By: Lauretta Fagbohun, Abeokuta.
Labour Party (LP) South-West Zonal Vice Chairman, Abayomi Arabambi, has said Governor Dapo Abiodun’s restraint and accommodating attitude despite his past opposition to the administration changed his perception of the governor and eventually won his admiration.
Arabambi made the remarks on Monday during a radio programme in Abeokuta, where he recalled taking Abiodun and the state’s Commissioner for Housing to court during the governor’s first term.
According to him, despite the legal battle and their political disagreements, Abiodun neither harassed nor intimidated him, a response he described as unusual in Nigeria’s political environment.
He said the governor did not deploy political thugs against him or seek revenge, but instead maintained a calm disposition and remained willing to engage his critics.
“Despite taking the governor and the Commissioner for Housing to court, Abiodun did not retaliate. He did not send thugs after me. His humility and the way he handled the situation made me reconsider my position,” Arabambi said.
The LP chieftain described Abiodun as a “good person”, adding that his willingness to explain issues and engage people who disagreed with him contributed significantly to the change in his attitude.
He further described the governor’s disposition as “pastoral”, saying Abiodun’s approach to political disagreements had helped to build a friendship between them.
Speaking on the 2027 Ogun State governorship election, Arabambi urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, to reconsider his ambition and support Segun Sowunmi in what he described as the interest of the Egba political agenda.
He said if the Egba bloc could not produce the next governor, it should consider supporting another prominent Egba son, Sowunmi, while negotiating an alliance with the Yewa bloc.
Arabambi said such an arrangement should include an understanding that an Egba person would occupy the position of Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
“If the Egba Agenda is not realisable, we believe that the Egba Agenda must support the Yewa Agenda with a caveat that Egba must produce the SSG,” he said.
He maintained that no senatorial district should expect to permanently control the governorship, arguing that Ogun’s political arrangement must accommodate the interests of the various zones.
According to him, the Egba people constitute an important voting bloc and must remain part of the state’s power structure regardless of who emerges as governor in 2027.
“If Adebutu refuses to relax for Segun Sowunmi, is it going to be a win for Yayi? Egba cannot be outside of the power circle,” he said.
Arabambi also disputed Adebutu’s perceived claim to political dominance in Odeda, arguing that a family’s political history does not automatically give it ownership of a constituency.
He disclosed that the Egba bloc had already reached an understanding in support of the governorship ambition of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, under the Egba Agenda.
He, however, noted that the Remo people would also have their opportunity in the political arrangement, stressing that no group should seek to monopolise the governorship.
