By Adesina Soyooye
The Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, is fully justified to walk like he has a spring attached to his heels.
He will even be justified to talk and behave as if he is already the Governor of Ogun State. And why not?
Given the nature of politics in Nigeria, he can assume that he is already the Governor. Many people will already be referring to him as “His Excellency.” That’s how it works in Nigeria. Once you aspire to an office, your title changes, the way you are addressed changes.
For Senator Yayi, that should be taken for granted.
On Monday, April 13, at a caucus meeting of Ogun State APC, held in Abeokuta, attended by a couple of his co-aspirants, he was chosen as the consensus Governorship candidate for the Party in 2027.
Given that Ogun State is an APC State, and given the calibre of people who unanimously endorsed him – the incumbent Governor, Dapo Abiodun, former Governors Segun Osoba, Gbenga Daniel, Ibikunle Amosun, National and State Assembly Members, State Party Executives – it can be taken for granted that Yayi is already the elected Governor come 2027.
When no less a person than the incumbent Governor Abiodun announced Yayi’s choice, it was met with jubilation among party members. They chanted, “Yayi ni jo, Yayi ni jare.”
Which is why Yayi went on to give a sure-footed acceptance speech. It was not like ‘this is what I will do if I win’, it was more like ‘when I win’.
He thanked party members for the confidence reposed in him, and pledged not to disappoint the party.
His words: “Now is all the sacrifices that my brothers have put together to ensure this day comes to pass.
I believe in oneness and the unity of our dear State and Ogun West by extension.
“I know the vision for this State. I know how passionate and how central this State is to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“As far as maintaining our status aside from being the fastest-growing economy in Nigeria, all efforts that have been put in place to ensure that we reposition this state and take our pride of place in the comity of states in this country are well recognised.
“Your Excellency, my dear leaders who are here, I want to assure you that I will not let you down.
“I promise to keep the flag flying. I promise to retain and maintain the unity, peace, and progress that have taken place in Ogun State for the last three years and beyond. I can assure you I will not derail.
“I will not derail the ship I am about to take over. I will make sure that it does not derail, and by the special grace of God, I will do my best, my utmost best, to keep every member of our great party together, to keep the state together, and to ensure that irrespective of our political alignment, we are one indivisible family.”
“Going forward from today, Your Excellency and all the leaders of the party, I want to assure you that a new Ogun State is born, and everything that needs to be done to keep us together, to keep us as one indivisible entity, so that we can take Ogun State to the promised land and to the next level we all desire, will be done.”
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