As Nigerians pause today to honor June 12—the very symbol of democracy, accountability, and people-driven governance—it is impossible not to reflect on the dangerous irony playing out in Ogun State under the leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun. While the nation celebrates the triumph of the people’s will, Ogun State stands as a cautionary tale of how quickly electoral promises can evaporate into thin air, leaving behind nothing but propaganda, executive arrogance, institutional collusion, and growing public frustration.
THE ANATOMY OF A FAILED MANDATE AFTER 6TH YEARS
When Prince Dapo Abiodun emerged in 2019, many hoped for a transformational administration built on inclusive development, transparent governance, and urgent attention to decaying infrastructure. Instead, what Ogun State received was a masterclass in how not to govern: photo-op leadership, cosmetic development, and a growing taste for centralized, autocratic decision-making that isolates communities while enriching an inner circle.
1. NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL SCORECARD: A Litany Of Missed Goals And Display Of Incompetence On A National Stage
You would think that hosting the National Sports Festival would be an opportunity to showcase Ogun State as a serious state — competent, prepared, and progressive. But under Governor Dapo Abiodun, even that became another tragic case study in public sector failure.
Athletes — the pride of Nigeria’s sporting future — were reportedly made to run in darkness due to poor electricity and last-minute logistics. Critical events were poorly coordinated, and facilities were either unfinished or substandard. What should have been a national spectacle became a source of national embarrassment.
The most insulting part? The governor’s administration budgeted ₦11,000 per day for athlete meals, yet what they served wasn’t even fit for gatemen. Rice without meat. Bread without water. Athletes complained publicly. Journalists captured it. But the government doubled down on denial instead of taking responsibility.
To make matters worse, Governor Abiodun awarded some of the biggest festival contracts — including catering — to non-indigenes, sidelining Ogun citizens and businesses. In a state with tens of thousands of capable caterers, cooks, vendors, and SMEs, the government decided to outsource their own celebration. Ogun people were reduced to spectators in their own house.
That’s not just mismanagement. That’s betrayal. And no amount of PR can rewrite what the entire nation saw with their own eyes.
2. EDUCATION SCORECARD: The Collapse Behind the Camera Lenses
Governor Abiodun’s much-advertised “DigiClass” and “TechHub” experiments have been paraded as revolutionary educational policies. But beyond press releases and studio-set classrooms used for media promotions, the true state of education in Ogun State remains pitiful.
In dozens of communities—from Ijebu Waterside to Imeko-Afon—schoolchildren continue to sit under trees, learning amidst crumbling walls and leaking roofs. Qualified teachers are underpaid, essential infrastructure is absent, and parents are forced to improvise what government ought to provide.
Technology is not a substitute for roofs, chairs, water, libraries, or properly trained teachers. You cannot offer “DigiClass” to a child sitting under a mango tree in Ilara or a collapsing shed in Odeda. What Ogun needs is not digital window-dressing but basic functional classrooms.
3. INFRASTRUCTURE SCORECARD: Urban Showcase, Rural Abandonment
While Ogun State reels under the weight of decaying township roads, impassable rural routes, and deadly highway corridors, the governor has concentrated resources on selective high-profile urban projects designed for ribbon-cuttings and media applause.
The notorious Ijebu Ode-Epe expressway—touted as a flagship project—perfectly illustrates this pattern. Funded with public money, the same citizens are now forced to pay exorbitant tolls to drive on what they already funded. Meanwhile, roads in Ifo, Ayetoro, Imeko, Ipokia, and Yewa remain death traps, especially during the rainy seasons when entire communities are cut off.
What is worse, contract costs and project details are shrouded in secrecy, known only to the governor and his powerful clique. Even commissioners reportedly defer to the Governor’s gatekeepers before any file can move.
4. HEALTHCARE: Insurance Cards Without Hospitals
The governor’s highly publicized Ogun Health Insurance Scheme has turned into little more than an empty wallet for the poor. The so-called health cards are of no use in clinics that have no drugs, no beds, no doctors, and in many cases, no electricity.
From Ilaro to Sagamu, from Ewekoro to Tebu, the state’s primary healthcare centers operate like abandoned shrines—shells of medical facilities where patients are left to fend for themselves. Health insurance without functional hospitals is not reform. It is insult.
5. YOUTH EMPOWERMENT: Media Hype Over Market Skills
Governor Abiodun’s youth development agenda has become another tragic case of misalignment with reality. Ogun Jobs Portal and TechHub programs may excite a handful of urban elites, but the overwhelming majority of Ogun youths—artisans, farmers, traders, graduates—remain stranded without access to marketable skills or business support.
Instead of expanding technical schools, vocational centers, and farm cooperatives that would address unemployment at its roots, the governor offers another photo-op tech seminar while thousands struggle daily for survival.
6. COLLUSION WITH STATE ASSEMBLY SCOREDCARD: LEGISLATORS TURNED WATCHDOGS OF THE EXECUTIVE
Perhaps one of the most disturbing developments under Dapo Abiodun’s tenure is the total capture and neutering of the Ogun State House of Assembly. Rather than act as the constitutional oversight body to hold the governor accountable, the assembly has become little more than a cheering squad for the executive.
