A new political momentum is building across Ogun State ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with survey findings indicating overwhelming support for Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as “YAYI,” particularly in Ogun Central and Ogun West.
The assessment was contained in a statement by Prof. Yemi Oke, SAN, the Bada-Baamofin of Egbaland and Convener of Iyalolomo Foundation, PROYOCO and the Egba Intelligentsia Group.
Prof. Oke said field reports from the three groups show that Senator Adeola’s approval rating is on the rise in both senatorial districts, sparking what he described as a “healthy rivalry” between Egba people of Ogun Central, his mother’s lineage, and Yewa-Awori of Ogun West, his father’s lineage, over who delivers the highest votes for him.
“The hours are running. Days advancing. Whichever angle or direction you turn, the timing is same. The hours are consistent — IT’S YAYI O’CLOCK!!!” Prof. Oke stated.
He dismissed speculation that Ogun Central would be a “political battle field” in the next election, saying verifiable data shows otherwise.
According to the executive summary of the survey covering six local governments in Ogun Central, Senator Adeola recorded strong acceptance rates:
– Odeda LG. — 83.36%
– Abeokuta South — 72.36%
– Abeokuta North — 76.36%
– Ifo LG. — 82.36%
– Ewekoro LG.— 81.36%
– Obafemi-Owode LG — 85.36%
The survey, conducted among 475 respondents including farmers, teachers, civil servants, youths, market women, religious bodies and traditional rulers, also put his overall approval rating at 81.14% in Ogun Central and 84.72% in Ogun West.
Prof. Oke said the statistics indicate that other political groups and candidates may struggle to meet the constitutional requirement of one-third of valid votes in Ogun Central.
He described the current contest as “Iyalolomo vs Baba-Lolomo,” with both Egba and Yewa-Awori groups mobilizing to ensure Senator Adeola secures a landslide.
“Serious-minded political observers are aware, and have concluded that, as far as the next general elections are concerned, two winners might have already ‘emerged’ in persons of President Bola Tinubu and Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (YAYI),” he added.
Prof. Oke attributed the rising support to Senator Adeola’s interventions in Egbaland despite not representing Ogun Central, citing infrastructure projects, scholarships, and social and religious support.
He said the 2027 election in Ogun State will be decided by “verifiable human-impact indexes” rather than rhetoric.
“Beyond those details, this piece seeks to test the ‘voice’ in the market place by way of verifiable statistics with a view to confirming or debunking whether or not Ogun Central is a ‘political battle field’… It is obvious that the answer is no,” Prof. Oke concluded.
He promised more empirical data from his groups in the coming weeks.