Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Ogun Youth Vanguard (OYV) has fired a blistering broadside at those questioning the indigeneship of the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, describing the campaign as a desperate political strategy aimed at frustrating the longstanding aspiration of the Yewa people to produce the next governor of Ogun State. In a statement issued in Abeokuta on Friday, September 18, 2026, and signed by its Secretary, Abdulhamid Irewole, the group challenged anyone with credible evidence capable of disproving Adeola's claim of Ogun indigeneship to present it before the appropriate judicial or constitutional authorities rather than resorting to what it described as a campaign of calumny through television appearances and social media.
The controversy over Adeola's ancestry has escalated in recent weeks, with political opponents alleging that he is an indigene of Ekiti State rather than Ogun State. The allegations were first raised by Abayomi Hunye, a suspended member of the APC, and Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain and former Nigerian Ambassador to Zambia and Malawi. Marcus-Bello appeared on Channels Television and claimed she had documents, including the programme of events for the burial of Adeola's father, which she said would establish the senator's Ekiti ancestry. Hunye, for his part, insisted he had documentary evidence to support his position and welcomed the threat of a lawsuit, saying he was ready to meet Adeola in court.
Adeola, through his media adviser, Kayode Odunaro, gave Hunye and Marcus-Bello a 24-hour ultimatum to provide evidence backing their claims or face legal action. The senator described the allegations as false, libellous, and a familiar political weapon that had been used against him before. His camp maintained that he possesses both maternal and paternal connections to Ogun State, including links to Abeokuta and Yewaland. The APC has also dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, while several traditional rulers, including the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III, and the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, have embraced Adeola as their son.
The Ogun Youth Vanguard, in its statement, alleged that political interests opposed to Adeola's emergence had deployed individuals to television stations to cast doubts on his ancestry, describing the development as an attempt to "chase shadows" and divert attention from the APC candidate's record of service. The group also took aim at the PDP governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, alleging that he had been deploying his supporters to propagate what the group described as "false claims" against Adeola. OYV accused Adebutu of attempting to secure the governorship through a "dubious campaign strategy" rather than addressing the serious allegations of vote-buying and corruption hanging over him. "Someone who has allegations of vote-buying and corruption hanging over him should first remove the log in his own eye before pointing accusing fingers at an innocent person," the group said.
The group insisted that the indigeneship issue was part of a broader political effort to frustrate the legitimate and longstanding aspiration of the Yewa people to produce the governor of Ogun State. It alleged that those behind the campaign were attempting to rob Yewa of an opportunity that the zone had pursued for decades. The group drew attention to the current political configuration of the state, noting that Governor Dapo Abiodun and Adebutu are both from Iperu in Ikenne Local Government Area. According to OYV, those seeking to perpetuate the existing political arrangement at the expense of other zones are merely attempting to turn the hands of the clock backwards. "The aspiration of Yewa to produce the governor of Ogun State is sacrosanct. No amount of blackmail, intimidation or politically motivated attacks can erase that aspiration," the group said.
The legal dimension of the controversy is equally significant. Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution sets out the qualifications for election as governor. A candidate must be a Nigerian citizen by birth, at least 35 years old, sponsored by a political party, and educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent. The Constitution does not treat a history of political representation in another state as an automatic disqualification from seeking the governorship of a state to which the candidate is otherwise legally entitled to belong. Adeola's political career was largely built in Lagos, where he represented Alimosho in the Lagos State House of Assembly, served in the House of Representatives, and later became senator for Lagos West. In 2023, he successfully contested and won the Ogun West senatorial seat. His opponents argue that this trajectory renders his Ogun roots suspect. His supporters counter that ancestry is a matter of genealogy, not geography, and that birthplace does not erase lineage.
The Ogun Youth Vanguard has made its position clear. It challenged anyone with credible evidence capable of disproving Adeola's claim of Ogun indigeneship to present it before the appropriate authorities. It insisted that television appearances and political allegations cannot substitute for due process. The group said Adeola would remain focused on his campaign and his vision for Ogun State, undeterred by what it described as the machinations of political opponents. As the 2027 governorship election approaches, the controversy over Adeola's ancestry is likely to remain a defining issue in the contest. The question of whether Yayi is a true son of Ogun or an Ekiti impostor will ultimately be decided not by television debates or social media campaigns, but by the courts and, ultimately, by the voters of Ogun State.
For the people of Yewa, the stakes could not be higher. After decades of political marginalisation, the prospect of one of their own occupying the governorship is a powerful and emotive issue. The campaign to discredit Adeola's ancestry is seen by many in the zone as an attempt to deny them that opportunity. Whether the Ogun Youth Vanguard's intervention will sway public opinion or whether the controversy will continue to simmer remains to be seen. What is certain is that the battle for Ogun State's governorship in 2027 will be fought not only on the issues but also on the deeply personal and often divisive terrain of identity.
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