By: Biodun Eniola
My attention has been drawn to an advertorial credited to Dr. Rasaq Oladiti Lamidi, a publication that once again exposes how blind loyalty can overshadow truth, reason and the collective interest of the people. History is replete with examples of individuals who, in pursuit of political relevance, personal gain or the favour of powerful benefactors, chose to defend personalities rather than principles.
One of the most infamous examples was Vidkun Quisling. In 1940, following the German invasion of Norway during the Second World War, Quisling aligned himself with the occupying forces and attempted to seize power, placing personal ambition above the sovereignty and welfare of his nation. His actions were widely regarded as a monumental betrayal of the Norwegian people. Following the war, he was tried for treason, convicted and executed in 1945. So notorious was his conduct that his surname, “Quisling,” entered the English language as a permanent synonym for a traitor, collaborator or someone who betrays the interests of his own people in service of another.
The lesson from history remains timeless, when loyalty to an individual supersedes commitment to truth, accountability and the public good, society becomes the ultimate casualty. It is against this backdrop that I find it necessary to respond to the misleading claims contained in the said advertorial credited to Dr. Lamidi, whose loyalty to emperor Muraina Ajibola Saubana can even lead him to killing his biological parents if they were still alive provided that doing so were the only way for the former three-term lawmaker to remain in power perpetually.
Dr. Oladiti’s disposition ridiculously suggests a level of political devotion that appears more anchored in personal allegiance than in objective analysis. Such excessive loyalty often clouds judgment, reducing public discourse to little more than an exercise in personality cultism and political propaganda. The people of Igbo-Ora, Idere, Ayete, Tapa and Igangan deserve facts, not fiction; accountability, not blind adulation and leadership evaluated on performance rather than sustained by a chorus of unquestioning praise.
To place matters in their proper perspective, Hon. Sarafa Olaoniye remains a leading figure within the APC’s political architecture for Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections. More significantly, he stands as the aspirant possessing the requisite political capital, grassroots resonance, broad-based acceptability, organisational capacity and electoral viability necessary to mount a formidable challenge against the incumbent, Hon. Anthony Adepoju. Recall that the incumbent secured victory in 2023 against a political establishment many people thought was unbeatable, doing so even amidst the electoral momentum generated by the presidential candidacy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Such a development was neither incidental nor accidental; it was a strong indication that the electorate had begun to reassess entrenched political assumptions and longstanding power structures.
It is equally instructive to remember that while Hon. Muraina Ajibola Muraina suffered defeat in Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North despite the so-called Tinubu electoral tsunami that swept through much of the South-West, his counterpart, Engr. Remi Oseni of Ido/Ibarapa East Federal Constituency, secured a commanding victory with a margin exceeding 15,000 votes. The contrast is both striking and illuminating. It demonstrates that electoral success is not merely a function of riding the crest of a national political current; it is fundamentally anchored in local acceptance, sustained grassroots engagement and the confidence reposed in a candidate by his constituents. Where such confidence exists, victory follows. Where it does not, no political tide, however powerful, can fully compensate for its absence.
Across the civilised world, academic distinction is ordinarily deployed as an instrument for innovation, enlightenment and societal advancement. Doctoral laurels are earned to expand the frontiers of knowledge, challenge orthodoxy and provide solutions to complex human problems. It is therefore utterly disappointing when intellectual attainment becomes subordinated to political servility and uncritical partisanship. The individual in question, rather than utilising the prestige and influence associated with his academic accomplishments to champion development and progressive discourse, appears determined to expend his intellectual energies in the perpetual defence of a political benefactor who gave him a PTDF slot some years ago to pursue MSc and PhD abroad. The irony is particularly glaring when one considers that numerous beneficiaries of similar PTDF scholarship opportunities earned their own places through merit and have since leveraged their academic exposure to uplift their communities, advance public causes and bring honour to their people. They returned as agents of development and transformation; they did not return as permanent custodians of political propaganda or defenders of an increasingly exhausted political order.
While I have no intention of descending into the unproductive politics of parochial sentiment and communal chauvinism so enthusiastically embraced by the Vidkun Quisling of Idere Land, who has travelled beyond the chores of Nigeria with 100% primitive way of life till date, it has nevertheless become necessary to properly acquaint the public with the electoral realities of Ibarapa Central. The local government, comprising Igbo-Ora and Idere, is traditionally delineated into three distinct political blocs. Hon. Sarafa Olaoniye hails from Bloc 3, the incumbent federal lawmaker, Hon. Adebayo Adepoju, originates from Bloc 1, while Hon. Muraina Ajibola is from Bloc 2. These are not matters of conjecture but verifiable political facts.
More importantly, the electoral arithmetic of the 2023 contest remains instructive. It was Bloc 3, the political constituency from which Hon. Sarafa Olaoniye hails, that substantially narrowed the electoral deficit suffered by Hon. Muraina in Igbo-Ora. Through an impressive mobilisation effort, all the three political wards within Bloc 3 were overwhelmingly delivered in support of Hon. Muraina. To therefore diminish the significance of that contribution from Idere is to engage in historical revisionism of the most transparent variety. The reality remains that Hon. Muraina’s eventual defeat was principally a consequence of widespread voter fatigue and a growing desire among the electorate for a different political direction. While the votes from Idere undeniably helped reduce the margin of defeat, they were insufficient to reverse the broader verdict delivered by the people of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North.
Even more revealing is the fact that despite being a native of Bloc 2, Hon. Muraina’s electoral performance within his immediate political base fell considerably short of expectations. In democratic politics, there can be no more telling referendum on a politician’s standing than the verdict rendered by those who know him best. Electoral underperformance within one’s traditional stronghold invariably raises questions about grassroots appeal, local confidence and enduring political relevance.
