By Peace Udugba
The political battle over who succeeds Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun in 2027 has taken a dramatic turn following a challenge by former Nigerian Ambassador to Zambia and Malawi, Folake Marcus-Bello, against the Yewa ancestry of Senator Solomon Adeola (popularly known as Yayi), a leading governorship contender in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Marcus-Bello, a former Commissioner for Women Affairs in Ogun State, raised the allegations during a live television appearance, claiming to possess documentary evidence that contradicts Adeola’s claims of Yewa roots.
“Senator Olamilekan is not from Yewa. He is not from Yewa,” Marcus-Bello stated. “It saddens me as a mother, as a politician, and as a Nigerian that people will come out and tell blatant lies because they want a particular thing.”
The former ambassador argued that ancestry remains a pivotal issue for the 2027 governorship race, particularly because the Yewa people have yet to produce a governor in the state’s history. While maintaining that the region deserves the seat, she insisted the candidate must be a “genuine son or daughter of the soil.”
“If what you have stated is true, Yewa has a better chance to produce a governor because they have never produced one,” she said.
She added that she—along with key opposition figures—would readily support an authentic Yewa candidate over someone whose roots are in dispute.
“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 that clear,” Marcus-Bello added.
Challenge to a Public Debate
Marcus-Bello openly challenged Adeola to a public debate, asserting that her documentation raises serious questions regarding his lineage.
“Let him come and sit in front of me. We will bring the documentation that I have—the programme of events from his father’s burial in Ekiti State, complete with his Oriki (praise poetry) and progeny,” she said. “His Oriki is in his father’s burial programme. Let him come and prove otherwise.”
The diplomat highlighted Adeola’s political history, noting that his career began and developed in Lagos State before he shifted his political ambitions to Ogun West. She also pointed to the background of his father and the burial of his mother in Epe, Lagos State, to bolster her claim that his lineage lies outside Yewaland.
The claims made by Marcus-Bello regarding Adeola’s lineage, family history, and referenced documents have not been independently verified.
Ogun Politics Not an “All-Comers Affair”
Defending her stance on the necessity of indigene status in state politics, Marcus-Bello argued that the highest office in the state should not be open to political opportunism.
“The local politics of Ogun State is reserved for the indigenes of Ogun State. It is not an all-comers game,” she said. “Ogun State is peculiar. We are semi-rural. We are not Lagos, where people can come and claim all sorts of things.”
Marcus-Bello further accused the ruling APC of an abuse of power and made reference to a publication containing allegations against Adeola, calling on the senator’s camp to address the claims publicly.
Adeola, who currently represents Ogun West in the Senate, is widely expected to be a key contender for the governor’s office in 2027.
As the race gathers momentum, questions around indigene status, ancestry, and fair regional representation are taking center stage in the state’s political discourse. It remains to be seen whether Adeola or his media team will issue a formal response to the allegations.
