Insiders Tell How Loyalists Are Selling Dimeji Bankole As Next Gov Of Ogun

After what appeared to be a short break, unrelenting supporters of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, are back at work.

They are projecting him as the perfect candidate to help Ogun Central achieve its long-held regional agenda of producing the next Governor of Ogun State.

Although he has traced his maternal roots to Ogun Central, leading gubernatorial aspirant Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, famously known as Yayi, is officially representing the ambition of Yewa—part of Ogun West—to produce the Governor for the first time since the creation of the state in 1976. He is the incumbent Senator representing Ogun West.

There has been growing agitation among some stakeholders in Ogun Central for the need to adopt a more grounded aspirant from the region to sustain the tradition of alternating the governorship between Ogun East and Ogun Central.

Governor Dapo Abiodun, who leaves office in 2027, hails from Ogun East, while immediate past Governor Ibikunle Amosun is from Ogun Central. These two zones are considered the political power blocs of the state based on their voter strength.

Bankole’s supporters are leveraging the agitation for Ogun Central to reclaim the governorship by spotlighting his political pedigree and track record as the most experienced and sellable among the emerging contenders.

“The claims are that decision-makers who are favourably disposed are looking to settle on someone who is easier to market from Ogun Central, given how far Yayi has come in positioning himself as the frontrunner,” sources say.

Bankole is being presented as “the preferred person” based on his antecedents as a former Speaker—on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)—and a 2019 governorship candidate under the Action Democratic Party (ADP). He comes from a strong political and cultural background.

His father, Chief Alani Bankole, a prominent businessman and the Apena of Egbaland, was a former acting National Vice Chairman and later Acting National Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP)—one of the parties that merged to form the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He also ran multiple times as a gubernatorial candidate in Ogun State.

“Much of the conversation is that Bankole’s past political exploits and family legacy make him an easy sell. As a former Speaker and past governorship candidate, he already has the structure, network, and goodwill to be built upon as the preferred choice,” insiders added.

According to those in the know, narratives promoting Bankole’s suitability as the ideal candidate for Ogun Central’s push to reclaim the governorship are being strategically spread.

Like Senator Adeola (Yayi), Bankole is also a member of the APC. However, unlike the Ogun West Senator, the former federal legislator has yet to make any open push for the widespread speculations surrounding his political ambition.