By, Francis Adeagbo, Ibadan

I have carefully read Mr. Sola Abegunde’s response to Dr. Suleiman Olanrewaju. One thing is unmistakable: the piece demonstrates more of the familiar politics of calumny and propaganda than a serious engagement with the issues raised by Dr. Olanrewaju.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with defending a candidate or challenging an opposing viewpoint. That is part of democratic engagement. But political arguments should be built around facts, records, policies, antecedents and verifiable evidence, not personal attacks on the intelligence, competence or professional standing of those who hold a different opinion.

Dr. Suleiman Olanrewaju is an accomplished journalist and public affairs commentator. Mr. Abegunde is entitled to disagree with his analysis, but disagreement does not confer the right to belittle his professional competence or suggest that he needs a “lecture” on politics and governance simply because his interpretation differs from that of a political supporter.

Politics has moved beyond this style of engagement.

If Mr. Abegunde believes Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli has presented a superior argument on Local Government autonomy, he should concentrate on explaining the policy, its constitutional basis, its implementation framework and its expected benefits to the people of Oyo State.

Instead, much of his response is devoted to attacking the person of Dr. Olanrewaju.

That is precisely where the argument becomes weak.

LET THE RECORDS SPEAK

Mr. Abegunde challenged Dr. Olanrewaju to provides detailed records of salaries, projects, contractors, contracts, IGR and other Local Government finances. That demand may sound politically attractive, but the question is: Is Mr. Abegunde himself has statutory authority or responsible for auditing and certifying the financial affairs of Oyo State’s 33 Local Governments?

If he requires specific official financial records, there are established institutions and public accountability mechanisms through which such information can be obtained and examined.

More importantly, the burden of political persuasion should not be shifted from the candidate making promises to the journalist questioning those promises.

If Senator Alli is presenting himself as an alternative to the present administration, then let him tell the people clearly:

What exactly will he do differently?

What are his measurable targets?

What is his implementation plan?

What are his priorities in the first 100 days, first year and throughout his tenure?

How will he finance those programmes?

What are his previous records of leadership and public service that demonstrate his capacity to implement them?

These are legitimate questions.

And they should not be answered with attacks on journalists.

WHAT ABOUT THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION?

The people of Oyo State are not dependent solely on political statements to assess Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration. They can see and evaluate developments across the State for themselves.

The Oyo State Government’s own published records document activities involving the 33 Local Governments, including payment of Local Government workers, operational funding, healthcare interventions, agricultural support and other grassroots programmes.

As recently as August 2026, the Oyo State Local Government Service Commission announced the release of 1,535 promotion letters to workers across the 33 Local Government Areas, covering several departments of the Local Government Service.

The administration has also reported major infrastructure interventions, including roads and rural access projects across the State. Its published infrastructure record specifically refers to projects covering the 33 Local Government Areas and the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project.

These are not claims that citizens must accept blindly. They are records that can be examined, challenged and independently verified.

That is how responsible political discourse should operate.

LET THE CANDIDATES PRESENT THEIR RECORDS

Mr. Abegunde repeatedly asks what Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi intends to do differently.

That is a fair question.

But the same question must be directed to Senator Alli.

What is his antecedent? What has he achieved in his previous responsibilities? What measurable results can the people associate with his leadership? What exactly is contained in his blueprint for Oyo State?

Likewise, supporters of Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi must be prepared to answer the same questions about their candidate.

This is democracy.

No candidate should be above scrutiny.

No incumbent should be above accountability.

And no opposition candidate should be above questions concerning his antecedents, capacity and proposed policies.

POLITICS HAS MOVED BEYOND PROPAGANDA

The attempt to portray every contrary opinion as ignorance, sensationalism or lack of political understanding is itself an outdated political strategy.

Oyo people are politically sophisticated.

They are capable of listening to Governor Makinde’s record, Senator Alli’s promises, Hon. Adekanmbi’s proposals and the positions of other aspirants—and then making their own judgment.

The responsibility of political actors should therefore be to inform the electorate, not insult the intelligence of the electorate.

If Mr. Abegunde believes the present administration has performed poorly, he should present the evidence.

If he believes Senator Alli has offered a superior alternative, he should explain the alternative.

If he believes Hon. Adekanmbi has no credible blueprint, he should identify the specific weaknesses in the blueprint.

Facts answer facts. Records answer records. Policies answer policies.

Personal attacks do not.

And if Mr. Abegunde believes that the detailed financial and administrative scrutiny he demands is his responsibility to pursue, he may seek an appropriate constitutional platform—including elective legislative office from his Ibarapa axis—where he can use the powers of oversight available to a legislator.

Until then, he should allow the relevant institutions to perform their statutory responsibilities.

The people are watching.

The era when political propaganda could substitute for evidence is gradually giving way to a more informed electorate that wants to know who has performed, who can perform, what each candidate intends to do, how it will be done, and where the resources will come from.

Therefore, instead of descending into personal attacks against Dr. Suleiman Olanrewaju, Mr. Abegunde should engage the substance of the issues raised.

Let Senator Alli present his records.
Let Adekanmbi present his blueprint.
Let Makinde’s administration defend its record.
Let journalists interrogate all of them.
And let the people of Oyo State make their own informed judgment.

That is the politics of substance.

That is responsible opposition.

That is democratic accountability.

Oyo State deserves a contest of ideas, records and competence—not a contest of insults, propaganda and politics of calumny.

 

Francis Adeagbo writes from Ibadan