The Friends Network, led by former Ogun State governorship aspirant, Prince Kayode Tejuoso, has extended its grassroots consultations to Ogun East Senatorial District as part of its mobilisation for the 2027 governorship election.
The network held engagements with Community Development Councils (CDCs) and other community stakeholders in Ikenne, Sagamu and Remo North Local Government Areas, where issues bordering on infrastructure, healthcare, education, water supply, security and youth empowerment featured prominently in the discussions.
The engagement, according to the network, is part of its ongoing grassroots mobilisation and consultation programme aimed at interfacing directly with community leaders, market stakeholders, youths and other residents on issues concerning the development of Ogun State.
The network said the latest consultations followed the completion of similar engagements across the six local government areas of Ogun Central, describing the outreach as an effort to take its message beyond political meetings and establish direct communication with communities.
Speaking during the engagements, Tejuoso said grassroots participation remained important to determining the priorities that should guide future governance.
“Development must begin with listening to the people at the grassroots. Our responsibility is not only to speak to communities but also to listen, document their needs and ensure that those concerns form part of the conversation about the future of Ogun State.”
The group said discussions with the CDCs covered issues including roads, potable water, education, healthcare, youth empowerment, security and other community infrastructure.
According to Tejuoso, the identified needs are being collated for further presentation to relevant political leaders and stakeholders.
Friends Network also used the engagements campaign for Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, who is the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2027 Ogun State governorship election.
Tejuoso described Adeola as a politician whose supporters believe has demonstrated experience in legislative affairs and community interventions.
“Our message is about performance and what we believe can be achieved through purposeful leadership. We are presenting Senator Adeola’s record and agenda to the people and allowing communities to engage with the issues that matter to them.”
Tejuoso also raised the issue of political rotation among Ogun State’s three senatorial districts, arguing that Ogun West has not produced an elected governor since the creation of the state.
“We should not create a precedent where one senatorial district continues to occupy the governorship after eight years. Ogun West has never attained that position before, and this is why the issue of equity and rotation is part of the conversation.”
Tejuoso also urged its supporters to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, arguing that continuity at the federal level would allow ongoing economic reforms to be sustained.
He said the group believes that cooperation between the federal, state and local levels could facilitate the implementation of development programmes.
“Our position is that government works better when there is cooperation across the different levels. We want our communities to understand the programmes being proposed and to participate actively in the democratic process.”
He called on its members and supporters to support APC candidates across the ballot in the 2027 elections saying that such support would create what it described as greater political alignment between the executive and legislative arms of government and, in its view, facilitate project implementation.
The former governorship aspirant explained that CDC leaders and other stakeholders were encouraged to identify specific challenges affecting their communities rather than limiting the meetings to political discussions.
“We do not want these engagements to end with speeches. We are documenting the needs of the communities because people should be able to point to the issues they raised and ask what has been done about them.”
The identified concerns, according to the network, include access roads, water supply, educational facilities, healthcare needs, security and economic empowerment.
The Friends Network also encouraged residents to take an active role in the electoral process by ensuring that their voter registration and Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are in order.
The group said community leaders, youths, market groups and other stakeholders should continue to document their needs and participate in public discussions about governance.
“Politics should not be reduced to election-day activities. Communities must be involved before, during and after elections. Their needs should be clearly articulated, and leaders should be held accountable for the commitments made to them.”
The network expressed appreciation to the CDC leadership and members in Ikenne, Sagamu and Remo North for what it described as their warm reception and participation during the engagement.
