That is the big question among politicians in Ogun State right now, as the 2027 Ogun guber race hits up. With the Supreme Court Verdict out of the way, big political actors across the state have begun work on what will happen next. Although there are so many names being mentioned as possible candidates for governorship, top on the list is Senator Olamilekan Adeola popularly called YAYI. He is from Ogun West. He is infact the Senator representing Ogun senatorial district.
He is the man who everyone is taking about right now. This is also because of his recent mindblowing mega empowerment and distribution of palliatives. He has been in the race for the past 10 years and he has built a formidable political structure which has been solidly on ground. It was the same structure that Prince Dapo Abiodun used to win his first term bid. And also the second.
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 and his presence across the other senatorial districts is also quite visible.
What many people are saying is that going by Prince Dapo Abiodun’s political style of not being clear and his body language he might not just support Yayi who had helped him twice. Those in the Yayi Camp are said to be aware of this 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 have the support of Tinubu. Yayi also is a Tinubu Loyalist. He enjoys the President’s support.
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 believed that he will prefer a candidate he produced that he can control like its done in other state.
Abiodun feels he also has a strong political machinery that can throw up a candidate that will be fiercely loyal to him.
Although the next governorship election in Ogun State is still far away, in 2027 all eyes are on Ogun West Senator, Olamilekan Adeola, popularly called Yayi to run for the seat.
Although, he has not kicked off his campaign or shown any interest in the job, many people at the grassroot are scheming for Yayi to be next Governor.
City People gathered recently that this seasoned politician enjoys tremendous goodwill, built over time and he has a strong political machinery across the local government areas, and Senatorial districts. He enjoys the confidence of a lot of the traditional rulers in the state.
So highly influential is Yayi that many of his loyalists are currently serving in the current administration of Gov. Dapo Abiodun, who he helped to power initially and who hw supported to power in this 2nd term.
Many believe that but for Yayi, Abiodun’s 2nd term would not have sailed through.
He has a firm grip of the politics of Ogun West where he hails from.
The permutation is that Ogun West has not produced a governor in the history of the state and this time around its going to be the turn of Ogun West.
Lets tell you a bit about Yayi’s pedigree.
The hottest gist right now in Ogun State is that, Yayi is consulting widely across the state. The gist is that he has his eyes on the Ogun governorship, come 2019 and he is moving really fast. We can authoritatively reveal that, Yayi has moved into the state to mobilise support deploying resources and this has helped him gain support.
Because of his generousity, a lot of groups and associations now write him to be Chief Launcher of one event or the other. He is also often invited to chair events and he supports them generously. Over the last few months these moves have not gone down well with the incumbent government.
A close associate of YAYI revealed that the political activities of YAYI has begun to yield fruits. He revealed that over the last few years, YAYI has set up a 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 12 out of the 20 LG Chairmen in the state; 200 out of the 236 Councillors across the state and 15 out of 20 council Vice-Chairmen. We gathered also that many of the Commissioners that served Amosun during his 1st term have all joined the 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 alleged to have been blocked by the then Governor Ibikunle Amosu who fielded another Yewa man. The same thing happened in 2017.
The same game is playing out right now. But Yayi is moving at the speed of light.
Who is this Solomon Olamilekan Adeola? 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.
Hon Solomon Olamilekan Adeola is 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.
A few weeks back, City People took time off to do some investigations into the past of the politician who was born at Lagos Island Maternity Hospital to Mr. Ayinde Adeola Ogunleye and Madam Abeeni Olasunbo Ogunleye (nee Akinola). We gathered that though he is from Yewa, he grew up in Alimosho area of Lagos.
Following his decision to join active politics, sometime at the dawn of the 4th Republic, Adeola was nominated and won the primaries of the then ruling Action Congress of Nigeria and was elected as a member to represent Alimosho State Constituency 2 at the Lagos State House of Assembly from 2003 to 2007 and again from 2007 to 2011. He was reputed to have been instrumental to the enactment of the law that strengthened the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, a legislation that catapulted the revenue of the state from N5 billion monthly to over N20 billion. He was also part of the team that passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Public Procurement Act of Lagos State.
He was elected to the Federal Legislature to represent Alimosho Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives in 2011.
