WHY I BELIEVE YAYI IS PREPARED TO LEAD OGUN - ROTIMI MAKINDE

Former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rotimi Makinde has expressed confidence in the ability of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as YAYI, to provide leadership for Ogun State if elected governor in 2027.

Makinde, who served alongside Adeola in the House of Representatives, described the Ogun West senator as a politician whose public career has been characterised by humility, accessibility and commitment to service.

According to him, his support for Adeola is based largely on their experience working together in the National Assembly and his assessment of Adeola’s approach to public responsibilities.

“In politics, we meet many people, but only a few leave a lasting impression through their humility, capacity and genuine concern for the people. Yayi is one of those people,” Makinde said.

He recalled that Adeola distinguished himself in the House through his focus on legislative responsibilities and his ability to maintain cordial relationships with colleagues, even when disagreements arose.

Makinde further argued that Adeola’s progression from the House of Representatives to the Senate has provided him with experience in legislation, public finance, oversight and policy development.

He noted that these experiences, in his view, would be relevant to the administration of Ogun State, which he described as a major industrial and economic centre.

“Yayi is not new to public administration or the legislative process. He understands how budgets are developed, how legislation works and how stakeholders can be brought together around common objectives,”he said.

Presstv News Nigeria learnt that the former lawmaker also pointed to what he described as Adeola’s record of constituency interventions, including education, infrastructure, empowerment initiatives and scholarship programmes, as part of the reasons for his support.

Makinde said he believes Senator Adeola interactions with political leaders, traditional institutions, community stakeholders and other groups demonstrate an appreciation for consultation and inclusiveness.

He added that his recent engagements with senior statesmen and other stakeholders were consistent with what he described as Adeola’s approach of seeking counsel and building relationships across political and social divides.

“Ogun State needs leadership that understands the importance of consultation, cooperation and collective responsibility. From my experience with Yayi, I believe these are qualities he values,” Makinde stated.

Makinde stressed that his position is informed by his personal experience of working with Adeola in the National Assembly and his observations of the senator’s public career over the years.

“I know Yayi. I worked with him. I saw his approach to public service and his relationship with people. That experience informs my confidence in his capacity and explains why I support his aspiration to lead Ogun State,” he said.