Adegbonmire best suited for Ondo Central seat — Veteran Administrator, Akintide By Dr. Prince. Wumi Akintide, New York
Adegbonmire best suited for Ondo Central seat — Veteran Administrator, Akintide
By Dr. Wumi Akintide, New York
Senator Niyi Adegbonmire’s wise, mature, and strategic statement stands as compelling proof to the educated and well-informed electorate across Ondo Central Senatorial District, encompassing Akure, Ondo, Idanre, and Ifedore, that he is a candidate worthy of serious consideration.
Akure, as the state capital, holds a significant stake in the outcome of the party primaries. While the primaries are not conducted using ranked-choice voting as practised in New York City where I now reside, the dynamics remain nuanced. In Nigeria’s political system where party allegiance often outweighs individual candidacy, the seasoned senator’s words resonate deeply with discerning voters who can see beyond the surface and read between the lines.
Experience, educational pedigree, seniority, capacity, competence, and a credible track record are the true currencies of political value not the mere ability to throw money around or buy fleeting loyalty. In a senatorial district as large and sophisticated as Ondo Central, the electorate knows that the power of influence cannot be bought outright.
That is why, in my view as a Political Science major currently pursuing my doctoral programme, Senator Niyi Adegbonmire son of the legendary political titan, the late Omo-Ekun Wumi Adegbonmire of Akure, and his accomplished wife, Aunty Shola from Ondo town has a natural edge over any other contender.
If Senator Niyi maintains the calculated and disciplined approach he has adopted in his campaign thus far, it will be a Herculean task for any political greenhorn to outshine him in the upcoming APC primaries.
Indeed, whoever emerges victorious in the primaries is well-positioned to clinch the general election, particularly under the banner of a party led in the state by Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, whose performance continues to inspire confidence.
I speak not just as a political analyst but as a stakeholder in the Ondo project the pioneer Federal Director of DIFFRI in Ondo State under the late Military Governors Mike Akhigbe and Ekundayo Opaleye in 1986, and a former classmate of Chief Wumi Adegbonmire from the Class of 1963 at the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, where we graduated in 1966.
Chief Adegbonmire was the founding manager of the University Bookshop, while his wife, Niyi’s mother, rose to become Principal of the university’s Charter School, which Senator Niyi attended before proceeding to study Law at the same institution.
Senator Niyi Adegbonmire, SAN, attained the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on his own merit, and has become a highly respected legal mind from Akure. He is a shining example of home-grown excellence.
I foresee Senator Niyi emerging as the preferred candidate of enlightened and progressive voters in Akure, a city long overdue to produce a Governor in this state.
Let us not forget: Owo has produced two Governors, Pa Adekunle Ajasin and Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu; Ondo town gave us Dr. Olusegun Mimiko; Akoko produced Chief Adebayo Adefarati; and Ilaje/Ese-Odo gave us Dr. Olusegun Agagu. Yet, Akure North and South, along with Idanre and Ifedore, are still waiting for their turn in this democratic relay.
What the region needs now is a strong and experienced senator, not a rookie who must learn the ropes from scratch in the Upper Chamber.
All of these political calculations and realities, if we are honest, tilt in favour of Senator Niyi Adegbonmire.
I rest my case.
Prince Dr. Wumi Akintide, Oyemekun Terrace New York
