Ogun 2027 will not simmer.
It will boil.
It will hiss, rage, & scorch everything in its path.
This is not politics as usual. This is politics unmasked, raw ambition colliding with wounded egos, ancient godfatherism wrestling youthful audacity, & power playing chess while the people watch a boxing match.
What lies ahead is not an election cycle.
It is a theatre of war.
A Shakespearean tragedy mixed with a Machiavellian manual, Ogun-style.
The gloves are off.
Decorum is optional.
Nothing is beneath the belt.
Welcome to Ogun 2027, the season where men will smile in public & stab each other behind the back in private.
THE ARENA: A GATHERING OF JUGGERNAUTS
Rarely has Ogun witnessed such a terrifying concentration of ambition. These are not hopefuls. They are contenders, men who believe, with religious conviction, that destiny owes them the throne:
Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola (Yayi), 56
Hon. Oladipupo Olatunde Adebutu (Ladi), 63
Hon. Gboyega Nosiru Isiaka (GNI)
Hon. Adekunle Akinlade (Triple A), 56,
Hon. Abiodun Akinlade Isiaq,
Amb. Sarafa Tunji Isola, 65.
Each man carries a story. Each story carries scars. And every scar has unfinished business attached to it.
But Ogun politics has never been about men alone.
THE INVISIBLE HANDS: GODFATHERS WHO DON’T LOSE SLEEP
Behind the stage lights sit the master puppeteers, men who don’t campaign, don’t beg, but decide.
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo
Elder statesman. Former military ruler. Former President.
But in Ogun politics, simply OBJ, Abeokuta’s eternal force.
Obasanjo does not play politics; he reshapes it. His preference matters. His silence is louder than most men’s speeches. And history shows one thing clearly: OBJ prefers his own on the throne.
Governor Dapo Abiodun
Soft-spoken. Calculated. Strategic.
The incumbent governor is not merely planning succession, he is planning survival & elevation. His eyes are fixed beyond Oke-Mosan, squarely on the Senate, currently occupied by Sen. Gbenga Daniel.
For that path to open, the right successor must emerge.
A controllable successor.
A loyal successor.
Enter GNI, widely perceived as his preferred option. But there’s more beneath the surface. Some whispers suggest this same intrigue stretches into the sacred, even touching the Awujale question.
In Ogun, nothing exists in isolation.
Senator Ibikunle Amosun
Concrete. Asphalt. Steel.
Whatever else history debates, Amosun’s infrastructural footprint is undeniable. Roads spoke. Bridges testified.
He tried to anoint Adekunle Akinlade. The script failed. The betrayal still burns.
Amosun has not forgiven time, nor forgotten ambition.
Sir Kensington Adebutu
Billionaire patriarch. Silent force.
Father of Ladi Adebutu.
When money speaks in Ogun politics, it does not whisper, it roars. Daddy is prepared to empty the vault for his son. And in a game where logistics win wars, this matters.
Chief Olusegun Osoba
The gentleman godfather.
Former Governor. Party elder. Political conscience of Ogun APC.
Osoba doesn’t shout. He tilts scales. His endorsement alone can turn a dark horse into a favourite overnight.
THE MEN THEMSELVES: STRIPPED OF MYTH, RICH IN INTRIGUE
Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola (Yayi)
If karma were linear, Yayi’s bags would already be packed for Oke-Mosan.
No contender here rivals his grassroots reach or volume of interventions. Scholarships. Infrastructure. Relief. Presence.
Colossal is not hyperbole, it is description.
A veteran lawmaker. Battle-tested.
Enjoys the confidence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
A man who acts 1st & explains later.
Yet, paradoxically, the incumbent governor is wary of him. And in Ogun politics, wariness can be deadlier than open hostility.
Hon. Ladi Adebutu
Victim of timing, not capacity.
With the incumbent governor from his axis, the loud chant is “Ogun West must take its turn.”
Still, dismiss Ladi at your peril. His war chest is intimidating.
Former lawmaker. Former commissioner. Successful farmer. Quietly formidable.
If money were destiny, this race would already be over.
Hon. Gboyega Nosiru Isiaka (GNI)
The man haunted by missed moments.
Once the anointed successor of Gbenga Daniel, only to be outplayed by Amosun. Since then, ambition has walked him through multiple party doors.
Now in APC, again chasing the dream.
If the ticket slips, history suggests another movement is inevitable.
Waiting too long hardens resolve, or breeds recklessness.
Hon. Adekunle Akinlade (Triple A)
The prince who never inherited the crown.
Chosen by Amosun. Rejected by fate.
When Dapo Abiodun emerged instead, anger followed exile. He left APC. He lost. But he returned, wounded, wiser, & still dangerous.
Never underestimate a man driven by unfinished vengeance.
Amb. Sarafa Tunji Isola
Experience personified.
Former High Commissioner to the UK.
Former Minister of Mines & Steel.
Former Secretary to the State Government.
Elegant. Strategic. Deeply connected.
Ignore him, & you do so at your own peril.
But the elephant in the room remains, the Egba question. Ogun politics has a long memory.
Hon. Abiodun Akinlade Isiaq
The people’s whisper growing into a roar.
Beloved Baba Adinni of Yewaland.
A lawmaker whose impact is felt, not advertised.
Yewa South/Ipokia sings his praise, loudly.
Close to the Governor.
From the “right” zone.
A proven performer.
If pragmatism prevails, it may come down to him or GNI.
THE FINAL CURTAIN (FOR NOW)
Ogun 2027 will not be clean.
It will not be kind.
It will not be forgiving.
It is a contest of ambition versus influence, money versus structure, loyalty versus betrayal.
A battlefield where godfathers sharpen knives, sons rebel, friendships fracture, & destiny is negotiated behind closed doors.
1 throne.
Many gladiators with over sharpened swords or daggers!
Countless daggers in velvet sleeves.
This is Ogun.
This is power.
And the fire has only just been lit.
