Why More High-Profile Names Are Backing Wale Edun For Ogun Gov Campaign

Emerging details indicate that the push for Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, to become the next Governor of Ogun State is attracting more high-profile support.

Insiders attribute this surge to his growing adoption as the face of a regional ambition. Major players in Ogun Central want Governor Dapo Abiodun’s successor to emerge from their zone, and they see Edun — a close friend and confidant of President Bola Tinubu — as the ideal candidate to achieve this goal.

At the heart of the push is Ogun Central’s refusal to stay out of the state’s top position for 16 years. Governor Abiodun, who completes his second term in 2027, hails from Ogun East. On the other hand, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, the most visible aspirant in the gubernatorial race, is from Ogun West.

Popularly known as Yayi, Adeola is spearheading Yewa’s long-standing ambition to produce a governor for the first time. However, the region is often regarded as a minority bloc due to its comparatively low voting numbers.

“Should Yayi become the next Governor, Ogun Central — which has alternated power with Ogun East — would most likely be out of the equation for 16 years. With governors typically serving two terms, power brokers in Ogun Central consider this untenable and are rallying behind Edun as their poster boy,” insiders explained.

Although Yayi has attempted to broaden his claim by tracing his maternal roots to Ogun Central, staunch advocates of the “it’s our senatorial district’s turn” campaign are increasingly throwing their weight behind Edun, whom they regard as a thoroughbred son of the soil and their preferred candidate.

Talks of Edun’s gubernatorial ambition, initially dismissed last year after claims he was not interested, resurfaced earlier this year and have since gathered momentum — even though the Minister has neither confirmed nor denied his interest.