Why Remi Bakare Is Getting Huge Mentions In Ogun Guber Race

Information filtering in has it that a new name is getting increasing mentions in the race to determine the next Governor of Ogun State.

He is Remi Bakare, a former gubernatorial aspirant.

Bakare, the chartered accountant and stockbroker turned politician, is described as becoming more appealing across caucuses as the preferred choice of those keen to have the next governor from Ogun Central.

Ogun Central and Ogun East—the two large vote regions—have been alternating in producing the Governor of Ogun State since its creation in 1976, to the exclusion of the low-vote Ogun West. It has also not helped that political stakeholders in Ogun West, particularly in Yewa, have unendingly failed to collaborate and back a single candidate in their push to produce the Governor of Ogun State.

Outgoing Governor Dapo Abiodun is from Ogun East. He leaves office in 2027 after spending two terms of four years each.

Based on the unofficial zoning arrangement, the slot to produce the next governor swings to another zone.

And with Ogun West battling disunity in the bid to line up behind a gubernatorial aspirant, influential players in Ogun Central are already exploring means to continue the “unspoken alternating arrangement” with Ogun East.

Remi Bakare, who was a gubernatorial aspirant in the 2011 Ogun State gubernatorial election and turned down the offer of a senatorial position after failing to get the governorship ticket, is being strongly considered by decision-makers in Ogun Central.

Bakare, 64, has tentacles and appreciable followership across the two main political parties—the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). This standing and perception as a builder of people are said to be weighing strongly in favor of his consideration as the next Governor of Ogun State.

“To a large extent, he is loved across political structures. Many see Aare (he holds the chieftaincy titles of Aare Laderin of Egbaland and Aare Adimula of Ake, Abeokuta) as very level-headed, very good at defusing situations, and a people’s person,” sources say.

However, he is a member of the ruling APC.

The politician is a native of the heart of Ogun Central—Abeokuta, which is also the capital of Ogun State.