Ogun’s Future at Risk, Says MAO, Faults ‘Anointed’ Consensus Candidate Yayi
“In a land starved of vision, even the barely capable are crowned as kings.”
With this striking illustration, Chairman of the Egba Agenda Forum, High Chief Mustapha Abdulakeem Owolabi (MAO), has condemned the emergence of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the consensus governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday, Owolabi described the development as a “quiet and almost shameful orchestration,” insisting that the process reflects calculated imposition rather than the genuine will of the people.
According to him, while Yayi may have found political footing in Ogun about six years ago through Yewa, his elevation as a statewide consensus candidate without what he termed “a true test of popular mandate” raises fundamental concerns about the state of democracy in Ogun.
“This is not democracy; it is orchestration,” Owolabi declared.
The Egba Agenda Forum chairman further alleged that the move represents a stepping stone in a broader political design, suggesting that Ogun State risks becoming an extension of entrenched political influence beyond its borders.
He argued that the ambition behind the arrangement is “structured, patient and deliberate,” warning that such consolidation threatens the independence of the state’s political space.
Owolabi blamed past administrations for laying the groundwork for what he described as the recycling of failure. He accused previous leaders of governing “without building,” entrenching poverty, weakening institutions and replacing sustainable development with dependency.
“The next generation has learned the system too well,” he said. “They understand that you don’t need to fix the people; you only need to manage them.”
He criticized what is often presented as empowerment programmes, describing them as tools of control rather than genuine development initiatives. According to him, with education weakened, healthcare struggling, infrastructure decaying and debt mounting, citizens are left vulnerable to “small relief packages and symbolic gestures” that replace accountability with gratitude.
“This is not progress. It is recycling failure,” the statement read.
The Forum also expressed concern over what it called the systematic weakening of opposition parties, alleging that fractured and destabilized opposition voices leave citizens with “no real alternative only the illusion of choice.”
“True democracy thrives on vibrant, credible opposition. It demands competition, accountability and the constant testing of ideas,” Owolabi stated. “What we are witnessing is a slow drift toward political monopoly disguised as consensus.”
He further criticized former aspirants and political actors who, according to him, have abandoned principles in a bid to secure appointments and remain in the good graces of the “anointed.”
“Principles abandoned, convictions traded, ambition preserved at all costs. Shameful is an understatement,” he said.
Owolabi warned that the situation sends the wrong message to emerging political leaders, who he fears are being trained to perfect the same political playbook rather than inspired to chart a new course.
“A nation cannot rise on manipulation. A people cannot thrive on crumbs,” he added.
Concluding his statement, the Egba Agenda Forum chairman called on Nigerians to reflect deeply on the direction of the country’s democracy.
“‘Nigeria, we hail thee’ but surely, this cannot be the nation our forefathers envisioned, nor the system they hoped to build. If this cycle is not broken, then the future is already compromised. May Nigeria find the courage to demand more.”