And when the committees of the House were inaugurated by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal for members, he got position of the Chairman of the only constitutional committee, the Public Accounts Committee of the House. He got the post as a first time member of the house.
City People also found out that he is a distinguished son of Ago-Isaga, Pahayi, Ilaro, Yewa in South local government area of Ogun State.
City People was told how, in the distant past, a bloody strife accrued in the indigenous settlement of Isaga-Orile and this uprising led to the break-up of the ancient Yewa colony as inhabitants had to flee the town. While men of valor and conquest took refuge in the surrounding but widely separate settlements, the progenitors of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola found succor in the expanse land of Pahayi, Ilaro in Ogun State, Nigeria, where they settled and later christened Ago-Isaga, Pahayi, Ilaro.
Today, a 3rd generation offspring, Yayi, from the then settlers is coming back home to lead them.
Adeola’s father, Mr. Ayinde Adeola Ogunleye and mother, Madam Ogunleye Olasunbo Oluwaseun (nee Akinola), are of Yewa South and Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State 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 4th son of Ayinde Adeola Ogunleye, grandson to Ogundimu Sangoloni, and great grandson to Olege (third ancestral father). Ogundimu Sangoloni married 2 wives, Atikekerewoba Alake and Alaba as first and second wives respectively. Alaba who hailed from Agbole Alapapo of Joga-Orile, Yewa North LGA of Ogun State, gave birth to only one child; ayinde Adeola Ogunleye. A sizeable number of the evolved families are till today settled at Ago-Isaga, Pahayi, in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Governemnt Area of Ogun State, involved in primary occupations like farming, trading etc.
According to Chief Micheal Adelani Ogundimu, the head of the Ogundimu family in Ago-Isaga, Pahayi, Ilaro “In 1862, a civil strife led to the collapse of the then Isaga Orile where every member of the community had to flee from the place to find refuge elsewhere. Our grandparents found themselves first in Ago Isaga in Ilaro and later migrated to Pahayi. Pahayi is about a kilometer away from Ilaro then, but civilization and development has led to the merging of the two communities and that led to the disappearance boundaries”.
He observed that the 3 Isaga men that settled at Pahayi were Olege, Akanni and Akinola, are of the same parents. Olege later got married to an indigene of Ilaro in the person of Wumiloju (nee) Akande. Wunmiloju gave birth to Shangoade, Motawe and Ogundimu. Ogundimu gave birth to Ogunleye and five other children. Ogunleye is the father of Senator Yayi.
He went further to state that “The 1862 war scattered the Isaga people even up to the Republic of Benin. There is Iju-Ishaga and Ishaga Surulere in Lagos State and Ishaga Oke odan in Idiroko and in many other places. Senator Adeola was the Chairman of year 2015 Isaga Day celebration. The celebration is an avenue for all Isaga sons and daughters to meet and interact.
Senator Adeola’s immediate maternal lineage is of a very Egba origin, being born in Madam Abeeni Olasunbo Oluwaseun of the highly respected Akinola family. His maternal grandfather, Pa Akinola Julius Sodipo (a.k.a. Baba Pupa) of the Kilaso compound in Kenta Odutolu, Abeokuta South Local Government Area, was widely respected as a very disciplined man who lived for over 115 years and was a successful farmer and trader with exceptional leadership qualities.
Verifiable historical evidence reveals that his mother’s paternal grandparents were from Itoku before arriving Kenta in the present day Abeokuta South Local Governemnt Area of Ogun State. his mother’s grandfather, Nofiu Odu gave birth to Julius Akinola Sodipo, the Madam Abeeni Olasunbo Oluwaseun (YAYI’s mother).
The famly’s farmland is in Asu, in Kobape Area of Obafemi Owode LGA, also in Ogun State. Asu is the District hub for 7 other settlements, while Kobape is sited within a Local Government Development Area Council. Madam Abeeni Olasunbo grew up at Ikija, also in Abeokuta South LGA.
Madam Olasunbo’s maternal root is in Olorunda, near Imala Village on the way to Ilaro. During her life time, Madam Abeeni Olasunbo was an active and prominent member of Egbe Alaro Cloth Dealers in the famous Itoku market, Abeokuta.
“From the above narratives, Sen. Solomon Olamilekan Adeola is evidently rooted in both Yewa and Egba lineage of Ogun State explained one of his political associates.
