Why Amosun, Gbenga Daniel Have Become Favourites In Ogun Guber Race

Fresh moves by the All Protection Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, to reconcile with former governors Ibikunle Amosun and Gbenga Daniel have thrust the two political heavyweights to the centre of the 2027 governorship calculations.

Since emerging as the party’s candidate, Adeola has reportedly embarked on consultations, including personal visits, to mend fences with Amosun and Daniel after both leaders suffered major political setbacks during the APC’s ticket allocation process.

The reconciliation drive has triggered fresh debate within Ogun political circles over the growing importance of the two former governors, whose extensive grassroots structures are widely seen as capable of influencing the outcome of the governorship election.

Daniel was denied the APC ticket for another term in the Senate representing Ogun East, while Amosun failed in his bid to return to the Senate from Ogun Central.

The ticket Amosun sought eventually went to incumbent and former Chief of Staff, Salisu Afolabi Shuaib, in a development many party insiders attribute to the dominance of Governor Dapo Abiodun over the APC structure in the state.

Abiodun wrestled the Ogun East senatorial ticket from Daniel who is the second-term-seeking incumbent, after an all-out political fight.

Throughout the internal contest, Adeola stayed clear of the power struggle between Abiodun’s camp and those loyal to Amosun and Daniel, concentrating instead on securing the governorship ticket.

Now, political observers say he is working to unite the party before the general election, recognising that retaining Ogun for the APC may require more than simply flying the party’s flag.

Between them, Amosun and Daniel governed Ogun State for 16 years and continue to command loyal political structures across the three senatorial districts. Their influence within the party and at the grassroots remains significant despite their recent political disappointments.

The reconciliation effort is also being viewed against growing speculation that People’s Democratic Party, PDP, stalwart Oladipupo Adebutu, who mounted a strong challenge in the 2023 governorship election, is seeking to exploit discontent within the APC following the sidelining of the two former governors.

For many APC stakeholders, the message is becoming increasingly clear: while Adeola has won the party’s ticket, securing the backing of Amosun and Daniel could prove just as critical to winning the governorship.

With the 2027 race gradually taking shape, the two former governors have once again emerged as the political forces every serious contender appears eager to have on side.