“He Was My Personal Person”: Yayi Vows to Immortalise Ogogo, Reveals Cabinet Plans

Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, the APC governorship candidate for Ogun State, has promised to immortalise late Nollywood icon Taiwo Hassan (Ogogo) if elected, during a condolence visit to the actor’s family in Ilaro on Tuesday.

He revealed that concrete steps had been taken to secure medical care abroad for Ogogo, including visa applications and travel arrangements to India, and that he had planned to appoint him as Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism with full cabinet rank.

A Promise Made, A Dream Deferred

Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Ogun State, has promised to immortalise the late Nollywood veteran Hassan Taiwo (Ogogo) if elected into office as the State Governor in 2027.

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Adeola made the pledge on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, during a condolence visit to Ogogo’s family at Ilaro, the headquarters of Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State .

The senator, who returned to the country on Monday after a brief vacation abroad, expressed sadness over the passing of the late actor, whom he described as his “personal person” .

“Death Was Cruel”

Recounting their intimate relationship and the final days of the legendary actor, Senator Adeola stated that prior to his passing, concrete steps had been taken to secure medical care abroad for Ogogo.

“Death was cruel for taking Ogogo away from Yewaland, Ogun State, and Nigeria as a whole. He was scheduled to be taken to India for advanced medical treatment. We had already processed the visa applications and made all necessary travel arrangements to fly him out of the country. However, before the visa could be issued, he became extremely weak and could no longer make the trip,” Adeola said.

A Brother and Friend Indeed

Mourning the actor, the senator described Ogogo as a legend, brother and trusted friend who remained committed to his political aspirations.

“We have lost a genuine legend. Ogogo was a brother and a friend indeed. We clicked together from the very first day we met, and that bond remained unbroken until his passage. He carried my burdens passionately and believed fiercely in the vision for a Yewa indigene to produce the governor of Ogun State. He stood solidly behind my political aspirations and did everything humanly possible to see it actualised,” the Senator recalled .

The senator also highlighted Ogogo’s commitment to his political cause, revealing how the late actor championed a grassroots political support group tagged ‘Governor’s Boys’ solely to push the Yayi governorship mandate across all nooks and crannies of the state .

A Cabinet Position Reserved

In recognition of the late actor’s towering contributions to the creative industry and his grassroots mobilisation efforts across the state, Senator Adeola announced that he would immortalise the late film veteran if elected.

He further disclosed that he had already planned to assign a major cabinet position to the late cultural ambassador.

“I had already planned to appoint him as my Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism with full cabinet rank if I am eventually elected as the Governor of Ogun State. Ogogo was not just an icon affiliated with Ilaro, but an ambassador who elevated the image of the entire Ogun State and Nigeria through his craft,” Adeola said .

A Lifelong Commitment

The lawmaker reassured the family of his lifelong commitment to their welfare, while affirming that he considers himself an integral part of the Ogogo household.

“I am now part and parcel of the Ogogo family, and I will support them with everything within my capacity. While I encourage the family to take solace in the Almighty,” he said.

A Lesson for Nigeria

Senator Yayi’s revelation that he had planned to appoint Ogogo as his Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism is a recognition of the immense value that cultural icons bring to governance.

But the tragedy of Ogogo’s death also underscores a painful truth: Nigeria too often loses its cultural treasures before they are fully integrated into the nation’s development agenda.

The same politicians who speak of cultural revival must be willing to institutionalise the role of culture in governance, not just as an afterthought, but as a strategic priority.

Ogogo’s contributions to grassroots mobilisation, his embodiment of Yoruba identity, and his ability to connect with ordinary people are precisely the qualities that a state like Ogun needs as it seeks to position itself as a cultural and tourism hub.Invest in culture.

Honour our icons. And never forget that a nation that forgets its cultural ambassadors forgets its soul.