The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda,
has affirmed Ogun State as a strong base of the APC, saying that Ogun people will demonstrate this by voting massively for the party in Saturday, 16 August, 2025, by-election in the state.
He also described the Gateway International Airport as a game changer capable of creating a new economy by opening the state to the outside world.
Prof. Yilwatda stated this at the airport on his way to Abuja after attending the grand finale campaign of the party’s candidate for Remo Federal Constituency, Hon. Adesola Elegbeji, in Sagamu on Thursday, 14 August, 2025.
The Chairman described the airport as a representation of the progressive transformation nature of the APC.
“We have known the APC as a progressive party with progressive policies and programs, and this is one of them.
“Creating a new economy out of Ogun State, ensuring that Ogun State is open to the world, and that is the reason we are here: to ensure that the National Assembly from Ogun State is populated by the APC, and we are sure that we will achieve this.
“I am not trying to look down on any political party, but I don’t think there is any other political party aside from the APC; we have only one party.
“Anyone who votes for any other party aside from the APC is wasting their vote. I look forward to winning massively in Ogun State. It is our terrain, it is our state, it is our environment.”
He said it is the desire of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the state to align with the centre.
He added: “He wants your votes to be given to our candidate; he needs her to be part of the National Assembly.
“We want to have the West, we want to have the South, we want to have the North; we want the party to be a national party, and she is that voice, she is that person, she is that woman that we await in the National Assembly.”
Also speaking, Governor Dapo Abiodun assured residents of the Federal Constituency that adequate security measures have been put in place to enable them to exercise their franchise in Saturday, by-election.
He called on the electorate to come out en masse and vote for the candidate of the party, as security has been beefed up for their safety.
He said: “I am the executive governor of this state, and by the power conferred on me, as the Chief Security Officer of this state, it would not be right if I did not ensure that necessary steps are taken to ensure that we have free, transparent, and successful elections.
“I believe the security architecture is fully briefed. This election will be peaceful; we will do anything to ensure that our citizens go out and exercise their franchise without anyone disturbing them.
“I have warned that if you are not planning to go out and vote peacefully, stay at home and stay away from the ballot boxes because we will deal with you decisively.”
Abiodun, who recalled the violence that characterized the 2023 general election and the local government elections—marked by thuggery, ballot box snatching, and attempted assassination by the opposition—vowed that similar occurrences would not be tolerated this time.
“We will not tolerate any disturbances of any kind, and the truth is that it is the APC that lost a House of Representatives seat, and we are simply trying to replace it with another woman.
“We are adequately prepared, as we have gone to every ward, and I have visited all the local government areas in the constituency, campaigning for our candidate. I have mobilized all and sundry, so I expect that come Saturday, the election will go peacefully, transparently, and it will be a landslide victory in favour of the APC,” he added.
Abiodun said his administration has done the needful to ensure inter-party tolerance and to avoid unnecessary heating of the polity, emphasizing that the peaceful atmosphere in the state has boosted its ranking as the foremost state in Foreign Direct Investment.
The Deputy Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 governorship election in the state, who is now a member of the ruling party, Hon. Abdukabir Adekunle Akinlade, called on the people of Remoland to come out in large numbers and cast their votes for the APC candidate.
Also, the state Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and the Chairman of Odeda Local Government, Hon. (Mrs.) Adeyemo Folashade, described Adesola Elegbeji as a capable woman who will bring the dividends of democracy to the people of Remoland, urging the people to come out in large numbers and vote for the APC.