When Naija Lives Matter — a citizens’ movement committed to state-level accountability — submitted a 21-count petition demanding formal investigation into serious allegations of corruption, abuse of office, and financial recklessness under Governor Abiodun, the Clerk of the Assembly bluntly refused to even accept the petition. His words were as shocking as they were revealing:
“As long as I am here, nobody is going to investigate my governor. If you’re not satisfied, go to court.”
This blatant abdication of legislative responsibility not only betrays the oath of office taken by the lawmakers, but signals a dangerous collapse of constitutional democracy in Ogun State. When a state assembly becomes so beholden to one man that citizens cannot even submit a petition, democracy is no longer in recession — it is in a coma.
7. POWER HANDLING SCORECARD: GOVERNING THROUGH FEAR AND PERSONAL VENDETTA
Rumors continue to swirl about the governor’s increasing intolerance for dissent, even within his own party. One of the most telling signs of this growing despotism is the reported humiliation of Senator Solomon Adeola (popularly known as Yayi), who was allegedly barred by the governor himself from attending the 2025 Ojude Oba Festival, despite being the designated Chairman of the festival’s organizing committee.
Sources allege that security agents, acting on the governor’s orders, physically prevented Senator Yayi from accessing the venue, intercepting his convoy on the expressway leading to Ijebu Ode. This brazen abuse of power goes far beyond political rivalry — it reeks of dictatorship and personal vendetta disguised as governance.
Civil servants, too, live in perpetual fear under Abiodun’s iron grip. Whispers abound that senior officials dare not criticize or complain about the administration’s failings, lest they face demotion, dismissal, or professional exile. Ogun State has effectively become a state where civil servants survive by silence, not service.
8. MEDIA PROJECTION SCORECARD: The Republic of Billboards
Perhaps nothing defines this government more than its obsession with image laundering. From giant billboards to staged documentaries and expensive newspaper spreads, Ogun State has become a poster child for style-over-substance governance.
While teachers await salaries, pensioners await justice, and traders struggle to cross broken bridges, the government invests millions in media spin doctors who flood social media with glossy graphics and carefully worded lies.
9. THE OJUDE OBA SCORECARD: POLITICIZING A SACRED FESTIVAL
The 2025 Ojude Oba Festival, a 150-year-old spiritual and cultural tradition of the Ijebu people, was marred by what many described as Governor Dapo Abiodun’s shocking hijack of a sacred institution. Instead of honoring the revered Awujale, who was absent due to ill health, the governor transformed the festival into a stage for personal glorification—receiving homage from age-grade groups in clear violation of established royal protocols. Ijebu elders and chiefs openly condemned this unprecedented usurpation, with one asking, “Is Dapo Abiodun now an Oba?”
Tradition dictates that in the Awujale’s absence, designated chiefs or crowned Obas should represent the throne. But Governor Abiodun bypassed all cultural norms, positioning himself at the center of ceremonies and turning what should have been a reflective moment into a self-promoting media spectacle. The optics of photo-ops and campaign-style theatrics deeply insulted the custodians of Ijebu heritage, prompting angry reactions from youth leaders and community elders who warned that Ojude Oba is not a political rally.
The backlash has been fierce, with many accusing the governor of trampling on sacred customs for cheap publicity. Cultural stakeholders are now demanding a return to tradition and warning that any further erosion of Ijebu identity will be fiercely resisted. Governor Abiodun must be reminded that leadership is not just about holding office—it is about honoring the soul of the people you govern. No ambition is worth alienating a kingdom.
THE HARD TRUTH: OGUN STATE DESERVES BETTER
Dapo Abiodun’s midterm scorecard is not one of mixed performance. It is a flat indictment of failure, arrogance, collusion, and creeping despotism. Ogun citizens did not elect a PR manager. They elected a governor.
June 12 reminds us of the high price of silence in the face of bad governance. Ogun State must reject the culture of fear and celebrate democracy not just with public holidays but with bold demands for good governance, transparency, and real service.
The question remains: Will Governor Abiodun spend his final two years fixing his broken covenant with the people—or will he continue building his personal cult of power while Ogun State crumbles?
Time is running out.
My fellow Nigerians, let me close with this:
The real tragedy of bad governance is not just about corruption or inefficiency — it’s about the dignity of the people being trampled, day after day, while those in power dance on billboards and deflect with propaganda.
In Ogun State, we’ve seen a six-year reign defined by media noise, executive arrogance, legislative collusion, and creeping authoritarianism. We’ve watched promises crumble. We’ve seen schools decay. We’ve seen roads vanish into the bush. We’ve seen fear silence civil servants. And we’ve seen the voices of the people — even our petitions — rejected like trash.
But enough is enough.
June 12 is not just about remembering the past. It is about activating the future. If we truly believe in democracy, we must demand it in Abeokuta, not just in Abuja. If we want change, we must fight for it state by state, LGA by LGA, until no governor, no legislator, and no political godfather can hide behind party colors or photo ops.
This is not just about Dapo Abiodun. This is about setting a new standard. A new culture where public service means service, not self-enrichment. A new future where governors are afraid of the people — not the other way around.
So whether you live in Sagamu or Imeko, Ijebu-Ode or Ayetoro, your silence is consent. Your apathy is collaboration. But your voice, your vote, your vigilance? That’s the revolution.
Ogun State can rise again — but only if the people rise first. See you in the trenches.
Dr. Ope Banwo is Founder, Naija Lives Matter
