The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has urged political and professional elites in Ogun West Senatorial District to put aside personal ambitions and embrace unity of purpose if the district is to realise its long-standing aspiration of producing the Governor of Ogun State in 2027.

Bamidele made the call on Sunday in Ilaro while delivering the keynote address at a meeting organised by Ogun West Professionals (for Yayi). The meeting was themed: “The Power of Internal Coherence in Securing External Support: A Roadmap to Achieving Ogun West Governorship Ambition in 2027.”

According to the Senate Leader, he was reliably informed that the core objective of the socio-political pressure group, made up of like-minded professionals, is to ensure that Ogun West produces the state’s governor for the first time since its creation, following several unsuccessful attempts in the past.

“As a student of history, an activist and a stakeholder in the governance process of our dear country, I will not pretend to be oblivious of the challenges of political leadership succession across Nigeria,” Bamidele said.

He described Ogun State as a peculiar case of political imbalance and exclusion, noting that a section of the state has been consistently denied the highest leadership position.

“Ogun State presents a peculiar case of inequality and political exclusion, where a section of the state has been persistently denied the topmost leadership position,” he added.

Bamidele acknowledged that while Ogun West has historically suffered limited political influence, internal divisions within the district have also significantly weakened its governorship ambition.

“This internal fragmentation, largely absent in the other senatorial districts, has made elite consensus difficult to achieve in Ogun West. In contrast, other districts benefit from cohesive ethnic and political blocs that make unity and consensus easier,” he explained.

He identified several critical steps required to actualise Ogun West’s 2027 ambition, including the formation of a unified Ogun West Council, the adoption of a single consensus candidate, the development of an inclusive regional narrative, institutionalised grassroots mobilisation, strategic inter-district alliances, and the presentation of a governance-ready policy blueprint.

The Senate Leader warned that failure to achieve internal cohesion could result in multiple aspirants splitting votes, political parties once again bypassing the district, external power blocs dictating outcomes, and the loss of the 2027 opportunity.

“Internal coherence is not merely beneficial; it is indispensable to Ogun West’s governorship ambition in 2027. Unity is political capital, it unlocks party confidence, cross-district alliances, elite endorsements and statewide voter legitimacy,” he said.

He further stressed that Ogun West’s success depends less on external persuasion and more on internal discipline, consensus and strategic maturity.

“The prolonged marginalisation of Ogun West is not accidental; it is the cumulative product of structural exclusion and internal fragmentation. The path forward requires urgent elite coordination, strategic planning, consensus-building and disciplined political messaging,” Bamidele noted.

Earlier, in her welcome address, Chairman of the Steering Committee, Dr. Yemisi Bamgbose, said Ogun West Professionals for Yayi had mobilised resources and stakeholders to foster unity across the district and actualise the aspiration of producing the governor in 2027.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Isiaq Salako, advised the people of Ogun West not to rely solely on sentiments of “it is our turn,” but to engage other senatorial districts with facts, logic and persuasive arguments in the quest for political balance in the state.

In separate remarks, Apostle Abiodun Sanyaolu (Ogun Central), Senator Lekan Mustapha and Professor Femi Oke described the 2027 governorship race as an opportunity to correct historical injustice and political inequality by allowing Ogun West to produce the governor.

They expressed confidence in Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, describing him as a bridge-builder whose developmental interventions cut across the three senatorial districts of Ogun State.

Highlights of the programme included the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term and the adoption of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola as the preferred Ogun West governorship candidate. An award was also presented to Senator Adeola, who was represented at the event by the Ogun State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Hon. Olaolu Olabimtan.