Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Adeola, has unveiled a nine-point development agenda, promising to prioritise infrastructure, job creation, agriculture, healthcare, education and industrialisation if elected governor in the 2027 governorship election. Adeola, who represents Ogun West in the National Assembly and chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriation, described his programme as a "covenant" with the people of the state, saying journalists would be expected to hold his administration accountable to the promises.
Adeola said his decision to begin his statewide campaign engagements with the media was informed by the constitutional role of the press in the electoral process. He commended journalists in the state for their support throughout his political career, attributing part of his electoral successes to positive media coverage. The APC candidate said his experience in public finance and legislative oversight, including his service as chairman of finance and appropriations committees at state and federal levels, had prepared him for the responsibilities of governing Ogun.
Adeola said Ogun's geographical position, bordering Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, the Atlantic Ocean and the Republic of Benin, offered the state significant economic opportunities that should be better harnessed. He proposed positioning Ogun as an export gateway under the African Continental Free Trade Area, while developing free trade zones, dry ports and economic development clusters. On infrastructure, Adeola promised to introduce an Ogun State Bus Mass Transit Programme on major routes, including Abeokuta-Sango-Ota-Sagamu, and work with the Nigerian Railway Corporation to develop commuter rail connections between Abeokuta, Lagos and industrial corridors. He also proposed "OgunRide," a state-backed mobility platform for commercial transport operators, which he said would provide drivers with health insurance, vehicle financing and cooperative support.
The candidate listed tourism and creative arts as another priority, promising to develop Abeokuta's historical sites, Ijebu festivals and the coastal heritage of Ogun Waterside, while promoting Adire, film, music and fashion as components of the state's creative economy. In education, Adeola said his administration would expand technical and vocational training, address shortages of qualified teachers and improve classroom infrastructure. He also promised reforms in the security sector, including increased funding for the Ogun State Security Trust Fund, establishment of a Cybersecurity and Security Operations Centre, and creation of a Residents Identity Management Agency.
On healthcare, he pledged to expand infrastructure in underserved communities and revitalise the state's health insurance scheme, "Ilera D'ero," with a target of enrolling two million residents. Adeola also promised to train 100,000 young people in digital skills by 2031 and establish a Youth Enterprise Hub in Abeokuta, with satellite hubs across the state, supported by microcredit for young entrepreneurs.
The nine-pillar agenda, tagged "ITESIWAJU for Ogun State," is built around a comprehensive development framework. The acronym ITESIWAJU represents Infrastructure; Tourism and Culture; Economic Empowerment; Security and Welfare; Inclusive Growth and Well-being; Women, Youth and Poverty Eradication; Agriculture and Food Security; Job Creation and Industrialisation; and Urbanisation and Transparency. Adeola said the document took him three years to put together and was meticulously crafted to attend to every need of the state, adding that it was not designed merely as a vehicle for seeking political power but as a development framework intended to address the state's needs across different sectors.
The APC candidate made a strong case for continuity in governance, citing Lagos State as an example of how successive administrations could build on the achievements of their predecessors to accelerate economic and infrastructural development. He argued that Ogun could experience similar multiplier effects if successive governments maintained and completed viable projects initiated by their predecessors instead of abandoning them for new ones. "If Lagos could achieve what it has achieved through seamless transition of government from one administration to another, we can begin to imagine the multiplier effects that continuity can bring to the economy and development of Ogun," he said. He expressed concern that discontinuity could delay development by several years, stressing that projects should be evaluated by their benefits to the people rather than by the political administration that initiated them.
Adeola also called for an issue-based campaign ahead of the 2027 election, urging governorship candidates to clearly explain what they intended to do in the areas of youth development, women's empowerment, industrialisation, agriculture, infrastructure, security, job creation and economic growth. "People must be able to know what your plans are for the youth, the economy, women, industrialisation, infrastructure, contractors and agriculture. Where are you taking us to? People should judge us on those issues," he said.
The unveiling of the ITESIWAJU agenda has drawn attention to the political dynamics of the 2027 governorship race in Ogun State, where the contest is shaping up as a multi-cornered battle. Adeola, a first-term senator, has anchored his campaign on the argument that Ogun West Senatorial District has been excluded from producing a governor since the state's creation, a grievance that has become a central issue in the election. His emphasis on continuity and his promise to build on existing projects rather than abandon them reflects a strategic attempt to position himself as the candidate best suited to sustain the state's developmental trajectory while addressing the unmet needs of its diverse communities.
For the people of Ogun State, the nine-point agenda represents a detailed set of commitments that will be tested against the realities of governance if Adeola is elected. The candidate's decision to present his plan first to the media, and to frame it as a covenant subject to accountability, suggests an awareness that public trust must be earned through transparency and measurable results. Whether the ITESIWAJU agenda translates into tangible improvements in infrastructure, job creation, education and healthcare will depend on the political will to implement it and the fiscal capacity of the state to fund it. As Adeola put it, the document is not one put together for the sake of grabbing power, but one crafted with a sense of purpose to attend to every need of everyone in Ogun State. The coming months will determine whether voters accept that framing and entrust him with the mandate to deliver it.
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