The Senate Leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, has underscored the importance of unity among political stakeholders in Ogun West, saying cohesion is key to securing the state’s governorship in the 2027 elections.
Bamidele made the call on Sunday in Ilaro, Ogun State, during a media engagement organised by the Ogun West Professionals, which brought together political leaders, professionals and community stakeholders from across the senatorial district.
Delivering a lecture titled “The Power of Internal Coherence in Securing External Support: A Roadmap to Achieving Ogun West Governorship Ambition in 2027,” Bamidele said the district’s long-standing marginalisation was largely due to internal political divisions.
According to him, repeated rivalry among leaders in Ogun West had weakened the district’s bargaining power within party structures and broader state politics over the years.
He noted that while Ogun Central and Ogun East had produced several governors since the state’s creation, Ogun West had remained politically sidelined despite its demographic strength and economic relevance.
“Ironically, Ogun West is one of the economic powerhouses of the state,” Bamidele said.
“The district hosts major industrial centres such as Ota and Agbara, supports cross-border trade with the Republic of Benin, and contributes significantly to Ogun State’s internally generated revenue.”
He added that Ogun West played a vital role in industry, trade, agriculture and employment generation but had failed to translate its economic contributions into political leadership.
Bamidele described the imbalance as a growing source of frustration among residents and warned that continued disunity could prove costly ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said internal division could lead to vote-splitting, loss of party confidence and domination by external political forces, potentially causing Ogun West to miss what he described as a rare political opportunity.
“Unity is political capital. It unlocks party confidence, elite endorsement, cross-district alliances and statewide voter legitimacy,” he said.
“No amount of financial resources can compensate for internal disunity.”
Bamidele maintained that once Ogun West presents a consensus candidate, broader support from across the state and beyond would naturally follow.
He acknowledged that several prominent individuals from the district were nursing governorship ambitions and urged stakeholders to manage competing interests with humility, dialogue and mutual respect.
The Senate Leader described Sen. Olamilekan Adeola as a tested and trusted politician with national exposure, saying his experience positioned him well for the governorship contest.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, stressed the need for inclusiveness in pursuing the Ogun West governorship ambition.
Salako said political progress must be anchored on collective participation, urging leaders to engage dissenting voices through dialogue rather than confrontation.
He called for the adoption of an inclusive policy framework that would ensure no community or interest group was left behind, expressing confidence that such an approach would strengthen the Yewa governorship project ahead of 2027.
Earlier, the Coordinator of Ogun West Professionals, Mr Ajiroba Oke, said the engagement was organised to mobilise professional support for equity, development and quality leadership in Ogun State.
Oke described the group as a coalition of accomplished indigenes drawn from Nigeria and the diaspora, committed to addressing historical marginalisation through strategic political engagement.
He disclosed that the group had unanimously endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term and adopted Sen. Olamilekan Adeola as its preferred Ogun West governorship candidate for 2027.
According to him, the endorsement was reached at the group’s inaugural meeting on Dec. 7, 2025, in recognition of Adeola’s legislative performance, infrastructure initiatives and people-focused leadership.
Oke also cited Adeola’s recognition as The Sun Man of the Year 2025 as further validation of his national relevance.
Representatives from Ogun East and Ogun Central who spoke at the event described Adeola as a credible candidate and pledged their support for him and President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.