In the final chapters of power, politics strips itself of sentiment & reveals its coldest truth: every ambition eventually demands a sacrifice. For Prince Dapo Abiodun (PDA), the outgoing Governor of Ogun State, that moment has arrived.
2 paths lie before him.
2 ambitions pull in opposite directions.
And only 1 can be chosen.
All things being equal, a phrase politicians recite with caution, Prince Dapo Abiodun must decide whether to install a successor or secure the Ogun East Senatorial seat he has long coveted.
To imagine that both can coexist is to misunderstand how power truly works. One ambition must give way. There will be no double victory.
This is not conjecture; it is political arithmetic.
At the heart of this unfolding chess game stands Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, the current Senator representing Ogun West. By every serious calculation within the APC today, Yayi is the man to beat in the forthcoming governorship contest. His structure is vast, his political reach is deep, & his momentum is unmistakable. Barring unforeseen disruption, he enters the race not as a hopeful, but as the frontrunner.
More crucially, Yayi is widely believed to enjoy the confidence of PBat. In the hierarchy of Nigerian power, that single factor often outweighs a dozen local endorsements. It is not noise, it is leverage.
Now, back to PDA.
There comes a moment in every governor’s twilight when legacy confronts self-interest. For Prince Dapo Abiodun, that moment will demand clarity. He cannot both anoint a successor & demand the Senate seat. One cancels the other. Power is never that generous.
And human nature, when stripped bare, tends to favour relevance over sentiment.
It is therefore reasonable, indeed logical, to assume that PDA will choose the Senate. A seat in Abuja guarantees continued national relevance, insulation from local turbulence, & a soft landing after power. Governors who misjudge this moment often fade into political footnotes.
PDA is unlikely to make that mistake.
But there is a complication, one formidable name: Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD).
OGD is not a placeholder. He is a former governor, a political heavyweight, & the current occupant of the Ogun East Senatorial seat. Any attempt to dislodge him without strategy would be reckless. Yet Nigerian politics does not operate on confrontation alone; it thrives on negotiation, compensation, & elegant exits.
This is where the political solution reveals itself, not as fantasy, but as precedent.
We have seen this script before. Power once persuaded Senator Lekan Mustapha to vacate this very seat for Otunba Gbenga Daniel. Ego was not the obstacle then, & it will not be now.
Politics, after all, is not about pride, it is about positioning.
The brilliance of this arrangement lies in 1 simple truth: no one loses.
Otunba Gbenga Daniel would not be pushed aside; he would be elevated. A ministerial appointment offers broader influence, national relevance, & a dignified progression befitting his stature. It is not a demotion, it is a redeployment.
And so, the equation balances perfectly:
Senator Yayi takes the governorship route, consolidating APC strength.
Prince Dapo Abiodun transitions seamlessly to the Senate.
Otunba Gbenga Daniel moves into the federal cabinet.
Chikena..
No casualties. No loose ends. No needless wars.
Of course, as with all political calculations, this entire architecture rests on a familiar clause: if all things are equal. But whispers from the inner chambers of power suggest that these conversations are no longer speculative. They are ongoing. Quietly. Deliberately. Where real decisions are made.
In the end, politics rarely announces itself in advance. It unfolds. And when the curtain finally lifts, many will act surprised, only to realise that the script had been written long ago.
