The political landscape in Ogun State has taken a dramatic turn as Governor Dapo Abiodun intensifies his efforts to curtail the growing influence of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi.
Reliable sources revealed that Governor Abiodun, in a move that underscores the deepening rift within the Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), allegedly ordered party executives to stay away from Yayi’s recent birthday celebration.
Despite the directive, some defiant excos reportedly ignored the governor’s instruction and graced the event, an act that is said to have further heightened tensions within the ruling party.
The governor’s action is believed to be part of a broader scheme to subject key party stakeholders to absolute loyalty, with reports indicating that he recently compelled several APC excos to swear an oath of allegiance.
Adding to the controversy, Governor Abiodun allegedly directed Ogun State Television (OGTV), the state-owned broadcaster, not to provide coverage for Yayi’s birthday festivities.
However, faced with mounting public backlash and embarrassment, the station later contacted the event organisers just a day before the celebration, asking them to pay for airtime if they wanted coverage.
This is not the first time the governor is accused of directly undermining the political strides of Senator Adeola. Earlier this year, when Yayi was billed to be honoured as the Chairman of the 2025 Ojude Oba Festival, sources disclosed that Governor Abiodun allegedly placed a call to the senator, citing “intelligence reports” that his attendance could trigger unrest, and advised him to turn back if he was already on his way.
Similarly, at this year’s Lisabi Festival, Yayi’s loyalists were warned against attending the main celebration. In a counter move, the senator’s supporters staged their own gathering at a private event centre close to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), sending a strong message that his political machinery remains intact despite intimidation.
Political observers say these repeated face-offs reflect the silent war over control of Ogun APC’s political structure ahead of 2027, with Yayi emerging as a formidable force whose rising popularity is unsettling the governor’s camp.
As the battle of supremacy between the two power blocs intensifies, the fate of Ogun APC hangs in the balance, with fears that the party may be headed for a major internal showdown in the months to come.
