RALLIES STAKEHOLDERS FOR OGUN WEST GOVERNORSHIP, TASKS POLITICAL LEADERS ON GRASSROOTS MOBILISATION FOR YAYI
Salako, Adeniji, Others Call for Fresh Mobilisation as Ogun West Intensifies 2027 Governorship Drive
A broad coalition of political stakeholders, professionals, workers, students, traders, artisans, lawyers, journalists, civil society activists and community leaders on Thursday converged on Ota, Ogun State, for a strategic Independence Day engagement focused on the long-running quest by Ogun West to produce a governor of the state.
The gathering, the 3rd Nigeria Independence Day Seminar/Dinner 2026, was convened by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Ado-Odo/Ota Federal Constituency in the 2027 House of Representatives election, Hon. Olanrewaju Bashorun, popularly known as LarryBash.
The event, held as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, was themed: “Refocusing Attention on Breaking the Ogun West Governorship Jinx in 2027: Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (YAYI) in Perspective.”
The convergence was notable for its broad representation, with participants drawn from different sectors of society. Among those present were political actors, traders, artisans, students, members of the legal profession, journalists, labour and professional groups, civil society activists, community leaders and other residents and stakeholders.
The diversity of the gathering gave the event the character of a cross-section of the wider Ogun West political and civic community, with discussions extending beyond partisan politics to questions of leadership, participation, mobilisation and the political future of the senatorial district.
Speaking at the event, former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kazeem Salako, commended LarryBash for what he described as a broad-based engagement capable of bringing different sections of society into the conversation on Ogun West’s political future.
Salako called for greater engagement with citizens who traditionally participate less in elections, arguing that effective grassroots mobilisation must extend beyond established political structures.
He said such engagement would be important to the campaigns of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as YAYI, and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
The keynote speaker and Convener of the Ogun West Initiative, Olootu Bolaji Adeniji, challenged political actors in the region to move beyond political aspiration and build a more organised and coordinated structure capable of translating the longstanding governorship ambition into electoral strength.
In his presentation, titled “ Ogun West Emancipation, the 2027 Opportunity and the YAYI Phenomenon,” Adeniji argued that the region needed to move from what he described as political aspiration to political organisation, stressing unity, collective interest and a broader state-wide outlook.
The position formed part of Adeniji’s wider argument that Ogun West must develop the political organisation necessary to compete effectively for the state’s highest elective office.
The 2027 contest has acquired particular significance for Ogun West following the emergence of Senator Adeola as the APC’s governorship candidate. The party formally unveiled Adeola as its candidate in April 2026 after a consensus process involving major stakeholders within the party. Governor Dapo Abiodun said at the time that the arrangement was intended to address the longstanding aspiration of Ogun West to produce a governor.
Adeola’s candidacy has subsequently remained a major subject of political mobilisation in the district, with Adeniji and other APC stakeholders publicly campaigning around what they regard as an opportunity for Ogun West to attain the governorship.
In his remarks, LarryBash urged participants to see leadership as a responsibility requiring effective organisation, participation and commitment at the grassroots.
He also used the occasion to encourage the audience to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Adeola YAYI as Ogun State Governor and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections, linking the appeal to what he described as the party’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Rather than limiting the discussion to politicians and party structures, the organiser emphasised the importance of bringing ordinary citizens into the political process.
His message resonated with the broad composition of the audience, which included people from the informal economy, students, professional associations, the media, civil society and community organisations.
Participants also reflected on the historical argument surrounding Ogun West’s governorship aspiration. Since the creation of Ogun State in 1976, the senatorial district has not produced a governor, making the issue a recurring theme in the region’s political discourse.
Recent political developments have, however, altered the landscape. With the APC adopting an Ogun West candidate for the 2027 governorship election, party stakeholders in the region have increasingly shifted their focus from securing the ticket to building the political organisation required for the general election.
The event therefore became as much a conversation about strategy and mobilisation as it was about the candidacy of YAYI.
Speakers repeatedly returned to the need for unity, grassroots engagement, voter participation and a more coordinated approach to politics in Ogun West.
Salako’s call for engagement with people who have historically stayed away from elections was particularly significant against the backdrop of the organisers’ argument that electoral success would require reaching beyond traditional party loyalists.
The gathering also demonstrated the increasingly diverse constituency being drawn into the Ogun West political conversation, with representatives and participants from the legal profession, journalism, labour, student communities, artisan and trading groups, civil society and grassroots organisations.
For the organisers, the objective was clear: to create a forum where political ideas could be discussed across professional, social and community lines while drawing attention to the longstanding Ogun West governorship question.
The dinner ended with renewed calls for a more organised political structure, stronger grassroots engagement and greater participation in the electoral process as the 2027 general elections approach.
For Ogun West, the political challenge now moves from the familiar question of who should produce the governor to the more practical question of how the region’s political strength can be organised and translated into electoral participation.
The LarryBash-organised Independence Day gathering placed that question firmly at the centre of political conversation in Ota.
