Teachers across Ogun State have endorsed the governorship ambition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2027 election, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, citing his sustained interventions in the education sector.

The endorsement came during an interactive session between the senator and teachers held on Monday at the Ake Pavilion, Alake Palace Ground, Abeokuta.

The teachers, drawn from unions and professional associations in the primary and post-primary education sectors, unanimously adopted Adeola as their preferred candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

The groups included the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Association of Secondary School Staff Union (ASUSS), All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), OgunTeach Interns, and the Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON).

Speaking on behalf of their respective organisations, the chairmen of NUT, ASUSS and ANCOPSS—Noah Sewakanu, Felix Agbesanwa and Alaba Olugbenle—attributed their endorsement to Adeola’s numerous interventions aimed at improving access to quality education in the state.

According to them, the senator’s sponsorship of WAEC and JAMB examination fees for indigent students has enabled thousands of beneficiaries to complete their secondary education and pursue tertiary admission.

They also commended his scholarship and bursary schemes for students in tertiary institutions, noting that the initiatives had eased the financial burden on many families.

While pledging to mobilise teachers across the state in support of Adeola’s governorship bid, the unions urged him to accord priority to teachers’ welfare, including prompt payment of gratuities and improved working conditions, if elected governor.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, described the meeting as an opportunity for teachers to present their expectations to the APC governorship candidate.

He commended Adeola for his consistent support for education and expressed confidence that teachers’ welfare would receive greater attention under his administration.

Arigbabu also assured participants that the incoming administration would consolidate on the achievements of Governor Dapo Abiodun across all sectors, particularly education.

Responding, Adeola thanked the teachers for what he described as a vote of confidence and formally accepted their endorsement.

He pledged that, if elected governor in 2027, his administration would fully implement the National Teachers’ Policy (NTP), describing it as a framework that aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and places education at the centre of national development.

Describing teachers as the foundation of every nation’s progress, the senator said his personal and political successes were shaped by the dedication of his teachers during his formative years.

He assured the gathering that his administration would faithfully implement the policy while building on the welfare initiatives already introduced by Governor Abiodun.

Highlighting his contributions to education over the past three and a half years, Adeola said he facilitated the construction of 128 classroom blocks comprising 12 classrooms each, alongside 56 staff rooms and four ultra-modern libraries across Ogun State.

He added that he had supplied furniture, distributed over 300,000 textbooks, established 13 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres and eight skills acquisition centres.

According to him, thousands of students and teachers have also benefited from ICT training, while 12,250 laptops have been distributed to students, teachers and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.

The senator further disclosed that more than 12,000 undergraduate students had benefited from his scholarship and bursary programmes, while 102 minibuses were donated to tertiary institutions for campus transportation.

He said he facilitated the payment of the 2026 WASSCE fees for 2,137 indigent students and sponsored JAMB registration for more than 15,000 candidates of Ogun origin over the years.

Adeola also recalled sponsoring the bill that upgraded the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, to the Federal University of Technology, Ilaro.

He maintained that his commitment to education stems from his conviction that education remains the most effective tool for social and economic liberation, pledging continued investment in teachers through improved budgetary allocation and targeted interventions.