Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has endorsed his former Chief of Staff, Dr. Oluwatoyin Taiwo, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency in the 2027 general election.
Abiodun, while speaking about Taiwo’s political and administrative journey, described him as a diligent and trusted political associate whose capacity had been tested through successive responsibilities in his administration.
The governor also offered a personal account of how Taiwo first came into his cabinet, recalling that he was among those presented for consideration when his administration was seeking a representative from Ipokia.
According to Abiodun, he personally interviewed the prospective appointees before making his choice.
“I interviewed them, and I said, I like this young man. I think I can work with him,” the governor recalled.
That initial assessment, as reflected in Taiwo’s subsequent trajectory, marked the beginning of a relationship that saw him assume increasingly strategic responsibilities within the administration.
Taiwo subsequently served as Commissioner for Culture and Tourism and later as Deputy Chief of Staff before being appointed Chief of Staff to Governor Abiodun in December 2024.
His progression through these positions placed him at various levels of government administration and exposed him to policy coordination, stakeholder engagement, and the day-to-day workings of the state executive.
It is this experience that now forms part of the background to his candidacy for the Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency.
By endorsing his former Chief of Staff, Governor Abiodun has placed his personal experience of working with Taiwo on record as part of the political conversation ahead of the 2027 election.
The Governor’s testimony is also notable for its chronology. His relationship with Taiwo did not begin with the present electoral contest. It began with a selection process in which the governor personally interviewed candidates before deciding that Taiwo was someone he could work with.
From that first encounter, Taiwo progressed through a series of appointments, culminating in his emergence as Chief of Staff.
The journey now moves in a different direction — from the executive arm of government to the legislature.
As an APC candidate for Yewa South/Ipokia, Taiwo is seeking the mandate of the people of the federal constituency to represent them in the House of Representatives.
His campaign will therefore draw on a public-service record shaped by years of participation in the administration of Ogun State and by his experience working within the immediate structure of the Governor’s office.
For Yewa South and Ipokia, the endorsement has also brought renewed attention to the candidate’s journey from the cabinet to the constituency.
The political narrative is, in many respects, one that has come full circle: a man whose entry into the Abiodun administration began with the Governor saying, “I like this young man,” is now being presented by the same Governor as a candidate seeking to take his experience of government to the National Assembly.
The 2027 election will ultimately place that experience, record, and legislative agenda before the electorate of Yewa South and Ipokia as they consider the candidates seeking their mandate.
