Why Senator Adeola Yayi’s Men Are Campaigning With Renewed Vigor In Race To Succeed Abiodun

Supporters of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, the politician popularly known as Yayi, appear to have regained their mojo in the Ogun State gubernatorial race.

Yayi, the Senator representing Ogun West, is a front-runner in the race to determine the next Governor of Ogun State.

The Senator had run a fantastic campaign that positioned him as the man to beat until recently.

Claims of a silent rift with incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun surfaced, slightly dimming perceptions of his chances.

Although the Senator insists there is no quarrel with the Governor, the latter’s silence spoke volumes. The narrative of a conflict was bolstered by Governor Abiodun’s media handlers distancing themselves from matters related to Senator Yayi and avoiding any public linkage—a clear departure from their previous stance.

However, developments over the weekend seem to have resolved the issues at stake.

The National Chairman of their political party—the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)—Abdullahi Ganduje, along with about 45 Senators across party lines, visited Ogun State to show solidarity with both Abiodun and Adeola Yayi.

The Akesan Day, an annual festival celebrated in the Governor’s hometown, Iperu, Ogun East, took place on Saturday, November 30, 2024. Oronna Day, the yearly celebration in Ilaro, Ogun West, which is part of Senator Yayi’s base, followed on Sunday, December 1, 2024.

Party Chairman Ganduje and the team of about 45 Senators, including Senate Majority Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and ranking Senator Ali Ndume, attended both events.

Emerging reports suggest that “understandings that resolved the tension between the Governor and Senator were reached” during the two celebrations.

“The fact that Abiodun praised Yayi for his developmental projects, and his media team amplified it, has become a big deal for the Senator’s men,” according to word on the street.

Checks confirmed that Abiodun’s media team also featured Senator Yayi in photo stories from the celebrations—something that hadn’t happened in a while.

These developments, interpreted as the removal of major stumbling blocks from the Senator’s gubernatorial bid, have reinvigorated his loyalists, who are now campaigning with renewed vigor.

Incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun leaves office in 2027 after two terms spanning eight years, with Yayi widely regarded as a major contributor to his election in 2019 and re-election in 2023.