GNI again? This is the question on the lips of many, especially those familiar with the political situation in the country. Why this question? Wait, we will take you down memory lane…

In 2011, the Yewa-born Gboyega Nasir Isiaka became one of the talked-about politicians in Ogun State. That was when he contested for the number one job in the state and was ably supported by the then incumbent governor, OtunbaGbenga Daniel, also known as OGD. Before then, the investment banker served as a  Special Assistant on Investments to OGD in 2003 and later rose to become the Group Managing Director of Gateway Holdings Limited, GHL, Ogun State’s investment company.

As the 2011 election approached, it seemed like destiny had called him to higher service as OGD anointed him as his preferred successor. It was indeed a tough one for the man fondly known as GNI. That year’s governorship election was one of the toughest in the history of the gateway state.

Faced with stiff opposition within the then-ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), he defected to the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN). He campaigned tirelessly, and money was thrown around, but it was all in futility, despite his and the party’s efforts, Isiaka fell short, finishing third in an election that Senator IbikunleAmosun (ACN) eventually won. To say it was a setback for his political career was to put it mildly. It was a shaky moment for his political trajectory, and he coiled back to his cocoon. 

However, not too long after, he came back and this time around he contested for the House of Representatives. Today, the man who represents the Yewa North/ ImekoAfon Federal Constituency has a bigger dream.

As gathered by Society Watch, the 63-year-old is taking another shot at the plum job in the state. Just as it was in 2011, he is likely to be considered the preferred candidate of the incumbent governor, Prince DapoAbiodun, in the 2027 governorship election. This, as gathered, has generated mixed reactions among stakeholders in the state. Many believe that the lawmaker is coming to serve as a joy killer for Senator Solomon Adeola, fondly known as Yayi,  who is considered the best candidate of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), considering that GNI and Yayi are from the same ethnic group in the state, Yewa.

It was revealed that some eminent personalities, including top politicians, are already making efforts to persuade the lawmaker from being a spanner in the progress wheel of Yayi’s political advancement.