Why Abeokuta South Must Move Forward With Performance - Femi Adeleye

 WHY ABEOKUTA SOUTH APC MUST MOVE FORWARD WITH PERFORMANCE, PRINCIPLE AND PROGRESS

As the conversation around representation in Abeokuta South Federal Constituency gathers momentum, this moment demands not sentiment, but sober reflection. Elections should be a referendum on service, performance and credibility. On that score, Hon. Afolabi Moruf Afuape has earned not only the right to seek reelection, but the overwhelming support of party faithful and constituents who desire continuity in purposeful representation. His tenure has been defined by visible impact, responsive leadership and uncommon commitment to the welfare of the people—qualities too valuable to abandon at a critical

moment.

Hon. Afuape has demonstrated a high sense of duty through qualitative and people-focused representation, marked by facilitation of landmark projects that speak louder than political rhetoric. From the reconstruction of the Olokuta–Wole Soyinka Train Station Road to construction of classrooms and provision of learning materials across wards, from transformers and boreholes to numerous other grassroots interventions, his footprint is visible across the constituency. Beyond infrastructure, he has distinguished himself in empowerment. As one of the very few Members representing Abeokuta South—aside the Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole—to execute two mega empowerment programmes of such scale, empowering over 1,000 party members with tricycles, motorcycles, freezers, grinding machines, generators, POS machines and startup support, Hon. Afuape has demonstrated that representation must improve livelihoods, not merely occupy headlines.

Even more remarkable is his investment in human capital and youth advancement. At a time many politicians merely speak of youth development, Hon. Afuape trained over 700 youth leaders and young people in solar power installation and equipped them with toolkits, opening pathways to entrepreneurship and sustainable income. Over 800 constituents also benefitted from direct financial support ranging from ₦50,000 to ₦100,000.

These are not symbolic gestures; they are interventions that touch lives. And uniquely, in the annals of the constituency, Hon. Afuape stands out for institutionalizing constituency stakeholder and town hall meetings—a feedback mechanism that makes representation participatory, accountable and people-driven. This is not the conduct of a distant lawmaker; it is the hallmark of a representative who listens.

At the National Assembly, he has refused to be a bench warmer. While some seek office for status, Hon. Afuape has approached legislative responsibility with seriousness and purpose. His legislative interventions, including bills on community policing to address evolving security threats and farm settlement development to tackle food insecurity, strengthen agricultural value chains and create jobs, reveal a lawmaker thinking beyond constituency projects to national solutions. This combination of grassroots delivery and legislative productivity is rare. It is the kind of representation constituencies pray for, not the kind they casually discard.

But this conversation is bigger than one man; it is also about the identity and political character of Abeokuta South. This is not an ordinary local government. It is a strategic political nerve centre whose sons and daughters currently occupy some of the highest offices in the land: Mr. Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy; and Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Trade and Investment. A local government that has produced such intellectual and public service heavyweights cannot afford to lower its standards by projecting just anybody for federal representation. Abeokuta South carries a political heritage too weighty to be entrusted to individuals of questionable character or uncertain means.

Indeed, the leadership of APC in Abeokuta South must see this as a moral and political responsibility. Egbaland is renowned for honour, dignity, integrity and enlightened leadership. These values must not be compromised by desperation or the promotion of persons whose public conduct may bring shame and disrepute to the land and people of Egba across the world. Politics must never become a gateway for characters who cannot withstand scrutiny. At a time when public trust in leadership is fragile, the party must reward tested service, proven character and measurable performance—not gamble with unverified ambition.

The choice before Abeokuta South therefore is therefore clear: sustain a representative with visible achievements, legislative substance and grassroots connection, or risk substituting performance with uncertainty. Hon. Afolabi Moruf Afuape has justified continuity through service. This is not merely a campaign for reelection; it is a call to defend competence, preserve dignity and deepen progress.

For party stakeholders, constituents and all who care about the future of Abeokuta South Federal Constituency, particularly our party, APC, the imperative is simple: stand with performance, stand with character, stand with Hon. Afolabi Moruf Afuape.

Femi Adeleye writes from Oke-Apata, Itoko, Abeokuta.