Ayomide Awe
An All Progressives Congress chieftain in Ogun State, Olootu Bolaji Adeniji, has challenged those questioning the ancestral roots of the party’s 2027 governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, to produce concrete evidence to substantiate their claims.
Adeniji, a member of the APC Campaign Public Communication Council, made the challenge on Tuesday while featuring on the “Citizen Forum” programme of Rock City FM in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
His comments came amid renewed controversy over Adeola’s ancestry after former Nigerian Ambassador to Zambia and Malawi, Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello, and other critics questioned the APC candidate’s claim to Yewa ancestry.
Marcus-Bello has publicly said she possesses documents which, according to her, support her position, while Adeola has rejected the allegations and previously challenged his accusers to provide evidence. The claims remain contested and have not been independently established.
Adeniji, however, insisted that those alleging that Adeola was originally from Ekiti State or another state should identify his purported ancestral location.
“I have challenged them over time, and I am still challenging them to come out and tell us the local government and the household in Ekiti State, or whichever state they claim Yayi is from. Till today, they cannot mention it,” he said.
He specifically criticised Marcus-Bello and Wale Adedayo, accusing them of spreading what he described as “malicious and deliberately crafted falsehoods” against the APC candidate.
Adeniji said the focus on Adeola’s ancestry was an attempt to divert attention from what he described as the failure of the opposition to present alternative programmes to the electorate.
“You know what? These people and their preferred candidate, Ladi Adebutu, have nothing to offer and that is why they have made these false narratives their focus. They are incompetent and lazy, hence the resort to campaign of calumny,” he alleged.
The APC chieftain urged political opponents to shift the debate from Adeola’s ancestry to issues affecting the people of Ogun State, including economic development, infrastructure and governance.
He said Adeola, if elected governor in 2027, would build on the policies and projects of the incumbent administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun.
“Yayi has said he will consolidate on what Dapo Abiodun has done. He will also ensure that the oil in Eba comes to light so that Ogun State’s IGR will increase,” Adeniji said.
He also disclosed that the APC candidate would soon unveil details of what he called the “Itesiwaju agenda” for the state.
Adeniji maintained that the emerging 2027 governorship contest should be centred on the candidates’ programmes, records, policy proposals and plans for Ogun State rather than what he described as “baseless” insinuations.
He said, “Not those baseless, carefully crafted innuendos by the weak and incompetent opposition, just to bring Yayi down will fly in 2027. But I am happy that the people of Ogun State are wiser.”
He added that attempts to make Adeola’s alleged place of origin the dominant issue in the election would not, in his view, determine the decision of voters.
“They are saying no. If you say Yayi is from Zamfara, we are going to vote for him because we know he is credible, he is competent, and he has proven that he will do more when he becomes the governor of Ogun State,” Adeniji said.
The latest exchange adds to the growing political dispute over Adeola’s ancestry ahead of the 2027 Ogun governorship election. Adeola’s opponents, including Marcus-Bello, have called for documentary clarification of his roots, while his supporters have dismissed the claims and demanded evidence.
This version keeps the strong political angle, but avoids presenting either side’s ancestry claims as established fact.
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