A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kayode Oladele, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition parties in Ogun State will face a “rude shock” in the 2027 governorship election, citing what he described as the growing political coalition being built around the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola popularly known as YAYI.
Oladele said the increasing wave of defections from the PDP and other opposition parties into the APC was a reflection of an ongoing political realignment across the state, driven by Adeola’s sustained consultations and cross-party engagements.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the APC chieftain said the senator’s bridge-building efforts and consultations with political leaders, community stakeholders and grassroots mobilisers had continued to expand the party’s support base ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
According to him, the opposition has underestimated the political strength being assembled by the senator across the state.
He said, “the political realignment we are witnessing across Ogun State is the outcome of sustained engagement and deliberate bridge building. Those who think they understand the political strength that is quietly gathering around Senator Yayi are in for a rude shock.
“Yayi is consolidating the APC and, at the same time, reaching beyond the boundaries of the party. The defections we have seen so far are only a glimpse of what is coming. The political landscape is changing and the opposition parties know it.”
Oladele said Adeola had invested considerable time in meeting political leaders across party lines, stressing that his willingness to engage people irrespective of political affiliation had strengthened confidence in his leadership.
“Senator Yayi is not sitting down and waiting for endorsements to come to him. He is meeting people, speaking with them and, more importantly, listening to them. He understands that politics is about persuasion and the ability to bring different interests together.
“Many of those moving towards the APC today have been on the other side of the political divide for years. They have examined the situation, considered the candidates and reached their own conclusions. The movement we are seeing is therefore a product of conviction and confidence in the leadership Senator Yayi is offering.”
The former lawmaker maintained that the defections into the APC were part of a deliberate strategy to build a broad-based political coalition ahead of the election.
He said the ruling party was simultaneously strengthening its internal cohesion while attracting influential politicians from outside its fold.
“There are two important processes going on. Yayi is strengthening the APC from within and expanding it from outside. Those who held different views before the primary are being engaged, while political leaders outside the party are also being welcomed.
“That is how a serious political partnership is built. Politics is about addition, not subtraction. You cannot win a major election by creating new enemies every day or by shutting the door against people who genuinely want to work with you.”
Oladele argued that many residents were now placing greater emphasis on competence and experience than on longstanding political loyalties.
“People are increasingly looking beyond old political loyalties. The question many are asking is simple: who is prepared for the responsibility of governing Ogun State?
“Senator Yayi has served in the State House of Assembly, the House of Representatives and the Senate. His understanding of budgeting and public finance is well established. When you place that experience beside his record of projects and empowerment programmes, you begin to understand why his support is growing.”
He also dismissed claims that Adeola’s governorship ambition was sectional, insisting that the senator’s political reach extended across Ogun West, Ogun Central and Ogun East.
According to him, the senator’s projects and empowerment initiatives in various communities had translated into growing political support.
“Yayi is not a stranger to the good people of Ogun State. His footprints are visible in different communities. People know his projects and empowerment programmes. They have seen his interventions and many have interacted directly with his political structure.
“So, when he speaks about the future of Ogun State, he is not asking the people to rely entirely on promises. There is a record that can be examined.”
Oladele further claimed that defections from opposition parties into the APC had become a daily occurrence across the state.
“People are defecting to the APC daily and this is happening across the state. What we are witnessing is a steady harvesting of the PDP’s political structures, leaders and grassroots supporters.
“At the rate people are leaving the PDP and other opposition parties to embrace Senator Yayi and the APC, it is only a matter of time before these parties are left hollow and empty. You cannot continue to lose your leaders, mobilisers and grassroots supporters daily and pretend that all is well.”
He warned opposition parties against banking on possible divisions within the APC, insisting that the ruling party had continued to consolidate its structures while broadening its political reach across Ogun State.
“Those waiting for APC to fight itself are wasting valuable time. While they are waiting, Yayi is consulting. While they are speculating, he is building relationships. While they are making noise, the APC is expanding its political base.
“That is why the opposition is in for a rude shock. The political tide is already turning decisively in our favour. Across the 20 local government areas, we are building a formidable coalition that will overwhelm the opposition at the polls.
“By 2027, the good people of Ogun State will deliver a clear and resounding mandate for Senator Yayi and the APC.”, Oladele concluded.
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