The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, has dismissed claims that the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Adeola, is not an indigene of the state.
Salako also rejected allegations concerning Adeola’s identity and background, insisting that the senator, popularly known as Yayi, has roots in Ogun State on both his paternal and maternal sides.
The minister made the clarification on Tuesday while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, a day after former Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area, Wale Adedayo, alleged that Adeola originated from Ekiti State and was previously known as Sulaimon Ogunleye.
Salako said Adeola’s paternal family originated from Paayi near Ilaro, while he was born and raised in Ipaja, Lagos State.
He argued that Ipaja was historically established by Yewa people and noted that Adeola’s father also lived in the neighbouring Ishaga area.
According to the minister, Adeola’s educational records have consistently identified Ogun State as his state of origin.
“I knew Yayi in 2000 when he was in the Lagos State House of Assembly as a Yewa indigene. We had the Yewa Awori Youth Leadership Forum,” Salako said.
He further cited the Oba of Ishaga and the Baale of Paayi as among those who had attested to Adeola’s ancestral roots in Ogun State.
Salako also said Adeola’s maternal ancestry could be traced to Kenta in Abeokuta, while his sister, who resides in Yewa North Local Government Area, had publicly identified him as her brother.
Salako Explains Adeola’s Name Change
Addressing questions surrounding the senator’s name, Salako said Adeola legally changed his name while working with The Guardian newspaper.
He explained that Adeola adopted his father’s middle name, Adeola, and changed Sulaiman to Solomon while retaining Olamilekan.
“He changed his name while he was working with The Guardian. He also changed his faith. He decided to adopt the middle name of his father, which is Adeola, and changed his Sulaiman to Solomon, and continued with Olamilekan, which is his middle name,” Salako said.
According to him, the name change was publicly advertised in newspapers in accordance with legal requirements, adding that Adeola had contested elections under the name Solomon Olamilekan Adeola since his bid for the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Salako compared the development to instances involving prominent American politicians who have changed or modified their names, including former US President Bill Clinton and Vice President JD Vance.
APC Followed Due Process, Minister Says
The minister also defended the APC’s decision to nominate Adeola as its governorship candidate, saying the process followed the party’s established procedures.
He described Adeola as the most prepared candidate among those seeking to govern Ogun State and highlighted his grassroots connections and support across the state.
Salako further argued that the political history of Ogun State supported the emergence of a Yewa candidate in the next governorship election.
He noted that since 1979, the governorship had largely rotated between the state’s major political divisions, including the Ijebu/Remo and Egba/Yewa areas, but that the Yewa axis had yet to produce a governor.
“This time, there is a consensus that, since the incumbent is Remo from Ijebu/Remo division, the next governor should come from the Yewa wing of Egba/Yewa,” he said.
Salako maintained that Adeola’s emergence was determined by the majority through a process he described as transparent and compliant with the party’s procedures.
He added that the senator’s record of grassroots engagement and support further strengthened his candidacy ahead of the election.
