Hamzat Ayoade Adeseun: Life, politics and service

Hamzat Ayoade Adeseun: Life, politics and service

Adewuyi ADEGBITE

I have been following the life of the ex-Senator of the Federal Republic, Senator AYOADE ADESEUN since his days as the chairman, Surulere local government, Iresa Adu, Oyo state during the military regime. The man returned from abroad to put his experience to bear in leading Surulere out of oblivion. With little resources available to him, his accomplishments have remained unbeatable till the moment. With his accomplishments as the Surulere local government chairman, he has launched himself as a politician to watch as the politics of fourth republic was unfolding. Like Dr Saka Balogun, Bayo Alao Akala, Dayo Lawal and many other leading politicians in Ogbomoso zone he pitched tent with the All People’s Party (APP), led in Oyo state by the stormy petrel of Oyo politics, Alhaji Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu. Adeseun served as the chairman of the party in Oyo state. During the gubernatorial election of 1999, APP aligned with AD to ensure victory for Alhaji Lamidi Adesina. When the government was formed, Adeseun was made the chairman of Oyo state Transport Company known as TCTC. He later joined AD and contested for House of Representatives during the election of 2003 and won the seat for Ogo Oluwa / Surulere federal constituency. He later joined PDP when AD was bedeviled by intractable crisis, contested for House of Representatives election under the party and won. At the inauguration of the Assembly, he was made the Chairman of Appropriation Committee. Before his appointment as the chairman of Appropriation Committee, Adeseun had through his constituency projects which included but not limited to solar powered bore holes and street lights which he provided in all nooks and crannies of his constituency and beyond won for himself the appellation, AYO SOLAR. As the chairman appropriation committee, Adeseun employed this position to transform not only his constituency but his hands were seen throughout Oyo South and Central Senatorial districts especially, Ibadan and Oyo in the provision of bore holes, street lights, electricity and the likes.

That was the time he influenced the siting of Navy Secondary School at Iresa Apa, he equally began the move to have Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Oyo state, though this project materialized few years after he left office, federal establishments at Onipaanu, Ogbomoso, sports stadiums at Ajaawa, Ogbomoso South and Orile Igbon. Not only that, he influenced the channelization of many rivers in Ogbomoso including but not limited to Ora river along Iresa road and Nana river beside Orioke community High School. Adeseun was later to find himself in ACN in 2011 where he won the ticket for Oyo Central Senatorial district. He handsomely won the election into the National Assembly as a Senator of the Federal Republic. I had the opportunity of working with him as a foot soldier in the build up to 2011 election. By that time he had parted ways with his friend and comrade in the bid to lift Ogbomoso up, Chief Christopher Adebayo Alao Akala. In his bid to win his senatorial election and win the zone for Ajimobi and ACN, he recruited many politicians in opposition and those sidelined by Alao Akala like Hon Remi Odetomi, Hon Temi Adibi, Hon Demola Alalade, Egbon Dokun Alamu including myself and renumerated us handsomely. Senator Ayoade Adeseun could not deliver Ogbomoso zone for ACN but blocked the reelection of Alao Akala for a second term in office. The rest of the politics of that era as they say is now history. One thing I want to add here is that Adeseun after the Ajimobi victory in 2011 submitted my name as a member of the board of Crown Football Club , Ogbomoso. He called me late in the night on a certain day to inform me about this for which I was grateful to him. Unfortunately, my name was removed by only God knows forces closer to Ajimobi then from this area. I don’t believe Adeseun knew about this unholy act till today and may be he thought I served in the board, I don’t know. Senator Abiola Ajimobi’s appropriation of ACN post-2011 election forced Adeseun to move to PDP where he contested with Engineer Seyi Makinde for PDP gubernatorial ticket for 2019 election but Ibadan conspiracy denied him of the ticket. In spite of that, Adeseun remains a formidable politician not only in Oyo state but the nation as a whole. He is a leader of APC in Oyo state, why he has not been made an Ambassador by Tinubu government is a conjecture. I write this piece, as the topic shows, to showcase the trajectory of his being: his life, politics and service to humanity. In addition, I want to show appreciation to him for being his benefactor and for mobilizing me when I began the work on Orlando Owoh’s biography. Anyway, he may not remember this. Having enumerated Adeseun’s accomplishments for Oyo state, Nigeria and Ogbomoso as a whole, one thing I want to add is that he opened up Ogbomoso suburbs for development. Before him, suburbs were virtually underdeveloped in spite of the local governments there in. Facilitating Federal Polytechnic Ayede and Navy Secondary School Iresa Apa in his constituency of Ogo Oluwa/Surulere has engraved his name in the consciousness of the two local governments, their people and their future generations and students that are and would attend those schools forever.

But for him, the institutions could have ended up in our Ogbomoso North. But the presence of those schools in those two places have helped the economy of Ogbomoso zone, provided employment opportunities for people of the zone and put the names of those obscure towns on national maps. He has equally through his politics and service which is pro-people rather than self aggrandizement uplifted millions out of poverty, want and hopelessness. Senator Hamsat Ayoade Adeseun has paid his role in Nigeria politics, he has impacted his immediate community and beyond as well as humanity as a whole. Posterity would be kind with him. Another thing is that Adeseun is at home with all primordial interests in Ogbomoso zone. I mean he is detribalized as far as Ogbomoso zone Oba institution is concerned. He is one of the few who could enter all palaces without fear or favour. Had he had the opportunity, he could have served as an harbinger of peaceful co-existence among our royal fathers. I am happy that his service has not gone without being rewarded by humanity. He has been rewarded by a chieftaincy by His Imperial Majesty, Alayeluwa Jimoh Oladunini Oyewumi Ajagungbade 3 in his life and today, he is being honoured by Ibadanland with his wife as Agbaakin Majeobaje and his wife, Yeye Agbaakin Majeobaje respectively. As he continues his sojourn in this side of the world divide and add a year today August 1, 2025, I wish him long life, sound health and prosperity.