Arẹmọ Sehinde Ilegbusi
A former member of the House of Representatives, former Executive Head of the NFF, and a former Chairman of ANELG, Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye has picked up the gauntlet for the Ondo North Senatorial seat.
He is quoted as saying he is coming to “correct the wrongs” of Senator Jide Ipinsagba. One is compelled to ask: what wrongs, exactly? This mission statement sounds less like a well-thought-out agenda and more like an attempt to manufacture a crisis where none exists. Senator Ipinsagba’s record in office does not present any glaring failure that calls for “correction.” Rather, it reflects steady, people-focused representation that has kept Ondo North visible and relevant at the national level.
I recall Otunba Elegbeleye’s tenure in the Green Chamber; what remains vivid is the “I big past my neighbour” mentality that defined his four years in the House of Reps. He carried himself with an air of haughtiness that alienated many. My personal encounter with him underscores this: on the Agboriki–Odoruwa road, he held up traffic for nearly thirty minutes while exchanging pleasantries with a friend across the road. Motorists waited, honked politely, and eventually had to step out to find out who was the “man with the big car” only to discover that the “untouchable” figure causing the delay was our own MHR. That moment captured a troubling sense of entitlement oppression. If there are any landmark achievements of this fellow, let my compatriots remind us.
Fast forward to his time as Executive Head of the NFF. It was during that period I came to fully understand the term “white elephant project”. Pa Ajasin had, with foresight, sited a township stadium in Iku Ikare along Awara Dam Road—about 80% completed between 1981 and 1983, and already functional for sporting activities. Rather than build on that legacy, Otunba Elegbeleye initiated another stadium project in a less suitable terrain within his own area of Ikare. The result? duplication, waste, and an abandoned opportunity to complete a viable community asset. Today both stadia are useless to us. One is left to wonder: was that decision driven by public interest or personal sentiment?
The Questions That Must Be Answered
If Otunba Elegbeleye insists he is coming to “correct wrongs,” then he owes the people clear answers:
Is the prospect of a Federal University of ICT in Ondo North a wrong that needs correction?
Are the establishment of outreaches of the Federal Medical Centre, expanding access to healthcare for our people, wrongs to be reversed?
Are the multi-faceted educational initiatives—scholarships, new school buildings, and institutional advocacy—mistakes that should be undone?
Are new community civic centers errors that need correction?
Human capital development of grassroots people are hardly correctable initiatives.Time won’t permit to list numerous other achievements of Sen. Ipinsagba.
These are not rhetorical flourishes; they go to the heart of what is at stake.
The Truth About Senator Jide Ipinsagba
Contrary to claims of “wrongs,” Senator Ipinsagba’s stewardship has been marked by:
Visible constituency projects across Ondo North, improving infrastructure and public facilities.
Youth empowerment and skills development, creating opportunities and reducing idleness.
Educational support initiatives, from scholarships to institutional advocacy.
Healthcare outreach and federal linkages, including support tied to the Federal Medical Centre’s expanding reach.
Effective representation and accessibility, maintaining close contact with constituents.
Strategic advocacy, positioning Ondo North for major federal projects like the proposed ICT university.
These are not failures in need of correction; they are building blocks for greater progress.
Why Ondo North Must Be Careful
Leadership at this level demands more than ambition—it requires humility, sound judgment, and a record of prioritizing public good over personal considerations. Ondo North cannot afford to gamble on uncertainty when it already has a functioning, forward-looking representation.
Otunba Elegbeleye’s past raises legitimate concerns: a pattern of high-handedness, questionable project choices, and a tendency toward self-importance. These are not qualities that reassure a people seeking steady progress.
Conclusion
Ondo North is already blessed with a forward-thinking, approachable, humane, and potentially ranking Senator in Jide Ipinsagba. This is not a moment for political experimentation.
We will not gamble with a blessed opportunity.
The people are not asking for the correction of imaginary wrongs; they are asking for continuity, consolidation, and accelerated development. The choice, therefore, is clear: build on a working foundation or risk dismantling it in pursuit of an undefined promise.