An Open Letter To Distinguished Senator Teslim Folarin | Olusegun Ajanaku
Dear Distinguished Senator,
I sincerely hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits.
I have deliberately chosen to write this as an open letter because there are moments in public life when speaking openly becomes a responsibility rather than merely a choice. I believe this is one of those moments.
Permit me first to acknowledge your remarkable political journey. As a three-term Senator of the Federal Republic, former Senate Leader, and twice the governorship candidate of major political parties, you have earned a place among the most respected political leaders in Oyo State. History cannot ignore those accomplishments.
Interestingly, I was not originally one of your admirers. It was during your 2022 governorship aspiration that my perception changed, largely through the persuasion of Barrister Lowo Obisesan and the late Hon. Kehinde Subair. As I came to know you better, I discovered qualities that earned my genuine respect, prompting many former parliamentarians and loyal party members to rally behind your ambition.
Many of us made enormous sacrifices. Personally, I left my family in the United Kingdom for five months to work full-time for the campaign. Others equally committed their time, resources and relationships. Some of us became political enemies of those who opposed your aspiration, yet we remained steadfast because we believed in your leadership. I mention these sacrifices not to remind you of favours, but to illustrate the depth of commitment many ordinary party faithful invested in our shared cause.
Following the 2022 primaries, our party experienced painful divisions. While disagreements are inevitable in politics, many grassroots members remained committed to the progressive family despite disappointments and personal losses.
My respect for you grew even stronger after the passing of our dear brother, Hon. Kehinde Subair, in London. I witnessed your efforts to ensure his remains were returned home with dignity. That compassionate act reflected responsibility and humanity, and it remains one of the reasons I continue to hold you in high esteem.
Distinguished Senator, the present situation within the Oyo State APC presents one of the greatest tests of your leadership. Leadership is most visible during difficult seasons, not when everything is comfortable. Thousands of party members are watching, looking for direction and reassurance.
Some of us have spent decades in the progressive family from the post-UPN era through SDP, UNCP, AD, AC, ACN and now APC without ever belonging to another political party. We have remained because we believe in the ideals of progressive politics, not because of appointments or personal rewards.
We also remember the painful lessons of 2019 and 2023. Internal divisions weakened our collective effort and ultimately benefited our opponents. It is the ordinary members at the grassroots who suffer the consequences whenever our party loses.
Today, Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Ali has emerged as our governorship candidate. As in every democratic process, not everyone will be satisfied with the outcome. Similar dissatisfaction followed previous primaries, including your own emergence in 2022. Yet once the party has spoken through its recognised process, our collective responsibility should be to protect and strengthen the party.
As Winston Churchill observed, _”The price of greatness is responsibility.”_ Whether through words or silence, leaders send powerful messages. Your voice carries enormous influence, and this is the moment to use it in encouraging unity and rallying party faithful.
As believers, we recognise that promotion ultimately comes from God. The Scriptures remind us that *”God is the Judge; He puts down one and sets up another.”* Political ambition, however legitimate, should never become greater than the collective interest of the party.
Many grassroots members have received neither appointments nor contracts, yet they continue to support the APC with their limited resources because they believe in its future. They deserve leadership that inspires confidence rather than uncertainty.
Your recent meeting with respected stakeholders affirming support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election was widely welcomed. However, many loyal members were disappointed that a similar emphasis was not placed on supporting our governorship candidate. Supporting the President while appearing indifferent to our candidate inevitably creates uncertainty among party faithful. The APC must strive for victory at every level, from the Presidency to the State House of Assembly.
The circumstances that produced our candidates were largely beyond the control of ordinary members. They should not become casualties of decisions they neither made nor influenced. If the party loses, they bear the greatest burden.
History remembers leaders not merely for the offices they occupied but for the wisdom they displayed during difficult moments. Our late Governor Abiola Ajimobi often spoke about “damage control.” The present circumstances demand exactly that kind of mature leadership. Had leaders such as Lam Adesina, Abiola Ajimobi or Adebayo Alao-Akala been with us today, many believe they would have worked tirelessly to unite the party for the common good. Providence has now placed that responsibility on leaders like you.
Sir, this is your moment to rise above disappointment, personal grievances and political differences. Lead!
If the APC triumphs through reconciliation and collective sacrifice, history will remember those who placed the party above personal ambition. If internal divisions weaken our chances, history will equally remember those who had the opportunity to unite the party but chose otherwise.
The newly constituted Reconciliation Committee offers a valuable opportunity to heal wounds, rebuild trust and strengthen our party ahead of the governorship election. Let us embrace that opportunity wholeheartedly and deny our opponents the satisfaction of seeing us divided.
Permit me to conclude with a personal experience that has shaped my political philosophy. On March 6, 2001, myself and two others travelled to Ikenne to meet the late Chief Bola Ige over developments within the Alliance for Democracy that deeply concerned us. After listening patiently to our grievances, he simply said: _”Go back home and continue to organise, and organise.”_
Those few words became a lifelong lesson. Chief Bola Ige understood that strong political parties are sustained not by bitterness or prolonged disagreements, but by unity, organisation and responsible leadership.
More than two decades later, that counsel remains profoundly relevant. Distinguished Senator, this is the time to bury our differences, unite behind our party’s candidates and organise for victory. Let us place the APC above personal disappointment and demonstrate the leadership that history will remember.
May wisdom guide every decision you make. May posterity remember you as one of the leaders who chose unity over division, reconciliation over bitterness, and the party above personal disappointment.
May God continue to strengthen and preserve you.
*Olusegun Ajanaku, PhD, was a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly twice.
