In the wisdom of our fathers, “the man who refuses to see the moon cannot stop the night from shining.” This is the posture of Ade Adeogun and his errand boy, Samad, turning their faces away from the light of truth, even when it shines for all Ondo North to see.
Let it be told from the rooftops: the people of Ondo North are not blind, neither are they deaf. They have felt the touch of Distinguished Senator Jide Ipinsagba in ways no propaganda can erase. From the empowerment of our farmers with tools and seedlings, to the artisans who now boast of modern equipment, to the youths who have received training and grants, to the women lifted from the trap of petty trading into sustainable livelihood, the testimonies are many and living. Communities in Akoko, Owo, and Ose stand as monuments to infrastructural renewal; schools, roads, health facilities, and water projects bear his fingerprints. Over one hundred individuals have been financially supported, silently, quietly, without press conferences. I, too, am a witness. The kola nut shares its sweetness without noise; only the one who tastes it knows its value.
Yet, in the midst of these realities, Ade Adeogun beats the drum of bitterness, while Samad becomes his talking drum of falsehood. Even when the opposition, those who ought to criticize, have found themselves acknowledging the senator’s vision and applauding his works, Ade Adeogun and Samad close their eyes. When the people celebrate, they sow hatred. When development is praised, they manufacture propaganda. Is it not said that the frog that refuses to praise the river still drinks from its water?
This is not new. The betrayal of Ade Adeogun dates back to the last general election, where despite collecting from Senator Ipinsagba, he looked the other way while Oba Akoko fell into the hands of the opposition. That seed of treachery is now a full-grown tree, under whose shade Samad spreads lies. And what is their goal? Not criticism to strengthen leadership, but hatred to weaken the house APC faithful labored to build.
But Ondo North knows better. They know that ambition must bow to collective good. They know that before Ipinsagba, Adeogun’s region produced a three-term senator, what more does hunger for power demand? They know that Senator Ipinsagba’s style is not empty noise, but substance. He does not trumpet himself, but the people trumpet him. He does not beg for praise, but his works sing his name. When a drummer beats well, even the deaf will dance to the vibration of the ground.
To our Governor, to the State Party Chairman, to leaders of conscience: this is no longer mere politics; it is an anti-party virus threatening to eat from within. Ade Adeogun is already plotting to embrace the opposition if his ambition collapses, which indeed it shall. But Ondo North must not be deceived. The hawk that dines with vultures will one day feed on corpses.
We stand with Senator Jide Ipinsagba, not only because he is of our party, but because he is of our people. His projects touch lives beyond partisan lines. His compassion has crossed political boundaries. The opposition themselves testify, and if those who should be enemies can see good, what then blinds Ade Adeogun and Samad except envy and desperation?
Let history record this: Ondo North will not betray its light for the darkness of propaganda. We will not allow ambition to uproot the iroko tree of progress. And when the final hour comes, the true face of Ade Adeogun will be unmasked, and the people will know that all along, his quarrel was not with Ipinsagba alone, but with the very prosperity of Ondo North.
Senator Jide Ipinsagba remains our voice, our builder, our benefactor. His hand is the hand that lifts, his word is the word that heals, his works are the works that endure. No lie can bury a living truth. No propaganda can suffocate the breath of progress. For the sun may be hidden by clouds, but it cannot be extinguished by them.
Ondo North has spoken: we see, we know, and we stand.
