Wale Edun’s Name Resurfaces Strongly In Ogun Guber Race

An old name is being strongly touted in the race to determine the next Governor of Ogun State.

He is Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Nigerian Economy.

Months after he was ruled out for “lack of interest,” his name is back with ferocious intensity on the lips of many within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a formidable potential candidate.

The process of producing the successor to Governor Dapo Abiodun, who leaves office in May 2027, has largely been dominated by the mention of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, famously known as Yayi.

Credited with helping Abiodun to power in both his first and second terms, the Senator representing Ogun West has been unrelenting in his positioning as the next man to hold the title of “Executive Governor of Ogun State.”

However, insiders insist that the renewed touting of Edun as a likely APC candidate for the 2027 Ogun gubernatorial election is a major concern for Senator Yayi’s camp.

“Edun is one person that can’t be shrugged off. He has strong influence with President (Bola) Tinubu, who has generally been acknowledged as a major determining factor in the process,” sources say.

The race to determine the next Governor of Ogun State, particularly within the APC, is decorated with conflicting interests among top players, with unending alignments and realignments becoming the order of the day.

The unfolding scenario has led many to agree that an umpire in the person of President Tinubu will play a major role in the overall decision regarding who becomes the candidate.

Aside from having a strong connection with President Tinubu, Edun is also from the large voting area of Ogun Central, while Yayi hails primarily from the lower-vote region of Ogun West—although he has recently claimed a maternal link to Ogun Central.