Adeola grew 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 excels, Sen. Solomon Olamilekan Adeola got enrolled for his professional courses while in school, becoming a Chartered Accountant at a very young age. He is distinguished Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and also an Associate Chartered member (ACA) of the the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
He started his professional carrier as a junior staff with The Guardian Newspaper Limited, where he 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 then promoted to the position of a Senior Auditor.
Later he floated his own company, SOOTEM Nigeria Limited, a specialized Tax Consulting Firm.
In April 2023, he took his decision to run for Ogun West Senatorial district.
Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos West), then the chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance decided to answer the call of his people in Ogun West Senatorial District by heeding to the clarion call for him to run for the seat of Ogun West Senatorial District in the 2023 election.
At a mammoth rally in Ilaro organized by West-to-West Convergence for Dapo Abiodun (W2W4DA) group, the senator said he was heeding the clarion call of his people to return home to contribute to the development of his people as he has done for Lagos West as their senator in the last 6 years and counting.
“I want to thank God Almighty and the governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, my leader and governor and all other leaders from Ogun West for their interest in me and their well wishes leading to the event of today in Ilaro, the administrative headquarters of Ogun West. I am officially declaring to heed their call as their son to run as a candidate for Ogun West Senatorial District in the 2023 election” senator Adeola told the enthusiastic crowd.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance declared that as the W2W4DA has stated there is no vacancy in Oke Mosan in 2023 as Prince Dapo Abiodun is returning for a second term based on his achievements so far in his first term adding that the style of governance of the governor has ensured that all parts of Ogun State to the ward level has one development project or another to point to unlike what happened in the past with concentration of multi-billion-naira projects in some areas.
The Senator disclosed that over the years he has been contributing to the development of Ogun West Senatorial district through personal efforts and facilitations of projects which will increase in leaps and bounds if he is eventually elected as the senator representing Ogun West in the Red Chamber.
“I was the major donator to the multi- million- naira electrification of the College of Agriculture, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Aiyetoro Campus, I facilitated the construction of a modern library in the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro as well as the ultra- modern community multi-purpose pavilion at Asade Agunloye Pavilion, Empire Ground, Ilaro and numerous empowerments in skills acquisitions, training and grants for many indigenes. As a ranking senator, all these will come in multiples for Ogun West just as I am doing for Lagos West at presnt” he stated.
Earlier on in a welcome address, Dr. Kunle Salako, the Coordinator of W2W4DA said similar rallies endorsing a second term for Prince Abiodun and for Senator Adeola to run as Ogun West Senator has been held at Imeko-Afon, Yewa North, Ado Odo-Ota, Ipokia LGAs adding that this one in Yewa South is the grand finale as the home LGA of Senator Adeola.
Among the leaders that spoke in support of the coordinator at the event are Hon. Muftau Ajibola, a second republic legislator in Ogun State, Chief (Mrs) Iyabo Apampa, former Chairman of Ogun- Osun River Basin Development Authority, Hon. Olu Agemo, former Chairman Ogun State Agro-Services Commission, Hon. Samuel Aiyedogbo, former Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperative in Ogun State, Hon. Waliu Taiwo, former Hon Commissioner for Works, Agriculture and Housing in Ogun State and Chairman Ogun State House of Assembly Commission and Hon M.O Obanla, former Chairman Ipokia LGA.
Others are Hon. Gabriel Ogunyomi, Chairman Yewa North LGA, Hon. Wale Agbetokun, chairman Ipokia LGA,Alhaji Yahaya Fadipe, chairman Imeko Afon LGA, Hon Lateef Salami, Chairman, Yewa South LGA, Hon. (Mrs) A. Animashaun representing Hon. Sherif Musa, Chairman Ado Odo Ota LGA, Hon Sherif Yusuf, Majority Leader of Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Muse Lamidi, (APC, Ado Odo Ota State Constituency 2), Hon. Adegoke Adeyanju, (APC, Yewa North State Constituency 1), Hon. Haruna Egungbohun (APC, Yewa North State Constituency 2), Hon. Jemili Akingbade, (APC, Imeko Afon State Constituency, Hon. Latifat Ajayi (APC, Yewa South) and 59 Councilors from the 5 LGAs of Ogun West Senatorial District.
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