The political family of former Oyo State governor, Late Lam Adesina, appears set to reassert its influence within the All Progressives Congress in the state ahead of the 2027 governorship election, as his son, a UK trained medical doctor, Dr Ayo Lam-Adesina, formally declared his intention to contest the state’s number one seat.
Lam-Adesina, who has spent decades in the United Kingdom working within the National Health Service, said he would seek the APC ticket, anchoring his ambition on what he described as a revival of progressive politics in Oyo State.
Speaking at an interactive media session with journalists and supporters in Ibadan on Tuesday, the governorship hopeful said his decision was driven by concern over what he termed a gradual decline in the core values that once defined the Southwest geopolitical region.
“I will contest for governor under the APC platform, the principal objective is to bring Oyo State back to what it used to be, a state full of opportunities for everybody,” Dr Lam-Adesina declared.
The aspirant traced his political consciousness to his late father and other prominent progressive leaders in the region, including late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Bola Ige.
According to him, the philosophy of equal opportunity, free education and people centered governance shaped his upbringing and continues to influence his political thinking.
He recalled benefitting from the free education policies implemented during the old Oyo State era and lamented what he described as a steady erosion of standards in public schools and healthcare sector.
“When we were growing up, parents wanted their children to attend the same public schools they attended. Today, can we confidently send our children to those same schools?” he asked.
Lam-Adesina also cited his recent free health outreach programmes in parts of the state, where screenings for hypertension and diabetes revealed alarming results among residents.
“It felt as if some people were walking around unaware of how serious their health conditions were,” he said, while linking the situation to systemic gaps in public healthcare delivery.
The UK trained medical professional, who rose to become a Director within the National Health Service, said he deliberately stayed away from frontline politics for years despite offers of appointments at both federal and state levels under the administrations of former president Olusegun Obasanjo and Late Abiola Ajimobi.
He disclosed that he was once offered a federal appointment and later invited to join the cabinet of the late Abiola Ajimobi, but declined both positions to avoid perceptions of political entitlement.
“For the last 13 years since my father passed on, I have worked behind the scenes to promote unity in the party,” he said.
He added that while practicing medicine in the UK, he frequently traveled home several times a year to maintain grassroots connections across Ibadan, Ibarapa, Ogbomoso, Oke Ogun and Oyo zones.
He maintained that his aspiration was not about inheriting a political structure but about sustaining what he described as the Lamist ideology, a political tendency built around the late governor’s school of thought.
“I cannot deny where I come from but this is not a chieftaincy title. It is about the future of our children,” he stated.
Dr Lam-Adesina’s declaration comes amid ongoing realignments within the Oyo APC.
Speaking on the just concluded APC Congress held in Ibadan, Dr Lam-Adesina commended the emergence of former deputy governor, Moses Alake Adeyemo as the state chairman of the party, describing him as a unifier capable of stabilising the party after years of internal challenges.
He expressed confidence that the APC could present a formidable front in 2027 if leaders focus on reconciliation and collective progress rather than factional interests.
The aspirant argued that politics in Nigeria may have become heavily monetised, but insisted that narrative and vision still matter.
Citing growing youth unemployment and migration trends, he warned that failure to invest in quality education and job creation could expose the Southwest to social instability similar to what triggered the security challenges in the Northern part of the country.
“In our culture, education led to responsibility. You went to school, got a job and took care of your parents in old age. Today, many leave the country because there are no jobs, and elderly parents are left behind,” he lamented.
With the 2027 governorship election still a little far away, Dr Lam-Adesina said his immediate focus would be consultations across party structures and traditional political blocs in the state.
He maintained that his ambition represents what he termed a “natural progression” in leadership, promising an inclusive government that would cater not only to the affluent but also to the vulnerable.
