The Friends Network, a support group backing the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, on Wednesday intensified its grassroots mobilisation across communities in Ogun State, urging residents to support the senator in the 2027 governorship election.
The delegation, led by a former Ogun State governorship aspirant, Hon. Kayode Tejuoso, son of the Osile of Oke Ona, Oba Dr. Adedapo Adewale Tejuoso, visited the Odeda Community Development Council (CDC) as part of its mobilisation drive.
Other members of the Friends Network delegation included Engr. Ayotunde Ayodeji, Chief Tiwalade Akingbade, Hon. (Engr.) Kennykadri Edu. (Mrs.), Hon. Bajomo, Pastor Kunle Odewale, Pastor Lekan Araba and Hon. Ojoye Olasehinde, among others.
Speaking during the engagement, Tejuoso explained that the Friends Network was established to bring together individuals who believe in Adeola’s capacity to provide effective leadership and deliver good governance to the people of Ogun State.
He said members of the network believed strongly in Adeola’s ability, describing him as a “talk and do” politician with the experience and capacity to move Ogun State forward.
Tejuoso said, “All of us in the Friends Network love Senator Yayi. We are friends of the incoming governor, and that is what has brought us together to support him.”
He urged the CDCs and Community Development Associations (CDAs) to document their pressing needs and submit them to the group for onward presentation to Senator Adeola, saying the initiative was aimed at ensuring that the concerns of communities were properly captured.
“We want to know the pressing needs of every community and have them properly documented. Senator Yayi wants to know what our people need so that he can address those needs when the opportunity comes,” Tejuoso said.
He also appealed to the CDC executives and community leaders to support Yayi’s emergence as the next governor of Ogun State, urging them to intensify mobilisation for the APC candidate across their respective communities.
Responding, the Chairman of Odeda Zonal CDC, Iyasere Emmanuel Igbagbodoyin, expressed appreciation to Senator Adeola for his efforts and promised that the council would provide a summary of its demands to the Friends Network.
Igbagbodoyin said the network should communicate the strength of the grassroots structure in Odeda to Adeola, noting that each CDA had a minimum of 15 executives, a figure he said could translate into significant electoral support when multiplied across the numerous CDAs in the area.
“If we are talking of votes, we are proud of APC. We are proud of Yayi, Shuaibu and Elemide, and we are going to give our support to all APC candidates,” the CDC chairman said.
He further assured the delegation that Odeda remained firmly committed to the APC, stressing that the local government was among the first in Ogun State to openly adopt Adeola as its preferred governorship candidate.
“I am very glad having Senator Yayi as the candidate of APC. We want Senator Shuaibu , Hon. Elemide and Senator Yayi,” Igbagbodoyin declared, reaffirming the council’s support for the APC candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
The engagement ended with renewed calls for stronger grassroots mobilisation and closer collaboration between the Friends Network, CDCs and CDAs to ensure that the needs of communities are communicated to Senator Adeola while consolidating support for the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
