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At The Gate Or Inside The Room? The Politics Of Performance In Ijebu-Ode By An Eyewitness – Titilope Abidoye

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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.

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CAIDOV Praises IGP Disu As He Clocks 6 Months In Office

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The Centre Against Injustice and Domestic Violence (CAIDOV) has commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, for what it described as a proactive approach to policing in his first six months in office.

 

Disu assumed office in February 2026 as the 23rd indigenous Inspector-General of Police. His appointment was subsequently ratified by the Nigeria Police Council.

In a statement, CAIDOV said the IGP’s first 180 days had been characterised by intelligence-led operations, efforts to improve officers’ welfare and increased emphasis on community engagement.

The organisation said the emerging approach represented a shift from predominantly reactive policing towards prevention, intelligence gathering and faster operational response.

According to CAIDOV, the deployment of drones, surveillance technology and improved intelligence-sharing with other security agencies had strengthened efforts to identify and disrupt criminal networks.

The group also pointed to the IGP’s emphasis on inter-agency and inter-state coordination. In June, the Nigeria Police Force announced the deployment of Deputy Inspectors-General of Police to the six geopolitical zones and directed the commencement of inter-state patrols to improve security coordination and operational effectiveness.

CAIDOV’s Executive Director, Gbenga Soloki, said in the statement that the organisation’s assessment of the IGP’s first six months showed a leadership approach centred on equipment, personnel and community relations.

“IGP Disu’s blueprint is simple: equip the troops, engage the people, and enforce accountability,” Soloki said.

According to him, “the early results show a Police Force that is listening more, responding faster, and policing with the people.”

CAIDOV also highlighted personnel welfare as one of the areas it believes has received attention under Disu.

The organisation cited improvements in operational support, including patrol vehicles and communication equipment, as well as attention to officers’ career progression and welfare.

The Police Force announced in May that Disu had approved the promotion of 17,952 junior police officers nationwide, describing the exercise as part of efforts to improve morale, recognise diligence and strengthen institutional capacity.

At a subsequent decoration ceremony in July, Disu told newly promoted senior officers that their elevation represented greater responsibility and urged them to maintain professionalism, discipline and commitment to service.

CAIDOV said that regular engagement with officers in frontline formations could also contribute to improving morale and operational effectiveness.

The organisation further commended the emphasis on what it described as “Citizen First” policing, saying public confidence remained essential to effective law enforcement.

According to CAIDOV, efforts to strengthen complaint-response mechanisms, address inappropriate checkpoints and engage communities through town-hall meetings could help rebuild trust between police officers and citizens.

The organisation said policing should not be measured only by arrests or security operations but also by how safely and respectfully citizens interact with law-enforcement agencies.

It noted that Disu’s stated commitment to protecting lives and property was central to his maiden address after assuming office.

In his February speech, Disu said he was committed to ensuring the protection of the lives and property of law-abiding citizens and residents across the country.

President Bola Tinubu, while decorating Disu as Acting IGP in February, also charged him to restore peace and strengthen security nationwide, saying he had confidence in Disu’s record and experience.

Beyond conventional policing, Disu’s administration has also begun engaging with broader questions surrounding Nigeria’s security architecture.

In March, the IGP inaugurated a committee on state policing, describing the assignment as “significant and timely” and calling for innovative approaches to the country’s evolving security challenges.

The Police Force also held a strategic leadership retreat for senior officers in March as part of its reform efforts, with discussions focusing on institutional transformation, accountability and responsive policing.

CAIDOV said that such initiatives should be sustained, particularly as Nigeria continues to confront kidnapping, cult-related violence, banditry and other security challenges.

Soloki said the organisation was encouraged by the direction of the Police Force but urged the leadership to maintain momentum.

“Equip the troops, engage the people, and enforce accountability,” he reiterated, stressing that effective policing required both operational capacity and public cooperation.

He added that reforms should be accompanied by continuous training, stronger community partnerships and transparent accountability mechanisms.

CAIDOV therefore called on the IGP to consolidate the gains of his first six months and ensure that reforms introduced at the leadership level translate into improved policing at the command and divisional levels.

The organisation also urged citizens to cooperate with law-enforcement agencies by providing useful information while demanding professionalism and respect for their rights.

“As policing evolves, the people must remain at the centre,” CAIDOV said, adding that sustained community partnership would be critical to building a more responsive and trusted police institution.

The assessment comes six months into Disu’s tenure, a period that has seen the Police Force pursue greater operational coordination, personnel development, technology-driven policing and discussions around state policing.

While CAIDOV acknowledged that six months was still an early period for judging the long-term impact of reforms, it said the direction of the IGP’s leadership offered grounds for continued engagement and scrutiny.

For the organisation, the next phase should be about sustaining the momentum, measuring results and ensuring that the promise of proactive, accountable and citizen-focused policing is reflected in the everyday experience of Nigerians.

