Shokeye, who spoke on Fresh 107.9 FM Abeokuta’s current affairs programme, stated that the geographical size, population, cultural diversity and financial demands of Ogun State make its governorship contest more complex and expensive than that of Ekiti State.
According to him, Ekiti has 16 local government areas, compared with Ogun’s 20, while Ogun is approximately three times larger in landmass and two-and-a-half times larger in population.
"Why would anyone jettison the ease he would enjoy in Ekiti State with its cultural homogeneity and embrace the rigour to navigate through the rough seas of tribal lines and vast heterogeneity in Ogun State? The argument that Ogun State has a better financial status than Ekiti State does not hold water here, as the Senator could have stayed back in Lagos State that flows with milk and honey if his ambition was for resource sake"
“If he is from Ekiti, why would he leave Ekiti, where it is cheaper and easier to contest, and come to Ogun State, where it is more expensive and more complex? If it was about resources, he would have stayed in Lagos, where he was already a senator,” Shokeye argued.
The APC chieftain also highlighted the cultural differences across Ogun’s three senatorial districts, noting that Ogun West comprises Yewa, Awori and Egun communities, while Ogun Central and Ogun East are home to Egba, Remo and Ijebu communities with distinct cultural identities and voting patterns.
Shokeye maintained that Adeola’s return to Ogun should be understood as a homecoming rather than an attempt by an outsider to claim the state’s governorship.
Responding to questions about former critics who have now aligned with the senator’s political camp, Shokeye posited that changing positions could reflect a better understanding of the facts.
“When you don’t have the true position of things, you might form an opinion. By the time you have the true position of it, your opinion might change. I’m sure enough of them got the true position of things, realised their folly over time, and decided to stand in the position of truth,” he said.
Shokeye identified Ishaga Pahai as the senator’s paternal home and Kenta Odutolu in Egbaland as his maternal roots, adding that the people of Kemta Odutolu had accepted him, while voters in Pahai had elected him to represent them in the Senate.
The Revenue consultant in Abeokuta South likened the senator’s return to his ancestral home to the biblical account of David, who was called from the field and eventually chosen to become king of Israel.
“Perhaps today, a son of Yewa who has been abroad has been led back to his roots, and his people did not reject him; they accepted him. So why will anybody now come and challenge his people for accepting back their son?” he asked.
Shokeye also questioned why critics had not opposed Adeola’s constituency projects and other development interventions in Ogun State while he served as senator.
He urged political stakeholders to move beyond arguments over ancestry and focus on the state’s political future, describing the reported endorsement of Adeola by former Ogun governors as a significant development in the debate over power rotation and representation.
