2023: Tension in Ogun West over ‘West to West’

2023: Tension in Ogun West over ‘West to West’

The decision of the senator representing Lagos West, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly called ‘Yayi’ by his teeming supporters, to declare interest in running for the Ogun West Senatorial District seat of neighbouring Ogun State, in 2023, in a move tagged ‘West-To-West’ Agenda, is creating tension across the district otherwise known as Yewa/Awori zone. According to keen watchers, the development is has led to a fierce struggle for the senatorial seat currently being occupied by Senator Tolu Odebiyi of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Already, political observers are saying the shadow election that will produce the Ogun West senatorial candidate of the ruling APC in the State, will be keenly contested.It was  revealed that not less than two political bigwigs within the party are getting ready to wrestle with the incumbent occupant of the seat, Senator Tolu Odebiyi for the APC senatorial ticket.

Not much is being heard from the camp of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the senatorial district as regards the race for the seat but there are indications that Prof. David Bamgbose, who declared interest in the governorship ticket of the party earlier in the year, may be drafted into the race as the senatorial candidate of the opposition party. It is not clear of Bamgbose has obtained he governorship nomination form of the PDP as at the time of filing this report.

But close associates of the PDP chieftain told The Nation that there are discussions within the party on prevailing on Bamgbose to run for the senate and step down for another governorship aspirant of the PDP in the guber race. Bamgbose was the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the state during the 2015 general election. If he agrees to run for the senatorial seat, he looks good to pick the PDP ticket as things stand currently.

Incumbent Senator Odebiyi is the son of late prominent Awoist, Senator Jonathan Odebiyi, who was the Minority Leader in the 2nd Republic Senate on the platform of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). He was the permanent secretary in the office of Chief Of Staff, Ogun State Governor’s office. He later served as the Chief of Staff during Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s administration. He contested and won the senate seat in 2019 after rebuffing Amosun’s directive to dump the APC for another party.

He got the highest vote of 58,452 compared to his closest rivals, candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) who got 48,611 and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 43,454 votes. Analysts say his victory was not unconnected with the political alliance he forged with the campaign team of Governor Dapo Abiodun who ran as the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in the 2019 general elections.

But today, the incumbent Senator appears not to be in tune politically with the governor and the leadership of the party in the state following his decision to retrace his steps to the political camp of former governor Amosun. A state executive committee member of the ruling party, who hails from Ogun East, explained the current situation within the party as regards the relationship between the governor and the serving members representing Ogun state in the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

“Barely a year after the 2019 general elections, Senator Odebiyi and his counterpart in Ogun East, Senator Lekan Mustapha, returned to the political camp of ex-governor Amosun. The result is that the three Senators in the state are not in political agreement with Governor Abiodun. The development is one that the governor and his camp are very uncomfortable with and it should not come as a surprise if the governor’s camp moves against Odebiyi during the APC primary election later in the year,” he said.

It was gathered that Odebiyi’s decision to return to Amosun’s political liar may not be unconnected with the struggle for the control of the structures of the ruling APC in the state between the former governor and Governor Abiodun. “At a point in the struggle, Odebiyi, like many other chieftains of the party, felt Amosun was going to have the upper hand based on his relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari. For this reason, they tilted towards him and distanced themselves from the governor.

“But as God wants it, Abiodun won control of the party in the state against their expectations and they were caught behind the fence. But as politicians who don’t give up easily, Odebiyi, like others, is planning to seek re-election on the platform of the APC in 2023. Nobody, not even the governor can deny him that right, but he is now up against very formidable opponents within the party and it is left to be seen how he will snatch the ticket from the other aspirants without the support of the governor,” our source added.

The contenders

Prominent APC Chieftain and three-time gubernatorial candidate, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (GNI) is one of those jostling for Odebiyi’s seat. He recently declared his interest in the APC senatorial ticket for Ogun West. He told members of his ‘The Believe Movement’ (TBM) at a meeting in Ilaro that he is done with consultations and is now ready to seek the ticket. Isiaka was the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship flagbearer in the 2019 gubernatorial election but lost to the incumbent, Prince Dapo Abiodun of APC.

The Imeko born politician joined the ruling APC with his supporters across the state after the 2019 general elections. Isiaka, while announcing his desire to contest the senate seat of Ogun West, noted that, “My aspirations have never been about myself but to ensure the development of Ogun State in whole and importantly, the socioeconomic growth of Yewa-Awori land. I have consulted widely and I believe this decision is in our best interest at this time.

“I will be contesting for the Senate seat to offer quality representation via contributions to legislative proceedings that serves the best interest of the majority per time and also the facilitation of top-notch democratic dividends to my district.” His supporters say he has the widest political network in Ogun East owing to his multiple guber aspirations. “Nobody can defeat GNI in Yewa-Awori land. He has the strongest structure to prosecute this election and he is also at peace with the leadership of the party and the governor in the state,” an ally said.

Also believed to be eyeing Odebiyi’s seat is the Senator representing Lagos West in the National Assembly, Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi. Pundits say barring a last minute change, the Ogun born Lagos Senator is set to contest for the APC senatorial ticket in Ogun West. “His activities and political consultations in the last one year point to his interest in the senatorial ticket. He has been very visible among us here and this cannot just be because he is from Yewa,”said a party leader in Imeko-Afon .

And as the primary election of the party draws nearer, supporters of Senator Yayi appear to be leaving no stone unturned in their quest to position him for the plum job. As part of efforts to project his aspiration, allies of the Lagos Senator have launched a slogan known as ‘West2West’, in reference to how the Senator would, in their expectations, transform from representing Lagos West in the Senate, to being the Senator representing Ogun West in 2023. But in spite of his strong visibility as a contender, Yayi is yet to formally indicate interest in the race.

Kayode Odunaro, the Senator’s Media Adviser, confirmed that Adeola has not declared interest in the Ogun West senatorial race. “I have no comment on that because I don’t know. That is his personal decision and I don’t know whether he has taken that decision at all.” Speaking on insinuations that his projects and interventions were part of his campaign for the Ogun West senate seat, Odunaro said, “He is a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He can pursue any policy on any federal Institution, maybe at the University of Abuja.

“Yayi is a human being; he can donate to church or individuals. If a Hausa man comes to him and he gives him N1m from his pocket, does that mean he is planning to contest in Kano? People know Yayi as a giver, if he gives to communities that need something, if anybody wants to criticize him on that, let them criticize him for being good,” Odunaro said. He however confirmed that West to West is a slogan coined by Yayi’s political allies across Ogun State.

“At the appropriate time, let’s see how it goes. He is a Yoruba politician; politician from the South West. So the interest of the South West is paramount in his heart. Whether Lagos West, whether Ogun West, whether Osun West; West to West,” Odunaro submitted. More contenders are still being expected to join the race given the body languages of some other APC chieftains from Ogun West as well as ongoing calls on some of them to throw their hat into the contest for Senator Tolu Odebiyi’s seat in 2023.