IJEBU-ODE — In politics, there are those who show up to do the work, and those who show up to be seen doing something. What played out at the gate of Adeola Odutola Hall during the APC stakeholders’ meeting in Ijebu-Ode was a textbook example of the latter.

By now, the viral videos are everywhere: a convoy halted at the gate, raised voices, a suggestion of exclusion. It is a compelling visual—carefully framed, emotionally charged, and entirely misleading.

Because the real story is far less dramatic, and far more instructive.

I was there.

I arrived before 10:00 a.m., well ahead of the scheduled 11:00 a.m. meeting. The rules were already clear and being enforced without exception: no vehicles inside the premises. Everyone—regardless of status—parked outside and walked in. Simple. Orderly. Respectful.

Then came the convoy of Gbenga Daniel.

What followed was not a denial of entry, but a refusal to comply.

Protocol officers did not bar the Senator. They did not exclude him. They offered a straightforward option: step out of the vehicle, walk in with a limited number of aides, and take your seat among other stakeholders. It was the same condition accepted without fuss by figures like Tokunbo Talabi, Senator Lekan Mustapha, and Senator Gbenga Kaka.

But compliance, it seemed, was not the objective.

The insistence was not just on entry—but on spectacle. A full convoy. A crowd. A moment.

And conveniently, cameras were already rolling.

This is where the incident shifts from misunderstanding to strategy. Because what unfolded at that gate bore all the hallmarks of political theatre: a pre-arranged audience, a predictable script, and a ready-made narrative of victimhood.

The timing alone raises questions. Why arrive more than an hour early with a large entourage for a stakeholders’ meeting? Why escalate a situation over a rule that everyone else had quietly obeyed? Why ensure that the cameras captured every second of the standoff?

The answer is as obvious as the videos now circulating online.

If you cannot control the outcome inside the room, you attempt to control the narrative outside it.

And inside that room, the outcome was decisive.

While the drama played out at the gate, stakeholders within the hall conducted their business—calmly, deliberately, and without distraction. When the issue of the 2027 Ogun East Senatorial seat arose, the response was not fragmented or contested. It was unanimous. Governor Dapo Abiodun received the collective endorsement of party leaders.

That is the story that truly matters.

Not the optics of a gate, but the substance of a consensus.

This is not even an isolated pattern. A similar episode reportedly occurred during the visit of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Ogun State—again involving early arrival, crowd pressure, and questions around protocol. When repetition becomes a pattern, it ceases to be coincidence.

It becomes method.

None of this diminishes the stature of Senator Daniel. But stature in politics is not measured by the length of a convoy or the volume of a crowd. It is measured by the ability to work within structures, build consensus, and command respect among peers.

On that count, the contrast in Ijebu-Ode was stark.

At the gate, there was noise.

Inside the hall, there was decision.

At the gate, there was performance.

Inside the hall, there was politics.

And in the end, it is not the loudest moment that defines the future—it is the quiet agreement that follows.

The next chapter of Ogun East politics was not written in front of cameras. It was written where it has always mattered most: among those willing to sit, engage, and decide.

Everything else was just a show.

Abiodeye is a member of Youth for Good Governance, Ogun State Branch.

A gunman killed a Canadian tourist and wounded six other people on Monday at Mexico’s famed Teotihuacan archaeological site, authorities said.

The gunman killed himself after opening fire at the heavily visited destination in central Mexico, home to pre-Aztecan pyramids, according to a security official.

The shooting occurred on the Pyramid of the Moon, a 45-meter (nearly 150-foot) high monument visitors are allowed to climb using steep steps carved of volcanic rock.

Six people were wounded by gunfire and taken to local hospitals, including a Canadian woman, a Colombian woman and child, a Brazilian and two Americans.

Seven other people were injured in the scramble for safety and were treated at the scene after the gunman — identified as Julio Cesar Jasso Ramirez of Mexico — opened fire.

The midday shooting stunned tourists at one of Mexico’s most visited pre-Hispanic sites, less than two months before the 2026 World Cup kicks off with games in Mexico, the United States and Canada.

AFPTV footage showed a body wrapped in a white sheet being walked down the steps of the pyramid.

