board inscription reading “Renovation of Ake Pavilion Roofing and other Facilities, Ogun State”.
He therefore believes that the inscription suggests that Yayi diverted funds meant for the Ake Pavilion project to the library project.
In his response however, Yayi denied the allegations, explaining that the inscription on the library project board refers to a broader budget allocation for various projects in Ogun State, including roads, schools, and libraries.
He claims Amosun’s project was not explicitly mentioned when he allocated funds for the Ake Pavilion renovation.
The controversy was however laid to bare when during his speech at the 2025 Lisabi celebration, the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, HRM Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo stated that the Ake palace pavilion was singlehandedly funded by the former governor, and not Yayi.
This pronouncements, and his subsequent absence from the Lisabi festival, however indicated that Yayi’s alleged growing popularity among the Egbas, which he claimed his maternity, is worrisome for his political ambition.
Ojude Oba Chairmanship, Intrigues and Absence of Yayi
Sources within the Awujale’s palace said, Sen Solomon Adeola Yayi was billed and reportedly communicated to Chair the 2025 Ojude Oba Festival.
Congratulatory messages, jingles, fliers, and banners were already flying around.
Then the D-Day, the Ogun West senator was no where to be found. The 2025 Ojude Oba festival will go down as one without a substantive chairman.
What went wrong
Detailes emerged regarding the absence of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Yayi at the 2025 Ojude-Oba festival in Ijebu-Ode, with sources revealing a web of political manoeuvring, miscommunication, and factional disagreements that led to the last-minute fallout.
A reliable source close to this reporter disclosed that the initial plan was for either President Bola Tinubu or First Lady Remi Tinubu to chair the prestigious cultural event.
However, the committee faced a major setback as the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, who traditionally facilitates such high-profile invitations, has been unwell and unable to reach out to the President or his wife.
Amid the uncertainty, a prominent monarch reportedly suggested Senator Yayi as an alternative chairman. The committee hesitated, still hopeful that the Awujale would recover on time to secure either Tinubu or his wife’s participation.
The situation grew more complicated due to three key interest groups:
1. Yayi’s Supporters (APC Loyalists): The majority of his backers are within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and believed his chairmanship would strengthen the party’s influence.
2. PDP Sympathizers: Opposed Yayi’s potential role, fearing it would give the APC an undue advantage.
3. The Ijebu Agenda Group: Comprising elites from Ijebu-Ode pushing for an Ijebu-born governor in the next election, they viewed Yayi’s involvement as a threat to their political ambitions.
Initially, the PDP and Ijebu Agenda factions were at odds, but they united after social media posts prematurely announced Yayi as the event chairman—a decision that had not been finalized. The groups felt sidelined and mobilized against him.
A particular article penned by Yayi’s loyalists further incensed the Ijebu faction, hardening their resistance.
While some sources especially the Senator’s camp argued that some power that be in the state weren’t comfortable with his reported rising political profile as 2027 Governorship election beckons, thereby influencing his late minute sidelining, a palace source said his choice didn’t meet the express approval of the Paramount ruler who was on his regular medical checkup prior to the nomination.
Another source added that the choice of Yayi belittle the status of such exalted position, argiung that the event could be seen as an unanimous approval for Yayi’s governorship dream by the people of Ijebuland, hence the Ojude Oba arcade could be unusually turned to another political rally.
The Awujale’s prolonged illness worsened the deadlock, as he couldn’t mediate between the factions or confirm the President’s participation. The event’s program, printed weeks earlier, did not include Yayi, Tinubu, or Remi Tinubu—confirming that the committee had no solid Plan B.
According to the source, Senator Yayi opted out of attending after learning that some Ijebu Lokan and PDP elements had plotted to embarrass him publicly. With tensions high and no formal invitation secured, his absence was deemed the safest option.
This revelation underscores the delicate interplay of tradition, politics, and power struggles that shape major cultural events in Nigeria including the just-concluded Lisabi Festival celebrated in Ogun Central district of the state.
The Dapo Abiodun Factor
Sources close the the Governor Dapo Abiodun camp maintained that there is no love lost between the governor and the senator.
He therefore said Abiodun had input on why Yayi was absent at the two event captured earlier, despite earlier been expected.
The dynamic of who succeed the governor is changing according to the source.
The presidential reelection of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is also a major factor that must be considered in the scheme of things in Ogun state.
The source, therefore, having taken into cognisance the Ogun State political dynamics is of the opinion the decision on who succeed Dapo Abiodun may not come from Abuja afterall.
“Stakeholders within Ogun state will decide who succeeds Dapo Abiodun
“Go and research into these two names ED and TJ”, These two are the likely successor to my principal”, he said
The question therefore is, who is ED and TJ?
