The Nigerian Ambassador to Zambia and Malawi, Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello, has declared that Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, who is Governorship Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 election is not a bonafide citizen of Ogun State.
Penpushing reports that Marcus-Bello made the declaration while featuring as guest of a live television programme, stressing that she has vital documents to knock out Yayi, on his claim of Yewa indigenishp
The two-time Commissioner in Ogun State emphasized that contrary to Yayi’s claim there are records which affirmed that he is from Ekiti adding that she was ready to confront Yayi with documentary evidence, which could be examined.
Penpushing further reports that Marcus-Bello, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stated that Yewa people should have presented an authentic indigene to contest the governorship race, rather than presenting non-indigene to represent them in the forthcoming poll
“Senator Olamilekan is not from Ogun State. He is not from Yewa as he claimed. Let him come and sit in front of me. We would bring the documentation that I have—the programme of event of his father’s burial with his Oriki and his progeny. His Oriki is in his father’s burial programme. Let him come and prove otherwise’, Marcus-Bello stated
Penpushing also reports that she alleged that Yayi’s early career and political activities were strongly associated with Lagos State before his emergence as a major political figure in Ogun State.
The South-West women leader of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) pointed out that Yayi had previously identified with Lagos and benefited politically from representing the state before subsequently moving his political ambition to Ogun West.
“If what you have stated is true, Yewa has a better chance to produce a governor because they have never produced one. But give us—and I am speaking authoritatively also on behalf of Hon. Ladi Adebutu—a real son or daughter of Yewa and we will support that daughter or son of Yewa. Let us get it clear’, Marcus-Bello stressed
‘Let us get it clear, I am going to tell you, he started his career with the Guardian Newspapers. I have been everywhere; I went for interview in Guardian. I worked with Vanguard; I have been everywhere’, she stated
‘So, he started off there, from there, we don’t want to go into what happened, but from there he surfaced again in the politics of Lagos State and started off claiming Lagos State, representing Lagos State both at local and national levels, and he claimed Lagos State’.
‘He has certificate of indigenship to show that he is a Lagosian. He benefited from Alimosho. He did everything in Lagos State and all of a sudden, he has ambition of wanting to be Governor. He looks at a weakest place and jumps into Ogun West’.
‘His father is buried in Ekiti. His mother is buried in Epe. We are Yoruba people and all politics in Yorubaland are local, internationally politics are local. I can’t wake up today now and say, I want to play politics which is not localized. He is not from Yewa , that is the bone of contention. t saddens me as a mother, as a politician, as a Nigerian, people will come out and tell blatant lies because they want a particular thing’
Penpushing reports that she explained that her position should not be interpreted as opposition to the aspiration of Yewa people to produce the next governor of Ogun State, adding that Yewa people have a chance to produce governor, because they have not produced any
The former diplomat stressed that the controversy should not be dismissed as a personal disagreement between politicians, pointing out that the question of indigene status had wider implications for Ogun State’s political leadership.
“This one concerns the whole of Ogun State. The local politics of Ogun State is reserved for the indigenes of Ogun State. It is not an all-comers game. Ogun State is peculiar. We are semi-rural. We are not Lagos where people come and claim all sorts of things’, she said.
FOOTNOTE: You want to share story with us? You want to advertise with us? You need publicity for product, or service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348073463653 or email penpushing@yahoo.com