State authorities at the scene seized a firearm, a knife and unused ammunition and evacuated tourists from the premises.

More than 2,000 years old, the pyramid city near Mexico City attracted over 1.8 million visitors in 2025, tourism officials said.

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand in a post on X called the attack “a horrific act of gun violence.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called for a thorough investigation, and said she sent personnel to the site to provide assistance.

“What happened today in Teotihuacan deeply pains us,” Sheinbaum posted on X.

 ‘Send security’

Located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the capital Mexico City, Teotihuacan draws domestic and foreign tourists to see its pyramids and its Avenue of the Dead.

Federal security officials said police and the national guard were dispatched to the area following the attack.

Videos on social media showed the gunman firing periodic shots from a pistol about halfway up the Pyramid of the Moon while some tourists took cover behind stairs below and others fled.

“A person is opening fire on us, take care friends, send security,” a voice from one video, which AFP has not verified, can be heard saying.

Other videos show authorities examining the pyramid in a complex cordoned off with crime-scene tape.

Designated as a World Heritage site of “outstanding universal value” by the United Nations, the monuments at Teotihuacan were built in the pre-Hispanic Classic period — a golden age of Mesoamerican history — between the first and seventh centuries.

Mexico’s nearly 200 archaeological sites are popular with tourists, and although accidents have been reported, this is the first reported case of armed violence in decades.

While Mexico continues to struggle with frequent drug gang-related violence, untargeted mass shootings are relatively rare, especially compared to the country’s northern neighbor, the United States.

Mexico expects over 5.5 million visitors for the World Cup in June, when the popular football contest hosts national teams from around the world.

American tourist Anna Durmont, a 37-year-old art historian, told AFP she was walking towards the pyramid when she was startled by the sight of emergency vehicles and police.

“It actually felt extremely calm,” Durmont said, explaining she hadn’t heard gunfire.

“It was very measured. The park is full of souvenir sellers and they hadn’t left. It wasn’t clear to us until we got closer that there was a serious emergency,” she said.

The Executive Chairman of Ifo Local Government, Hon. Idris Olalekan Kusimo, on Monday, April 20, 2026, presented a proposed budget of N13.69 billion for the 2026 fiscal year to the Legislative Council, with a call for its prompt consideration and approval.

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‎Tagged the “Budget of Renewed Hope,” the proposal was formally laid before the Council during a plenary session held at the Council Secretariat.
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‎The Chairman described the budget as a strategic roadmap aimed at deepening development, strengthening the local economy, and improving the overall wellbeing of residents across the council area.
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‎In his address, Hon. Kusimo expressed appreciation to the Executive Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, for his continued support towards grassroots development.
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‎He noted that the proposed budget goes beyond fulfilling a statutory requirement, emphasizing that it represents a shared vision focused on sustainable development, infrastructure renewal, economic empowerment, and improved service delivery.
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‎The Chairman disclosed that the budget is balanced, with a total sum of N13,690,777,742.45 (Thirteen Billion, Six Hundred and Ninety Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy-Seven Thousand, Seven Hundred and Forty-Two Naira, Forty-Five Kobo), aligning projected revenues with anticipated expenditures.
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‎Reviewing the performance of the 2025 budget, Hon. Kusimo highlighted key achievements recorded by his administration despite prevailing economic challenges. These include the rehabilitation of rural roads, notable improvements in primary healthcare delivery, sustained support for small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), and enhanced internally generated revenue.
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‎He explained that the 2026 budget is designed to consolidate these gains while accelerating development across critical sectors of the local government.
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‎Responding on behalf of the Legislative Council, the Leader, Hon. Samuel Bamgboye, assured that the proposal would receive thorough scrutiny and expedited consideration to ensure timely passage.
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‎He reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to fiscal discipline, transparency, and responsible governance.
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‎The budget presentation was attended by the Vice Chairman, Hon. Abibat Ojo; Secretary to the Local Government, Mrs. Temitope Adegboyega; Head of Local Government Administration, Mr. Fatai Ogundele; Supervisors; Special Advisers; Directors; Heads of Departments; and other key stakeholders.

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