Ogun APC has picked Solomon Adeola as its consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship race. The endorsement came on Monday during an expanded caucus meeting chaired by the state party chairperson. Adeola, who currently represents Ogun West in the Senate, received unanimous backing from party leaders.
Governor Dapo Abiodun told the gathering he was delighted to have Adeola as his preferred successor and pledged full support to secure victory in the next election. The senator, who chaired the Senate Committee on Appropriations, previously represented Lagos West between 2015 and 2023.
The consensus arrangement positions Adeola ahead of other aspirants including Iyabo Obasanjo, Tunde Lemo and Gboyega Isiaka, even though the party is yet to conduct its primary election. If successful, Adeola would become the first governor from Ogun West since Nigeria's return to democratic rule in 1999.
Dapo Abiodun's open declaration that Solomon Adeola is his "preferred successor" strips away any pretence of democratic contest within Ogun APC. By endorsing a sitting senator who only recently crossed from Lagos West to Ogun West, the governor has effectively handpicked his replacement while still serving his first term.
This consensus arrangement reveals the transactional nature of Nigerian power politics. Abiodun, facing term limits, needs a loyal successor to shield himself from potential political persecution after 2027. Adeola, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, controls federal purse strings that could prove invaluable to Ogun's patronage networks. The marriage of convenience ignores that Ogun West has never produced a governor since 1999, making this an attempt to manufacture history rather than allow it to emerge organically.
For ordinary Ogun residents, this backroom deal means their next governor will be chosen by party barons, not through competitive primaries. The people of Ogun West, who have waited 28 years for one of their own to reach the top seat, are being asked to celebrate a Lagos import as their native son. Other aspirants like Iyabo Obasanjo and Tunde Lemo must now either accept this imposition or risk expulsion by challenging it.
This pattern of governors anointing successors has become standard practice across Nigerian states, turning democracy into a relay race where batons pass between friends rather than competitors.
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