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Alimosho Mayhem: AMA Writes Open Letter To APC Chief, Bisi Yusuf 

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An Open Letter to Hon. Bisi Yusuf 

 

From: Hon. Ajoke Moromoke Aminat Obe (AMA) 

 

Date: May 19, 2026

 

Dear Hon. Bisi Yusuf,

 

*PEACE MUST RETURN TO ALIMOSHO*

 

You and I go a long way.

 

During the battle for Agbado Oke-Odo, when Hon. Famuyiwa tried to rob us in the legislative arm of the council, you stood by us. You were a dependable leader and gave us strength in the House. When there was a kangaroo election and we protested, you spoke for us. For that, you have my respect.

I was also one of the people who came to you and asked you to step up and join Her Excellency Adejoke Orelope-Adefulure during the battle for supremacy in Alimosho. You told us categorically that you were no longer interested in politics. I told you then that you couldn’t step back, because peace must return to Alimosho by all means. We had meetings with 5 other leaders after that. The rest is history.

Today you head a faction called TMM. That’s what I need to talk to you about, especially in view of what played out yesterday.

I was an eyewitness, and I almost died or got fatally wounded. But for a guy who kept shouting at me, _”Ama, Ẹ lọ duro si ẹgbẹ ogiri. Ama, go and stand by the wall,”_ I don’t know where I’d be.

In front of me lay an old man flat on his face. I kept picking him up and he kept falling, until that guy came and pulled both of us up.

How did it go all wrong? What happened? Where did the gunshot come from? These questions have been going round and round in my head.

The election was just starting when I got in. I came through the back and saw members from Agbado Oke-Odo. As usual we threw banter at each other, and someone gave up a chair for me and I sat with them. This is what we do in Alimosho. We laugh, we tease each other, we make noise. We don’t shoot people, we don’t kill people, we don’t threaten people, we don’t insult leaders, even when we’re not in the same group. We are not enemies.

Shortly after I sat down, Olo, the Vice Chairman of Ayobo/Ipaja LCDA, called and asked where I was. When I told him, he said I should come to the front because he had a chair reserved for me. When he didn’t see me, he sent his PA to come and find me. I then went and sat beside him. The hall was still calm. I danced and laughed to my seat, and people were calling me left and right.

Then Gbọsa! I heard the noise, but I didn’t know where it came from. One of Olo’s aides pushed me from my chair and asked that we leave immediately. By the time I looked back, people were already rushing to the back entrance. I stood frozen for a moment, then the chairs started flying everywhere. Windows were smashed, terror in broad daylight!

It wasn’t just random attendees caught up in this. Hon. Yemi Ajigbotafe, a serving Commissioner, was also attacked. His security detail was wounded, his car windows smashed. When people in positions like that are not safe at a political gathering in Alimosho, then none of us are safe.

Hon. Bisi, Alimosho has been through enough. We have fought together before to keep peace and fairness in this LGA. I am asking you, as someone who has led here and who people still listen to, to use your voice now to call for calm, for restraint, and for a full investigation into what happened yesterday. At this point I will not point accusing fingers at anyone but if I have to I will do so without fear. You know my history.

We cannot allow violence to become the language of politics in Alimosho. The people who were there are not enemies. We are brothers and sisters with history. If we don’t stop this now, there will be no political structure left to lead.

I am willing to give my account to the police and to any panel that is set up. I ask that you do the same, and that you help ensure that whoever fired that shot is identified and that the law takes its course without fear or favor.

Peace must return to Alimosho by all means. That’s why I came to you years ago, and that’s why I’m writing to you now.

Respectfully,

Hon. Ajoke Moromoke Aminat Obe (AMA)

 

**The incident in question happened in Alimosho on Monday at Senator Idiat Adebule primaries at about 2pm in the council

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Land Grabbing: Court Remands Ondo Monarch

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The Magistrate Court sitting in Oke Eda, Akure, has remanded a traditional ruler and two others over alleged involvement in fraudulent land transactions and illegal land grabbing in Ondo State.

 

 

The defendants, Oba David Okunato, the traditional ruler of Osi community in Akure North council area, Tifase Folasade, and Nwaigbue Chijioke, alongside others said to be at large, were arraigned before the court as part of the government’s efforts to tackle illegal land dealings across the state.

The prosecution alleged that the monarch had earlier sold about 750 plots of land to a company for development purposes, but later went ahead to resell parts of the same property to several other buyers, leading to disputes over ownership.

Trouble reportedly started when the company returned to begin development on the land and discovered that several individuals were already claiming ownership of parts of the property through fresh allocations allegedly made by the monarch.

The development sparked disputes among the parties involved, forcing the matter to be taken back to the traditional ruler for clarification.

It was further alleged that the monarch later agreed to provide the company with another parcel of land as compensation, but allegedly went ahead to sell the same property to another buyer, further worsening the dispute.

The court subsequently ordered the remand of the defendants at the Olokuta Correctional Centre in Akure pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.

The court granted bail to each of the defendants in the sum of Two Million Naira (₦2,000,000), with one surety each, who must be a recognised traditional ruler within the court’s Magisterial District, and a civil servant not below Level 14 who is resident within the Akure Magisterial District.

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