How Not to Criticise Gov Aiyedatiwa

By Mayegun GrandMaster Oloriegbe

In the rough and tumble arena of Nigerian ‘bolekaja’ politics, where heated rhetoric always seeks to eclipse sober reason, Sufuyan Ojeifo’s latest salvo, “No Lotus for Governor Aiyedatiwa”, stands as a textbook case of alarmist speculation masquerading as serious analysis.

It weaves a narrative steeped in unverified “insider” whispers, selective anecdotes, and dramatic flair, while conveniently sidelining-in utter amnesia of the verifiable records of governance, infrastructure strides, and democratic mandates that define the Aiyedatiwa administration.

Such pieces do not merely critique, they risk distorting public discourse by elevating beer palour narratives above tangible progress, a perilous precedent that undermines informed judgment in our body politic.

This is precisely why a measured, fact-based response is not just necessary, but urgent.

While speculative political commentary sometimes has its rightful place in our democratic discourse, the casual reduction of a sitting governor’s entire tenure with his official and political paraphernalia to mere “luck, ego, and empty pockets” represents not only a gross oversimplification but a dangerous distortion that wilfully ignores the tangible infrastructure strides, security enhancements, economic initiatives and democratic mandate secured under Governor Aiyedatiwa’s leadership in Ondo State.

Such framing misrepresents the intricate realities of party dynamics, governance under transition, and the steady progress being recorded amidst inherited challenges, thereby poisoning public perception with cynicism rather than illuminating it with facts. This is the very brand of reductive punditry that erodes trust in leadership and prioritises spectacle and illegalities over substance.

Governance Over Internal Party Intrigue

Governor Aiyedatiwa was democratically elected in 2024 with a strong mandate, defeating Agboola Ajayi. This victory was not handed on a platter of mere “providence” but earned through voter confidence after his service as Deputy and Acting Governor. He has focused on delivering dividends of democracy: commissioning road projects (Akure-Idanre, Akungba-Ikare, others), water infrastructure, and economic initiatives like the Olokola Free Trade Zone Technical Committee.

These are concrete steps toward transformation, not the “personal interests first” narrative pushed in the article.

Internal APC candidate list disputes are common in Nigerian politics and often reflect broader national influences, lobbying, and alignments ahead of future cycles. Attributing every outcome of the contests where the governor is not a contestant, to the governor’s supposed “ingratitude” or failure to “fund the structure” is partisan and paid speculation.

Party structures evolve; governors are elected to govern the state, not permanently own party machinery. Claims of “Abuja tears” and imminent impeachment remain unproven whispers, no formal moves have materialized, and the governor continues to enjoy constitutional protections and public mandate.

Respecting Legacies While Charting Progress

Aiyedatiwa has consistently acknowledged the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s foundations. Building on legacies does not mean freezing them in time. Every leader must make adjustments for current realities, this is responsible governance, not “biting the hand that fed.” Aiyedatiwa has consistently maintained he has no issues with figures like Betty Akeredolu or other stakeholders and if issues even exist, they are normal in politics and do not erase the governor’s contributions to stability and development of the State.

Security highlights further counter the “wilting lotus” metaphor: Recent foiled plots, including against the plan to bomb the Government House, demonstrate proactive leadership in protecting lives and infrastructure. Ondo remains relatively peaceful compared to many states.

Focus on Performance, Not Palace Politics

The article’s core thesis — that Governor Aiyedatiwa’s rise rests on nothing more than “luck without wisdom”, is not only condescending but fundamentally flawed, as it airily dismisses his proven business acumen, extensive experience as a successful entrepreneur, his service on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and the decisive electoral mandate bestowed upon him by the people of Ondo State in the 2024 governorship election.

Far from being an “accidental” leader, Aiyedatiwa represents the voters’ deliberate choice for continuity, competence, and pragmatic leadership at a critical moment in the state’s history with 18.0 grand slam.

To reduce such an uncommon feat and resounding democratic validation to mere fortune is not only a grave disservice to truth but a direct insult to the collective judgment of the ever-conscious, ever-discerning, sophisticated, and politically intelligent people of Ondo State, while simultaneously laying bare the critic’s own poverty of paid analysis.

Governance should be judged by infrastructure delivered, jobs created, security enhanced, and lives improved; areas where this administration is recording steady gains.

Party realignments and 2028 permutations will come and go. What matters is effective leadership today. Governor Aiyedatiwa is governing, not merely politicking. He deserves support for prioritizing Ondo’s progress over endless internal power struggles.

In conclusion, the satanic and speculative obituaries being written for Governor Aiyedatiwa’s political influence are not only premature but profoundly misplaced.

Ondo State is steadily advancing under his stewardship, with visible progress in infrastructure, security, economic revitalization, and the welfare of the people.

History and the electorate will ultimately render the true verdict, not through the colourful prose of a paid critics spinning melodramatic tales of “wilting lotuses,” but through the hard, undeniable evidence of deliverables on the ground.

Let us, therefore, judge our leaders by their verified achievements and unwavering commitment to service, rather than by the fleeting sophistry of partisan narration that so often glorifies an utter violation of electoral legislations and the brazen rape of the people’s wishes.

Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa deserves that measure of fairness.

*Oloriegbe, a socio-political analyst and a member of The Progressive Counsel, writes from Akure, Ondo State.