Ayomide Awe
The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has pledged to prioritise the development of the state’s coastal communities and ensure transparent management of any revenue accruing from oil production.
Adeola, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, also donated N60m and a bus to the Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists during a visit to the union’s secretariat at Iwe-Iroyin, Abeokuta, on Friday.
The senator said the commencement of commercial oil drilling at Eba Island in Ogun Waterside in January 2026 had placed the state on the path to becoming an oil-producing state and qualifying for the 13 per cent derivation revenue provided for under the Constitution.
Adeola, who is seeking to govern the state in the 2027 election, said the development should be viewed beyond oil exploration, describing it as part of a proposed 200-kilometre Coastal Energy Corridor stretching from the Benin Republic border to Ondo State.
He said frontier exploration was also progressing around Tongeji Island in Ipokia, adding that the developments, alongside the proposed Olokola Deep Seaport, could significantly alter the economic outlook of Ogun.
“In January 2026, commercial oil drilling commenced at Eba Island in Ogun Waterside, putting Ogun State firmly on the path to becoming an oil-producing state and positioning us for entitlement to the 13 per cent constitutional derivation fund,” Adeola said.
According to him, the revenue expected from the emerging energy corridor must be transparently managed and channelled towards the development of coastal communities that have allegedly suffered years of neglect.
The APC candidate also unveiled his governance blueprint, titled “Governance That Works For Everyone,” built around nine cardinal pillars and six proposed catalytic reforms.
Adeola said Ogun’s strategic location gave it an advantage as a gateway to the ECOWAS region and the African Continental Free Trade Area market.
He proposed the introduction of a state bus mass transit programme connecting Abeokuta with Sango-Ota and Sagamu.
He also promised to pursue collaboration with the Nigerian Railway Corporation to establish a rail connection between Abeokuta and Lagos.
Another proposal, OgunRide, according to him, would provide a state-backed platform for vehicles and drivers while incorporating health insurance and cooperative funding arrangements.
On revenue generation, Adeola said Ogun’s revenue had grown by 33 per cent compound annual growth rate between 2021 and 2024, while internally generated revenue almost doubled during the period.
He promised to introduce a Single Window Revenue Collection System, which he said would increase the state’s IGR by 40 per cent without imposing new taxes.
Adeola also pledged to ensure direct allocation to the 20 local government areas in accordance with the 2024 Supreme Court judgment.
Speaking earlier, the Ogun NUJ Chairman, Comrade Akinwale Olanrewaju, described Adeola as a politician whose interventions in the union had produced visible results.
Olanrewaju specifically cited the solar-powered borehole provided by the senator, saying it had become a major source of drinking water for residents around Iwe-Iroyin.
The NUJ chairman said his administration had also executed 26 projects, including free Wi-Fi, a 12kVA solar power system, 10 solar street lights donated by Senator Shuaib Salisu, refurbishment of the secretariat and a bus donated by Governor Dapo Abiodun.
He, however, appealed to Adeola to support the reconstruction of the Ogun NUJ secretariat, which he described as “the worst secretariat in Nigeria.”
Olanrewaju also urged the senator to assist the union in securing and developing its one-acre parcel of land reportedly allocated to the NUJ since 1987 for an NUJ Estate.
He said the union was also planning legacy projects to mark its 50th anniversary, including a digital newsroom and games arena scheduled for October 26 to November 1, 2026.
“We have an acre of land allocated since 1987. Senator Yayi gave us water, and water is life. When development begins there, we won’t need to buy water,” Olanrewaju said.
He also called for urgent intervention in the state-owned media organisations, Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation and Ogun State Television.
“We beg you to declare a state of emergency on OGBC and OGTV, our own state media,” the NUJ chairman added.
Responding to the requests, Adeola pledged that, if elected governor, his administration would comply fully with the Freedom of Information Act and maintain regular engagements with journalists.
He said the media would be treated as partners in governance rather than adversaries.
Adeola’s visit ended with his decoration by the Ogun NUJ as its Golden Jubilee Ambassador.
The senator’s visit and the unveiling of his governance blueprint come ahead of the 2027 Ogun State governorship election, for which he is the APC candidate.
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