What is particularly disheartening in this entire discourse is the persistent attempt by the Idere-born political PhD holder to advance narratives that place personal allegiance above communal interest and objective analysis. The argument being propagated that one aspirant possesses superior electoral value merely because he comes from a locality with a larger concentration of wards in Ibarapa Central betrays a fundamentally flawed understanding of electoral politics. Elections are won not by geography alone but through credibility, acceptability, performance, political organisation and the ability to inspire confidence across multiple communities and demographic divides.
The people of Idere, like every other community within the constituency, deserve advocates who will advance their collective aspirations rather than diminish their political relevance in pursuit of individual political interests. Communities prosper when their sons and daughters champion their interests with conviction, not when they become instruments in narratives designed to subordinate local aspirations to the ambitions of a select political class. Political discourse should elevate communities, strengthen democratic participation and encourage fair competition not reduce entire communities to mere footnotes in the perpetual quest to sustain established political hierarchies.
History shows that whenever his political mentor wins elections, he hardly stays around the people again. He only returns close to another election cycle. It is also widely believed that he has been winning elections over the years with the support of influential grassroots politicians like Bibire. In 2015, when Bibire was not in his camp, he lost badly. Even in 2023, the high number of votes he got in Idere, where he recorded one of his strongest performances, was largely attributed to Bibire’s influence.
As 2027 approaches, it is important to note that only Bibire can truly claim strong ancestral links with three of the five communities in Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency. His presence on the ballot is likely to generate protest votes, especially in Idere, where the last time their son contested and won on a major party platform was in 2003. The same situation applies to Tapa, which has never produced the seat since 1999 and Igangan, where many people may also see Bibire’s candidacy as a form of local representation because of family and community ties. Igbo-Ora, he once served as Executive Vice Chairman and Caretaker Chairman of Ibarapa Central and the achievements recorded during that period in the community can still be verified. Anywhere you go in any of the five communities in the constituency, it is Bibire’s name that the majority of people are speaking good of. He is not only generous but equally accessible.
We are strongly aware that the opposition would prefer Muraina to get the party ticket instead of Bibire because it would make the election easier for the sitting lawmaker. However, the political situation in the constituency has started changing since the emergence of Bibire as the APC candidate for the next National Assembly election in the constituency, Bibire is that grassroots politician who has invested personal resources into political mobilisation despite not holding public office.
It is, however, clear that some people’s main political activity is defending their preferred leader at all costs, even when public opinion is shifting. They continue to promote a politician who is seen by many as having been on the ballot for nearly 20 years without allowing space for others to grow politically. Unfortunately, this kind of loyalty is sometimes placed above the general interest of the people.
The main issue is not personal attack but political reality. Over the years, there is no evidence of strong political mentorship or the emergence of new leaders from his political structure. Even when he held a major position at the House of Representatives, including chairing the Petroleum Committee, no one can point at any of his projects that directly or indirectly improve the lives of the people of his constituency. After 12 years at the green chambers, it is a pity that one still needs to travel to the Jupiter to see any of his projects in Igbo-Ora, Idere, Ayete, Tapa and Igangan.
Indeed, if there is one thing that cannot be taken away from Bibire, it is his strong loyalty to Hon. Muraina. Even during periods when Muraina was at loggerheads with the current state government and despite the political opportunities and overtures extended to Bibire by the same government to abandon Muraina , Bibire chose to remain firmly in Muraina’s camp. While others calculated their interests and adjusted their allegiances according to political convenience, he stood by Muraina through the storms and the sunshine, through moments of uncertainty and moments of relevance.
This therefore raises a legitimate political question: when does Muraina intend to reciprocate such uncommon loyalty? Having enjoyed the steadfast support of Bibire through difficult and turbulent periods, when will he consider stepping aside to support a man who has consistently defended him, mobilised for him and remained loyal when many others would have sought greener political pastures? Loyalty is a two-way street. If loyalty is expected from followers, then gratitude and reciprocity should also be expected from leaders. After years of standing shoulder to shoulder with Muraina through political headwinds and victories alike, Bibire deserves more than endless promises; he deserves an opportunity to reap the fruits of his commitment and sacrifice.
If not for what many would describe as a reluctance to transition into elder statesmanship, Hon. Muraina, having served in various political capacities perpetually since 2002, would by now have naturally evolved into a regional political leader of influence, one who mentors successors, shapes political direction and helps determine who emerges at different levels of leadership. Instead, his continued presence in the contestable political space has left no room for the emergence of new leadership within his immediate political structure.
This has raised concerns among observers who believe that political longevity should ordinarily translate into political succession planning and deliberate grooming of new actors, rather than perpetual participation in the same electoral cycle. In democratic practice, leadership is not only about occupying office but also about knowing when to step aside to allow others to grow. The future of any political structure depends not only on its current strength but also on its ability to produce new leaders who can carry it forward beyond the influence of a single individual. This is why the debate around representation, performance and political relevance continues to grow ahead of 2027 and no Rasaq Oladiti can stop an idea whose time has come.
The warning remains urgent; no one should, in the name of political ambition, reduce or misrepresent the dignity of our ancestral homeland. Idere is not a bargaining chip for personal political convenience, nor should it be dragged into narratives that diminish its collective identity and the aspirations of its promising sons and daughters.
Those close to him must urgently rein him in before personal political interests override sound judgment and lead to the projection of harmful and dismissive narratives about Idere. No individual ambition is worth the distortion of an entire community’s image or the undermining of its future prospects.
Idere deserves respect. Idere deserves fairness. And Idere deserves a higher standard of political responsibility from those who claim to speak in its name.
“And do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.” Qur’an 5:8
Biodun Eniola writes from Oyo state. He can be reached via eniolaabiodunduro@gmail.com or 09036422031.
