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From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, at the weekend, urged politicians, elites, stakeholders and political godfathers in Ogun West to eschew rivalry, factional disagreements and broken cooperation among themselves if they desire the senatorial district to produce the governor in 2027.
Bamidele, who noted that internal division and lack of cohesion among the people and political players have robbed the senatorial district of producing a governor since the creation of Ogun State, declared that all interests must align in order for Ogun West to break the jinx next year.
The Senate Leader added that, apart from its electoral losses, the senatorial district has also suffered from institutional marginalisation in appointments, slower infrastructural development and political dividends, and an increasing sense of alienation among professionals and young people.
He stated this while delivering a lecture at a media chat organised by Ogun West Professionals (for YAYI) held in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area.
Speaking on the theme of the chat, “The power of internal coherence in securing external support: Roadmap for achieving Ogun West governorship ambition in 2027”, the senator stressed that politicians, traditional rulers, civil society actors, among others, must prioritise collective regional interest over personal ambition.
According to him, political power is rarely given to divided regions but negotiated by organised, united and strategic stakeholders.
“Ogun West’s repeated failure to get the governorship has been widely linked to polarisation among Yewa, Awori and allied sub-groups, elite rivalries and competing aspirant camps.
“If Ogun West elites fail to act: The zone may remain politically sidelined for another decade, external blocs will continue to dictate outcomes, youth political frustration may escalate and a historic opportunity may once again be lost,” he pointed out.
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The Senate Leader asserted that no amount of resources can compensate for internal disunity, stressing that if unity is achieved, external support will follow naturally.
Bamidele, however, called for coordination, professional strategic planning and consensus-building.
“You must speak with one political language, one West slogan,” he enthused.
He, however, identified the senator representing Ogun West at the National Assembly, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, otherwise known as Yayi, as “one politician who embodies qualities required for the realisation of the senatorial district’s long desire to produce a governor”.
In his remarks, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, emphasised the importance of unity and the need for aspirants to win everyone over with love rather than turning against those who disagree with them.
Salako called for the adoption of a policy that does not leave anyone behind, expressing confidence that, if adopted, the Yewa governorship ambition would be realised in 2027.
Meanwhile, the Ogun West professionals, in a motion moved by Aina Kusoro and seconded by Kunle Adebiyi, unanimously endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term and Yayi as their preferred candidate, maintaining that they have seen the works of the president and the senator in transforming Nigeria and Ogun West, respectively.
