By Seun Johnson
Anyone who has read the recent article written and circulated on social media by Ojo Oyewamide on the political trajectory and electoral exploits of distinguished senator Ayo Akinyelure would by now have come to the inevitable conclusion that the Chartered Accountant-turned-politician is a major factor and an ecumenical spirit in the political equation of Ondo State.
No matter how hard the writer attempts to bury that reality beneath the weight of bitterness and personal animosity against the former federal lawmaker, the political relevance of Senator Akinyelure remains a fact that cannot be wished away by the stroke of a pen.
Oyewamide, a journalist who has occupied a visible space within the state’s media community, appears to have abandoned the editorial restraint, reportorial balance and professional discipline expected of his calling in favour of the heat and expediency of partisan politics.
His write-up reads less like the considered reflection of a trained journalist and more like the polemical submission of a political combatant, frustrated surrogate and social media irritant who is simply determined to enlist his pen and byline in the ongoing electoral contest in Ondo State.
He deliberately crafted his offensive and provocative article to construct a shallow narrative around Senator Akinyelure’s political journey and diminish his record with the aim of serving and advancing the political interests of his paymaster, who has had little or nothing to show for his senatorial representation after almost four years in office.
But in attempting to turn a political disagreement into a verdict on character, Oyewamide literally exposed the weakness of his own argument. Political criticism is legitimate; what is less defensible is the deliberate reduction of a complex political career to convenient labels while ignoring the facts and circumstances that give such a career its proper context.
At a time like this, when electioneering activities are gradually gathering momentum, one would ordinarily expect a political surrogate of his status to devote his energy to presenting and defending the record of his principal.
He is expected to showcase the impact he has made in the lives of the people he represents and demonstrate why he deserves another opportunity to serve at the National Assembly. After all, the substance of political advocacy ought to revolve around records, results, and measurable impact, rather than in the demolition of opponents.
Unfortunately, Oyewamide appears to have had remarkably little to present to the public in terms of the achievements of his principal during the nearly four years he has spent in the Senate. Rather than place his principal’s scorecard before the people for scrutiny, he has chosen to expend considerable ink dissecting the political history of Senator Akinyelure.
The irony is difficult to miss: when there is a compelling record to defend, a spokesman speaks about achievements; when the scorecard is difficult to showcase, attention is often redirected to the record of an opponent. That appears to be precisely what Oyewamide is doing. His write-up betrays the struggle to defend the record of his principal.
For lawmakers currently occupying elective positions at either the National or state level, this is the season for accountability. It is the time to open the books, present the scorecards, account for the mandate entrusted to them, and remind constituents of the laws sponsored, projects facilitated, opportunities created and lives touched during their tenure.
Akinyelure has challenged his opponent on all these. Having spent two terms in the Senate representing the people of Ondo Central, Allover has left a significant imprint on the history of senatorial representation in the district. He has raised the bar and left a standard that is now difficult for any Senator to attain in the senatorial district.
His years in the National Assembly were marked not merely by occupying a seat in the Red Chamber, but by interventions which his supporters say directly touched the lives and livelihoods of his constituents.
From the facilitation of more than 850 employment opportunities for constituents to multimillion-naira empowerment initiatives targeted at women, youths and the elderly, Akinyelure’s record is a reflection of an approach to representation that places tangible constituency impact at the centre of public service.
Many of the beneficiaries of these interventions have gone on to establish businesses, strengthen their livelihoods and contribute to the economic life of the state. It is on the strength of such interventions and his legislative experience that his supporters continue to describe his constituency record as a benchmark in Ondo Central.
Whatever political disagreements may surround his career, the substance of his record should not be allowed to disappear beneath the fog of partisan rhetoric. Public service is ultimately judged by what can be demonstrated, documented and measured against the needs of the people. That is where Oyewamide’s commentary notably falls short of accuracy, objectivity, and professionalism.
Rather than interrogate Senator Akinyelure’s record with facts and evidence, he chose to expend his editorial ammunition on a target that required neither the embellishment nor the caricature deployed in his article. In the process, he fired blank, missed the substance of the argument, and ultimately weakened the very case he set out to make.
For a journalist of Oyewamide’s extensive experience, this is no doubt a troubling surrender of editorial judgment at the altar of political interests. His piece is not merely an unfortunate miscalculation. It is an unpardonable journalistic blunder compounded by a breathtaking logical somersault.
In his apparent eagerness to discredit Senator Akinyelure, he ignorantly allowed the weight of his theatrics to eclipse the substance of his argument. He mistook the sharpness of his words for the strength of his evidence.
When rhetoric outruns evidence, the pen may make noise, but it does not necessarily make an argument. In this instance, Oyewamide’s article generated plenty of sound, but offered little that meaningfully answers the central question of Senator Akinyelure’s record of representation.
Political representation is ultimately measured not by the volume of attacks launched against opponents, but by the substance of what is placed before the people.
It would therefore serve Oyewamide and, more importantly, his principal well to redirect their energies from attacking Senator Akinyelure to confronting the more fundamental question of their own record before the people of Ondo Central.
Rather than exerting more efforts defending a scorecard that remains open to public scrutiny, Oyewamide would do better to read the mood of the constituency, acknowledge the changing political realities and advise his principal to prepare for the expiration of his mandate in 2027.
Seun Johnson, a journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos.
