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The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has pledged to prioritize the development of coastal communities in the state and ensure transparent management of all revenues from oil production.
Adeola, who is the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, also donated $60 million and a bus to the Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists during a visit to the union’s secretariat in Iwe-Iroyin, Abeokuta, on Friday.
The senator said the commencement of commercial oil drilling on Eba Island in Ogun Waterside in January 2026 put the state on the path to becoming an oil producing state and qualifying for the 13% spin-off revenue mandated by the Constitution.
Adeola, who is seeking to govern the state in the 2027 elections, said the development should be seen 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, coupled with the proposed Olokola deep seaport, could significantly alter Ogun’s economic prospects.
“In January 2026, commercial oil drilling commenced on Eba Island in Ogun Waterside, putting Ogun State firmly on the path to becoming an oil producing state and positioning us to be eligible for the 13% constitutional derivation fund,” Adeola said.
According to him, expected revenues from the emerging energy corridor must be managed transparently and channeled towards the development of coastal communities that have allegedly suffered from years of neglect.
The APC candidate also unveiled his governance blueprint, titled “Governance that Works for All,” built around nine cardinal pillars and six catalytic reform proposals.
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 program linking Abeokuta with Sango-Ota and Sagamu.
He also promised to pursue collaboration with the Nigerian Railway Corporation to establish a rail link between Abeokuta and Lagos.
Another proposal, OgunRide, he said, would provide a state-backed platform for vehicles and drivers, while incorporating health insurance and cooperative financing arrangements.
On revenue generation, Adeola said Ogun’s revenue grew by 33% in a compound annual growth rate between 2021 and 2024, while internally generated revenue nearly 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% without imposing new taxes.
Adeola also committed to ensuring direct allocation to the 20 local government territories in accordance with the 2024 Court of Cassation ruling.
Speaking earlier, the Ogun NUJ President, Comrade Akinwale Olanrewaju, described Adeola as a politician whose interventions in the union had yielded visible results.
Olanrewaju specifically cited the solar-powered well provided by the senator, saying it has become an important source of drinking water for residents around Iwe-Iroyin.
The NUJ president said his administration also executed 26 projects, including free Wi-Fi, a 12 kVA solar power system, 10 solar street lights donated by Senator Shuaib Salisu, renovation 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 plot of land reportedly allocated to the NUJ since 1987 for an NUJ estate.
He said the union is also planning legacy projects to celebrate its 50th anniversary, including a digital newsroom and a gaming arena planned for Oct. 26 to Nov. 1, 2026.
“We have one acre of land allocated since 1987. Senator Yayi gave us water, and water is life. When development starts there, we will not need to buy water,” Olanrewaju said.
He also called for urgent intervention in the state-owned media, Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation and Ogun State Television.
“Please declare a state of emergency on OGBC and OGTV, our state media,” the NUJ president added.
Responding to inquiries, Adeola promised that if elected governor, his administration would fully comply 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 concluded with his decoration by the Ogun NUJ as a Golden Jubilee Ambassador.
The senator’s visit and presentation of his governance blueprint come ahead of the 2027 Ogun State governorship elections, for which he is running as an APC candidate.
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