Hon Kehinde Hassan Subair is adding another glorious years today. There’s every reason for us to rejoice with him and join voices with him to praise Allah, having come this fabulous far in life, business and politics.
Hon Subair is a grassroots progressive. Since he has started his political sojourn, he’s never jumped fence to another divide of political ideology; he’s as constant as northern star in the fold of progressives.
After his schoolings, despite his university education as a public administrator, he went into trading, dealing in cement marketing. When he joined politics in the early 90s, he continued to combine his cement merchandising with politics. In 1999, he contested for and won a councillorship seat under the Alliance for Democracy, representing Ward 3, Constituency 1, Ibadan South West. Later, his political sagacity and administrative acumen earned him the speakership of Ibadan South West local government legislative council.
After the Alliance for Democracy lost elections in 2003 to the PDP, Hon Subair also lost his reelection to the council. He did not think twice before he returned to his first love, cement merchandising. He was combining his business activities with grassroots politics as he was always providing financial supports to his followers, supporters and local politicians from the proceeds of his sweats. It’s on record that even politicians from other parties enjoyed Hon Subair’s magnanimity. He was a staunch follower of late Alhaji Lam-Adesina and he remained steadfastly to his leader and the party.
In 2010, opportunity came for Hon Subair to contest for membership of Oyo state House of Assembly to represent his constituency. He was the candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria for House of Assembly representing Constituency 1, Ibadan South West. He won the election in 2011 and he was in the House for the first four years of late Senator Abiola Ajimobi. By 2015, after ACN had morphed into APC, Hon Kehinde Subair recontested his seat in the Assembly and he won. His impeccable public administration style and politics of sagacity earned him a principal role as the Majority Leader of the last House of Assembly in Oyo state.
Having lost his reelection for the third term to the Oyo House of Assembly, after his botched attempt to move further up in the political ladders to the House of Representatives to represent Ibadan South West/Ibadan North West Federal Constituency, Hon Kehinde Subair returns to his business constituency, cement merchandising, where he continues to make profitable waves. He also other business interests in real estate, oil and gas.
Politicians who seek public offices have this exemplary lesson to learn from Hon Subair. It’s just right and proper for a politician to have a career or viable business venture so that they can have a good place to return to after their temporary public office. There have been instances of political public office holders who have become more impoverished than they were before their appointment simply because they didn’t have their first offices.
Hon Kehinde Subair is one of my leaders in Ward 3, Constituency 1, Ibadan South West. He’s a well-wisher who does not shut eyes to what can benefit people of his Ward and Constituency. As he adds another year today, May Allah keep him safe, alive, healthier and more politically prosperous
