Yayi unveiled the agenda on Monday while meeting with members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Ogun State, where he argued that the state could accelerate its development by ensuring that successive administrations build on viable projects and policies initiated by their predecessors.
The APC candidate cited Lagos State as an example of how continuity in governance could contribute to sustained economic and infrastructural development, noting that successive administrations since the return to democratic rule in 1999 had continued to build on reforms and projects in areas including infrastructure, transportation, revenue generation and urban development.
According to him, Ogun State could experience similar multiplier effects if governments prioritised the completion of beneficial projects rather than abandoning them because they were initiated by previous administrations.
He said, “If Lagos could achieve what it has achieved through seamless transition of government from one administration to another, we can begin to imagine the multiplier effects that continuity can bring to the economy and development of Ogun.
“People must be able to know what your plans are for the youth, the economy, women, industrialisation, infrastructure, contractors and agriculture. Where are you taking us to? People should judge us on those issues,” he said.
Yayi, who currently represents Ogun West Senatorial District at the National Assembly, said the ITESIWAJU agenda was developed following extensive consultations across the state and was designed to provide a comprehensive framework for development.
He explained that the acronym ITESIWAJU represents: I — Infrastructure; T — Tourism and Culture; E — Economic Empowerment; S — Security and Welfare; I — Inclusive Growth and Well-being; W — Women, Youth and Poverty Eradication; A — Agriculture and Food Security; J — Job Creation and Industrialisation; and U — Urbanization and Transparency.
The governorship candidate said the agenda was not merely designed as a political document but as a development framework aimed at addressing the needs of residents across various sectors.
“This is not a document put together for the sake of putting a document together. It is not a document put together for the sake of grabbing power.
“I put this document together with all sense of purpose. A document that took me three years to put together. It is a document meticulously crafted to attend to every need of everyone of this state.”
He added that the proposed agenda was developed from consultations with thousands of people across Ogun State, stressing that the state had the economic and human resources required to achieve greater development.
Yayi also urged other governorship candidates and political parties to present their programmes to the electorate, saying voters should be allowed to assess the various plans ahead of the 2027 election.
He further dismissed the controversy surrounding his ancestral roots, describing it as political manoeuvring and an attempt by opponents to distract attention from the issues ahead of the election.
“My ancestral challenge is mere politics and desperation for power. I have a vision and believe in the development of this state, so I refuse to be bothered. I refuse to be blackmailed. Under my government, you must be eminently qualified to earn a position,” he said.
Speaking earlier, the Ogun State IPAC Chairman, Comrade Abayomi Sanyaolu, commended Yayi for what he described as his giant strides across the three senatorial districts of the state.
Sanyaolu also urged all governorship candidates to avoid inflammatory language and personal attacks during the 2027 electioneering, calling instead for issue-based campaigns in which candidates would present their manifestos and programmes to the electorate.
