Ogun 2027: Rotham Drops Yayi Suit, Puts Ogun West Agenda Ahead of Legal Battle

Ranti Thomas 8 hours ago 2 min read

The New Nigeria Peoples Party governorship candidate in Ogun State, Akinbola Rotham, has withdrawn his legal challenge against the eligibility of All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

Rotham said the decision was driven by his desire to place the collective interest of Ogun West above individual political ambitions. He explained that continuing the case would not, in his view, advance the long-standing aspiration of the senatorial district to produce a governor.

The withdrawn case, Suit No. FHC/AB/CS/135/2026, questioned Adeola’s claim to Ogun State indigeneship, particularly his connection to Pahayi, Ilaro, in Yewa South Local Government Area. The issue had become part of the wider political controversy surrounding Adeola’s emergence as the APC candidate.

Rotham said he and Adeola are both from Ogun West and are competing for the same governorship position, but argued that their political rivalry should not create divisions that could undermine the interests of the district.

According to him, Ogun West has waited for decades for the opportunity to produce a governor, making the broader regional aspiration more important to him than pursuing a legal battle against a fellow contestant from the same senatorial district.

He said political contests should focus more on the ability of candidates to govern, stressing the importance of competence, capacity, character, accountability and the delivery of good governance.

Rotham also rejected suggestions that the withdrawal was influenced by money, financial gratification or a political settlement. He said his decision followed personal reflection and was based on what he described as the collective interest of Ogun West and Ogun State.

The NNPP candidate further described Adeola as his brother and extended an offer of constructive engagement, saying political parties and their candidates should not automatically regard one another as enemies.

He, however, maintained that the withdrawal would not affect his own ambition to contest the 2027 governorship election. Rotham said he remained committed to his political aspirations while choosing to pursue them without allowing the indigeneship dispute to overshadow what he described as the larger interests of the people.

The development comes amid continuing controversy over Adeola’s eligibility and state-of-origin claims, with other political actors having pursued separate legal challenges. Rotham’s decision therefore does not necessarily mean that every legal dispute surrounding Adeola’s candidacy has been withdrawn.