If asked where the most important political meeting in Ijebu-Igbo this last December should have been held, the average person might have suggested a government building. But it was not held there. Instead, the meeting took place at a dusty community ground, and everyone left with a full bag.
The host was Prince Fatai Adesegun, a key APC chieftain and chief lieutenant to Senator Solomon “Yayi” Adeola. The event, under his Ogun East Assembly platform, was a blend of year-end gathering and strategic mobilisation.
His method is one of tangible munificence. Attendees, drawn from 11 wards, received a share of 200 bags of rice, 300 cartons of noodles, and N12 million in cash. The guest list included party leaders, clerics, market traders, and youth groups.
This largesse was meant to serve a direct calculus, based on commentators. Specifically, Adesegun stated the gifts were to rally support for President Bola Tinubu and Governor Dapo Abiodun. Critics have pointed, however, that the unspoken objective is to fuel the 2027 gubernatorial ambition of his principal, Senator Yayi.
Adesegun’s pedigree is in grassroots work. A former Special Adviser on Youth Affairs and a student union leader, the man operates on a logic of visible patronage, which, given that his nickname is “Authentic,” suggests that his brand is built on this palpable delivery.
There is a clear ethos reflected in Prince Adedegun’s approach: that of political strength being demonstrated through shared sustenance, not just rhetoric. The community ground is his office, and empowerment is his key policy.
To some, this is the old politics of patronage. To Adesegun’s supporters, it is the effective politics of a leader who provides. After all, the distinction matters less when your household has just received a bag of rice.
For Prince Adesegun, influence is a commodity that can be measured, packed, and distributed. In the arithmetic of Ogun State politics, his formula is simple: add support through shared provisions, and the sum is a formidable political machine.
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