The Ogun State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Abayomi Tella, has urged residents to reject what he described as the imposition of governorship candidates from outside the state ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 fm, Ilese Ijebu, Ogun state, the PDP chairman defended the party’s “Ogun for Ogun” campaign slogan, saying the state should be governed by leaders who understand its people, culture and development needs.
Explaining the rationale behind the PDP’s “Ogun for Ogun” slogan, Tella said the campaign was rooted in the belief that the state should be governed by individuals who have lived among the people and understand their needs. He argued that familiarity with the state’s history, culture and developmental challenges was essential for effective leadership.
“I’ll just give you a typical example. Dr. Abayomi Tella was born in Agbara Ogun State and he lives in this state. He has participated in everything that is done in this state. He knows this state like the back of his hand. Given the opportunity to rule this state, he knows exactly what to do. He knows the people in this state in and out”, he explained.
He argued that leaders without strong roots in Ogun State could lack full commitment to the state’s development and might surround themselves with associates from outside the state.
If he’s giving positions, he’s not giving positions to somebody who he’s just giving positions to because he’s his friend from Lagos or from Kano. Ogun State has a lot of potential there and because he knows Ogun State in and out, if you elect him as your governor, he’s going to do justice to everything that Ogun State people need. Unlike when you import candidates to come and govern your state ” he added.
The PDP chairman also warned against what he described as the practice of presenting candidates without deep-rooted connections to Ogun State, saying residents must protect their right to choose leaders who truly understand the state.
Although he did not mention any individual or political party, his comments come amid ongoing debates over the eligibility and indigeneity of the All Progressive Congress consensus candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, ahead of the 2027 Ogun State governorship election.
Critics of the senator have questioned his long political involvement in Lagos and his connection to Ogun, while Adeola and his supporters have consistently defended his roots, insisting that he is a bona fide indigene of the state.
Former Senator Iyabo Obasanjo has also been at the forefront of critics questioning the political eligibility and moral authority of Senator Adeola to govern Ogun State. Long before her dramatic defection from the ruling APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Obasanjo publicly challenged Adeola’s insertion into the state’s political ecosystem after his long tenure as a politician in Lagos. She explicitly characterized his sudden transition to Ogun politics as opportunistic during an interview on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, arguing that someone who spent the bulk of their career building a political base in another state should not simply transplant themselves to capture a governorship seat at the expense of homegrown leaders who have consistently stayed in Yewa.
The controversy has become one of the major talking points in the emerging political contest, with supporters and opponents trading claims over identity, ancestry and political belonging.
“I’m only telling you that the people of Ogun State must be alert. They should not allow impostors in their states.”
He maintained that the people of Ogun State were politically sophisticated enough to make informed choices at the polls, adding that voters should reject any attempt to impose candidates on them during the 2027 governorship election.
Responding to concerns about Senator Iyabo Obasanjo’s membership of the PDP and compliance with the Independent National Electoral Commission’s registration requirements, Tella maintained that the party followed due process and acted within the provisions of the Electoral Act.
“Everything that is done are perfectly done and are in line with the electoral act, perfectly in line with electoral act. Senator Iyabo Obasanjo was a member of this party before the deadline and she actually resigned from the other party. So there’s no question about that.” he clarified.
On the possibility of future political alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Ogun PDP chairman said the party remained open to strategic collaborations where necessary, but stressed that any decision on national coalitions would be determined by the party’s national leadership.
“Whether you like it or not, in this country today, every party will weigh its options. When we get to that bridge, we will cross it. As Nigerians, we must look forward to see who our leader will be and as opposition, we must be able to say the truth to the power on what is not right. That does not change the fact that there could be collaborations in some cases, if necessary. We can decide tomorrow to collaborate with any party, particularly in my own state. But when it now comes to the issue of the national, the national side of the party will decide what we all are going to do going forward.”
