The political arena has been crowded month after month with ideas, claims, and policy options presented as if they alone hold the key to Nigeria’s salvation. Every team insists its blueprint is best. Every camp insists its candidate is the solution. Yet in the middle of these loud declarations, another battle plays out—fierce, distracting, and often dangerous.
The atmosphere of competition has come with pressure and violence. Allegations and counter-allegations are sometimes unleashed not to reveal truth, but to poison the minds of electorates. For many, politics is used as a weapon to break confidence; to confuse ordinary people; and to derail the destiny that voters have the power to reshape.
But here is the truth: most of these allegations do not deserve more than the paper they are written on. At best, they are political inventions conjured by those who stand to gain directly if the terrain is tampered with. They instigate fake news, wrap lies in media noise, and manufacture misinformation. And when persuasion fails, they move to anti-people theatrics: partisan protests, distractions, and fruitless litigations filed by those who may have participated in the electoral process only as observers—yet somehow are promised a “meal ticket” by a perceived warlord figure who, it appears, has now been left with no option but to join the people’s train.
I am a student of Nigerian politics, and I speak as a scion of a reputable political family in Idanre. Even while I maintain my strong tie and membership in the All Progressives Congress, (the largest political family in Nigeria today). I also keep studying developments with a clear, unclouded lens.
As a former House of Assembly aspirant and an international citizen, I have no difficulty acknowledging that leadership matters. We may not have arrived at our dreamed destination, but Nigeria is not where it used to be, and the changes we feel today did not come by accident.
That is why the pace of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership remains instructive. He hit the ground running from his first day in office: expunging petrol subsidy from national memory and posting one of the highest foreign reserves in the last twenty-five years. Beyond the headlines, he has also pursued policies that speak to everyday realities, especially in the area of education. As an international student, I understand the value of scholarships and bursaries, and NELFUND stands out as a revolutionary initiative with tangible impact.
Tinubu has also worked toward stabilizing and unifying the exchange rate, improving transparency in the foreign exchange market and bridging the gap between tax and GDP ratio to encourage trade and economic growth. His administration has strengthened local crude oil production while pushing infrastructural interventions in roads, rail, and ports (areas that should never be neglected).
More importantly, Tinubu has championed a deliberate shift on local government autonomy, challenging the lukewarm or selective compliance of state governors, a stance that has been confirmed by the apex court in the land. He has also leveraged legislative strength to deepen tax generation and create structures for effective revenue agencies. And on security, he has taken the war to the “hydra-headed monster” called terrorism—through massive recruitment into the police and improved remuneration to global standards, alongside initiatives aimed at stamping out banditry.
Leadership, truly, is not only measured by what it promises, but by what it dares, reforms, and delivers.
With this background and acknowledging the analyses made by other writers before me, my conclusion is firm: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the only leader whose capacity aligns with Nigeria’s struggles and its next phase of progress.
I also recognize the significance of the governors currently supporting his leadership. If they chose to stand with capacity, it is because they understood what others dismissed.
But elections are not fought only at the presidential level. The real test is how the momentum translates into representation—into legislation, oversight, community development, and opportunities for communities like ours in Idanre.
Idanre has grown into a political center-point in Ondo State, strengthened further by the massive flag-off that took place in our local government and in our community. That is encouraging.
However, celebration alone will not secure representation. We must position ourselves for the opportunities ahead by doing one thing decisively: turn out massively and cast unprecedented votes for our APC candidates.
And the APC is bringing the people’s options clearly:
(1) Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire SAN (OMO EKUN)
Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire is a distinguished senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a legal heavyweight. His rise to professional excellence (taking the Silk before venturing into politics) reflects discipline, competence, and a deep understanding of the law.
Coming from the prestigious family of Chief Adewunmi Adegbonmire and the political history of Ondo State, Adegbonmire has not treated politics as a playground. In his first term, his competence earned him meaningful committee appointments: first as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, and later as Chair after reshuffling in July 2024.
He currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Act (seen as one of the path-finding minds shaping reforms, including innovations) being touted for the electoral process such as electronic transmission of results. His portfolio also includes Chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Colleges and Institutions, with contributions that include the upgrade of FECA. He is also a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriation—one of the most influential committees in the Senate.
And beyond committee work, he has been deployed to oversee matters of national importance, including probing the management of the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Company.
If Adegbonmire can help push critical national priorities like infrastructure inclusion in budgets and influence toward institutions such as FUTA Teaching Hospital in Akure—then a second term can open the door for a federal tertiary institution in Idanre.
Idanre needs that kind of legislative strength.
(2) Hon. Festus Akingbaso (Fessywest)
Hon. Festus Akingbaso is known as a people’s person. There is no debate that he has the intention to transform lives in Idanre and Ifedore hence the massive support he received in the last election. His record is not theoretical; it is visible.
Akingbaso’s personality is reflected in his conduct: humble, industrious, and smart. He has validated the APC ticket through good governance at the constituency level, and he is ready to return to the National Assembly to represent Idanre/Ifedore and bring more capacity to the work of the House.
As Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Aviation, he demonstrated ability and representation by tabling issues affecting his people through bills and motion, including initiatives around higher institutions and conditions of our roads.
He also commenced an ambitious civic center to immortalize our departed monarch. He pioneered a pivotal department in both Idanre and Ifedore, the Nigeria Fire Service, contributed to bridges and community development.
This is the kind of character that can represent Idanre with pride.
3) Akinboni Kayode (Kayval)
In a way, the third aspirant—Akinboni Kayode (Kayval, represents a necessary break from the status quo.
Akinboni is not a stranger to leadership. As one of the leaders of the National Association of Idanre Students (NAIS), I led his campaign team to victory when he emerged as President of the body. I am proud to see that the young man and mentee of those years is maturing into a leadership path that can help define the destiny of the constituency in the coming years.
Idanre needs renewal, energy, and direction and Kayval offers exactly that.
I, Akinlalu Akinjide Vincent, present these candidates to you with confidence. Their credibility and capacity are not built on noise but built on purpose, service, and results.
Now the next step belongs to us.
Let’s deliver them. Let’s take our place in destiny.
Thank you.
Hon. Akinlalu Akinjide writes from the United States.