The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has unveiled a nine-pillar development agenda tagged “ITESIWAJU for Ogun State,” advocating policy continuity and the completion of viable projects initiated by previous administrations.
Adeola unveiled the proposed agenda on Monday during an engagement with members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Ogun State, where he also called for an issue-based campaign ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the governorship and State House of Assembly elections for February 6, 2027.
Making the case for continuity, Adeola cited the development trajectory of Lagos State since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, arguing that successive administrations building on existing policies and projects could generate cumulative development benefits.
Research on Lagos has similarly documented the role of policy continuity in the state’s post-1999 development trajectory.
A Carnegie Endowment study, for instance, found that some of Lagos’ significant institutional reforms extended across successive administrations, while a Princeton case study documented how the administrations of Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola built on reforms involving revenue generation, infrastructure, transportation and urban management.
Adeola said Ogun could achieve similar continuity if successive administrations evaluated projects according to their public value rather than abandoning them because they were initiated by previous governments.
“If Lagos could achieve what it has achieved through seamless transition of government from one administration to another, we can begin to imagine the multiplier effects that continuity can bring to the economy and development of Ogun”.
He said an administration under his leadership would, if elected, continue viable infrastructure and development projects inherited from the current government.
‘Let voters judge candidates on their plans’
The APC candidate also urged political parties and governorship contenders to make their programmes available to the electorate and allow voters to assess competing proposals on their merits.
Adeola said campaigns should focus on practical solutions to challenges involving youth development, women empowerment, industrialisation, agriculture, infrastructure, security, employment and economic growth.
“People must be able to know what your plans are for the youth, the economy, women, industrialisation, infrastructure, contractors and agriculture. Where are you taking us to? People should judge us on those issues”.
He subsequently presented the ITESIWAJU framework, which he said was developed following consultations across Ogun State and was intended to provide a broad development framework for the state.
According to Adeola, “Itesiwaju Ipinle Ogun,” meaning the progress of Ogun State, is represented by nine priority areas:
- I — Infrastructure
- T — Tourism and Culture
- E — Economic Empowerment
- S — Security and Welfare
- I — Inclusive Growth and Well-being
- W — Women, Youth and Poverty Eradication
- A — Agriculture and Food Security
- J — Job Creation and Industrialisation
- U — Urbanisation and Transparency
Adeola said the agenda took three years to develop and was based on consultations with thousands of people across the state.
“This is not a document put together for the sake of putting a document together. It is not a document put together for the sake of grabbing power.”
He added that the objective was to produce a framework addressing what he described as the needs of people across different sectors of Ogun State.
Adeola dismisses ancestry controversy:
The APC candidate also addressed the controversy surrounding his ancestral roots, describing it as political manoeuvring by opponents seeking electoral advantage.
Adeola said he remained focused on his development agenda and would not allow the controversy to distract him from his political objectives.
“My ancestral challenge is mere politics and desperation for power. I have a vision and believe in the development of this state, so I refuse to be bothered. I refuse to be blackmailed”.
He also said appointments under his proposed administration would be based on qualifications.
“Under my government, you must be eminently qualified to earn a position”.
IPAC seeks issue-based campaign:
Earlier, the Ogun State IPAC Chairman, Comrade Abayomi Sanyaolu, commended Adeola’s engagement with the political parties and urged all governorship candidates to conduct their campaigns around policies and programmes.
Sanyaolu cautioned politicians against vulgar language and personal attacks, urging candidates to present their manifestos and allow voters to evaluate their respective programmes.
The engagement comes as political parties and candidates intensify preparations for the 2027 Ogun governorship contest, with policy continuity, infrastructure, employment, economic development and social welfare emerging as major themes in the unfolding campaign discourse.
