By Segun Amure
“A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so.”
— Chinua Achebe
There comes a time when people must look beyond the noise and reflect honestly on their collective journey. In Osun State, that time is now. And to be candid, anyone who still takes the Osun APC seriously at this moment is either out of touch with reality or simply not a resident of this state.
For the twelve uninterrupted years the APC held sway in Osun, what can they point to—especially in Ife land—as a legacy of progress or impact? The answer is simple: next to nothing. Ife land remained on the margins of meaningful development, remembered only during election seasons and campaign stops. So, when members of that same party now lament Ife land’s supposed neglect under the current administration, one is reminded of Birago Diop’s haunting lines in Vanity:
If we weep, gently, gently
If we cry roughly of our torments
What heart will listen to our clamouring,
What ear to our sobbing hearts?
To speak plainly, what exactly is Ife land?
Ife land is not just a geographical expression. It is the cradle of creation—the spiritual and cultural genesis of the Yoruba people. It houses the revered stool of our royal father, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ile-Ife. Administratively, it comprises five key jurisdictions: Ife Central, Ife North, Ife East, Ife South, and the Ife East Area Office.
Despite its cultural prominence and historical stature, the past APC-led administration treated Ife land as an afterthought. Roads decayed, infrastructure stalled, and the people’s voices were silenced or ignored.
This is why the current conversation around continuity in governance strikes a different tone. It is not about political sentiment or blind loyalty—it is about rewarding responsive leadership. Under Governor Ademola Adeleke, a long-absent sense of inclusion, attention, and action has returned to Ife land.
On May 7, 2024, The Punch reported a milestone event: Governor Adeleke flagged off the construction of the first-ever flyover bridge in Ile-Ife—something that never happened during the APC’s twelve years in power:
“The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Tuesday, performed the official flag-off for the construction of the first flyover in Ile-Ife, sited at Lagere Junction, being executed at a cost of N14.9 billion.”
The event, attended by the Ooni of Ife and top government officials, also witnessed the governor announcing a major rehabilitation program: 55.86 kilometers of roads across Ife land are now under reconstruction at a cost of N30.6 billion. According to Adeleke, this effort spans all four local governments and the area office. He affirmed his administration’s commitment to infrastructural renewal and acknowledged Ile-Ife’s unique status as the ancestral home of the Yoruba people.
From these actions alone, one can conclude that Governor Adeleke’s love and commitment to Ife land are unprecedented in Osun’s political history. If the ancestors have truly cast a spell, it is not on the people—it is on the APC, for their years of deliberate neglect.
In Ife North, the Adeleke administration has delivered tangible progress, including the construction and completion of Akinlalu Road, untouched since 1980—over 45 years. The ongoing Edunabon–Tonkere Road project, abandoned for more than two decades by previous governments, is another testament to this new direction. There is also the rehabilitation of the Magistrate Court Junction to Akinrinade Junction road, including a spur to Itamerin Road in Yakoyo. Add to that the provision of motorized boreholes, renovation of schools, refurbishment of maternity centers, and other community-impact projects.
More recently, the government has undertaken several vital road projects in Ife East and Ife Central, including: Cele Junction to Ajape Road in Modakeke; AP to Alapata Road in Modakeke; Olurin Road to Aganhun Road in Ife East; Ogbingbin Road, London Street, and Benediction Road in Ife Central; Zenith Bank Road to Akarabata Line 1; and Iredunmi to Oke Ijan Road in Ile-Ife.
These are not promises—they are realities being executed in real time. The story of Ife land is shifting—from marginalization under the APC to a new chapter of renewal under Governor Adeleke. The facts are clear. The record is visible. And the message is simple: development must continue.
