Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Tunde Lemo, has withdrawn from the Ogun State governorship race, throwing his support behind Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, who has been adopted as the All Progressives Congress consensus candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Lemo announced the decision in a statement released on Wednesday in Abeokuta, saying it followed “deep reflection and wide consultations” with party leaders and stakeholders across the state.
Framing his withdrawal not as a defeat but as a deliberate act of statesmanship, the former banker described the move as a strategic realignment in the broader interest of the party and Ogun State.
“This is not a retreat from service. It is a deliberate, strategic alignment for the greater good,” he said.
Lemo expressed confidence in the judgment of APC party elders, who believe Adeola has the capacity to consolidate the gains of the current administration under Governor Dapo Abiodun and position Ogun State as Nigeria’s industrial and innovation hub. He added that the consensus arrangement was designed to foster unity across the state’s three senatorial zones and strengthen the party’s overall electoral prospects.
Issuing a rallying call to fellow party members, Lemo drew on the lessons of past disunity within the progressive fold.
“For too long, fragmentation has cost progressives momentum. We must close ranks. Leaders must lead by example, not by insisting on self, but by enabling strength,” he said.
He called on his supporters and political structures across the state’s 20 local government areas to mobilise fully behind Adeola’s campaign, pledging to deploy his expertise in finance, enterprise, and public policy in support of the party’s victory.
“The contest ahead is not about individuals. It is about Ogun’s future. Let us be on the right side of history — united, focused, and victorious,” he said.
Lemo’s announcement came two days after the Ogun APC formally adopted Adeola as its governorship candidate.