Politics
Meet The Fingered Biggest Threat To Senator Adeola Yayi’s Guber Ambition
remains the leading aspirant based on how much foothold he has been able to gain
Though Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola remains the leading aspirant based on how much foothold he has been able to gain, chats across the political circle of Ogun state say the politician more popularly known as Yayi now faces the biggest threat to his gubernatorial ambition.
The streets identified the threat as one of the closest persons to President Bola Tinubu.
He is Wale Edun, the Minister for the Minister for Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Claims that President Tinubu will most likely back Edun as the successor to Governor Dapo Abiodun in 2027 are gaining huge traction in Ogun state.
Though, unlike Senator Yayi, he does not have a formidable political structure to his name – it is an open secret that the President has always considered Edun the man to carry his torch in Ogun state.
Though he operated from Lagos, the established economist and investment banker was made a Minister in the slot of Ogun state.
And the talks are that the President sees the present-day reality as a long-wanted opportunity to make Edun his man at the helm of affairs in Ogun.
Interestingly, Yayi who is the frontrunner in the race to determine Governor Abiodun’s successor, also draws his power from closeness to the President. And has leveraged the connection to amass the formidable structure that played a huge part in helping Abiodun win his first term in 2019 and second term recently – March 2023.
However despite these identified political strengths of Senator Adeola Yayi – and more, Edun is believed to be a major threat to his ambition because, among other things, the Minister is a far more senior and ingrained member of President Tinubu’s inner caucus.
As a top ranker, the Minister is a long-term personal friend of virtually all the decision-makers – he is one of them -, and also comes from one of the large vote areas in Ogun state (Central).
Senator Yayi on his part is a President Tinubu’s favored son from the minority area yet to produce a Governor in Ogun state (West).
All the named political actors are chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“And naturally, the President backed by decision-makers determine who becomes what” are part of the wings the claims drumming up Edun as the man to beat in the Ogun 2027 gubernatorial race are using to fly.
