The battle for Ogun State Government House in 2027 has taken a more explosive turn, as former Nigerian Ambassador to Zambia and Malawi, Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello, has challenged the political journey and ancestral claims of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi.
Marcus-Bello, a former Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs, questioned how a politician whose major political career was built in Lagos could subsequently emerge as a representative of Ogun West and now seek to govern Ogun State.
Her central question is not merely about Adeola’s movement from one constituency to another, but about identity, indigeneity, representation and the right of Ogun people to demand clarity from anyone seeking the state’s highest political office.
“He left The Guardian and emerged in the public domain with a new name and a new face. I have no problem with that. But what does he take Ogun State for?” Marcus-Bello said.
She added: “He went to the Lagos State House of Assembly, moved from there to the Senate via Lagos, and then jumped to Ogun State. So now it’s Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun.”
The former ambassador further alleged that Adeola had claimed Ekiti indigeneship during his years at The Guardian, an assertion that has become one of the most contentious issues in the unfolding 2027 political battle.
Adeola has rejected the allegations and, through his media adviser, threatened legal action against Marcus-Bello and suspended APC member Abayomi Hunye, demanding evidence to substantiate claims that he is an indigene of Ekiti State.
But rather than withdraw her allegation, Marcus-Bello has challenged Adeola to pursue the matter in court, insisting that she possesses documents relating to his family history.
Marcus-Bello argued that Adeola’s previous representation of Lagos should be distinguished from his current bid to govern Ogun.
“Senatorial representation is sectional. If the Awori people accepted him as their senator and saw nothing wrong with it, that was fine,” she said.
“But this is now an Ogun State affair, and what I stand for is justice and fair play.”
The controversy is particularly significant because Adeola’s political career spans both Lagos and Ogun.
He represented Lagos West in the Senate before winning the Ogun West senatorial seat in 2023, and he is now the APC candidate for the 2027 Ogun governorship election.
For Marcus-Bello and other critics, the question therefore extends beyond where Adeola has contested elections. It touches on whether a candidate seeking to become governor should be able to provide an unequivocal account of his ancestry and connection to the state.
The dispute has now moved beyond campaign rhetoric.
Adeola has demanded evidence and threatened litigation, while Marcus-Bello has said she is prepared to defend her claims.
In a separate development, PDP governorship candidate Ladi Adebutu also challenged Adeola to proceed with the threatened lawsuit, saying he was prepared to defend his own position in court.
An APC chieftain, Kayode Oladele, has meanwhile rejected Marcus-Bello’s claims, insisting that Adeola’s paternal ancestral roots are in Pahayi and Isaga Orile in Ogun State.
That leaves Ogun voters facing competing narratives that demand evidence rather than political slogans.
The central issue now is straightforward:
Where exactly are Senator Adeola’s ancestral roots, and can the competing claims be settled conclusively by verifiable family, community and official records?
As the 2027 contest intensifies, the question of ancestry is becoming intertwined with the broader debate over who has the legitimacy to seek Ogun’s highest political office, what constitutes genuine connection to the state, and what standard of accountability should apply to every candidate seeking the mandate of Ogun people.
For Marcus-Bello, the answer is rooted in what she describes as justice and fair play.
For Adeola and his supporters, the allegations are false and defamatory.
The evidence, rather than political accusation, will ultimately determine which account stands.