The Executive Chairman of Ibadan
North Local Government, Hon. Oluwaseun Olufade, has commended the quality and people-oriented representation being provided by lawmakers elected on the platform of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) in Ibadan North, describing their performance as a reflection of the party’s “Nigerian-first” ideology.
Olufade, while assessing the performance of the APM lawmakers representing Ibadan North at both the Oyo State House of Assembly and the National Assembly, praised Hon. Olufunke Comforter, representing Ibadan North Constituency I; Hon. Adebayo Babajide Gabriel, representing Ibadan North Constituency II; and Hon. Folajimi Oyekunle DON, representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency.
According to the chairman, the three lawmakers have demonstrated that genuine political representation goes beyond rhetoric, publicity and the display of names and photographs on billboards, stressing that the real measure of representation is the positive difference made in the lives of constituents.
He said the APM lawmakers had consistently maintained what he described as their “social contract” with the people through various empowerment programmes, social welfare interventions, infrastructure projects, provision of basic amenities and financial assistance to residents.
Olufade noted that these interventions had produced tangible results across communities in Ibadan North, adding that the lawmakers had continued to demonstrate commitment to the welfare and development of their constituents.
Highlighting some of the achievements of the lawmakers, the chairman cited the recent commissioning of six motorised boreholes, a bridge and a community gate by Hon. Adebayo Babajide Gabriel across Ibadan North Constituency II.
He described the projects as practical interventions capable of directly improving the quality of life of residents, particularly in communities where access to basic infrastructure remains a major concern.
Olufade also commended Hon. Olufunke Comforter for her interventions in Ibadan North Constituency I, particularly the construction of an Amotekun security building in Akingbola Ward 5.
According to him, the project is aimed at strengthening community security and providing a more conducive operational environment for personnel of the Amotekun security outfit, thereby contributing to the protection of lives and
property.
He further acknowledged the numerous empowerment initiatives and financial assistance provided by the lawmaker to constituents, describing them as evidence of a representation that remains connected to the needs of the people.
Speaking on the performance of Hon. Folajimi Oyekunle DON at the federal level, Olufade said the federal lawmaker had prioritised the welfare of residents of Ibadan North through several interventions.
He specifically mentioned the distribution of food palliatives on six consecutive occasions, describing the initiative as an important intervention at a time when many households are facing economic pressures.
The chairman also pointed to the construction of several pedestrian bridges connecting communities within the federal constituency, saying the projects had addressed critical mobility and accessibility challenges confronting residents.
He further highlighted the commencement of the construction of the 1.17-kilometre Atenda–Alawada Road, describing it as another significant intervention expected to improve connectivity, ease transportation and enhance access for residents and businesses within the constituency.
Olufade also revealed that the three APM lawmakers had facilitated the distribution of solar-powered streetlights to several communities across Ibadan North Federal Constituency, noting that the initiative would contribute to improved visibility, community safety and economic activities after dark.
The council chairman maintained that the collective interventions of the three lawmakers demonstrated what he described as the practical meaning of the APM ideology.
“The ideology of the Allied Peoples’ Movement is truly Nigerian first. These lawmakers have shown that representation is about the people.
They have maintained the social contract they entered into with their constituents and have continued to fulfil it through empowerment, social welfare, infrastructure, basic amenities and financial interventions.”
Olufade contrasted this approach with what he described as a style of representation that places greater emphasis on visibility through billboards than on tangible constituency projects.
He particularly took a swipe at the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State and serving Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Barrister Sharafadeen Alli, saying that, in his assessment, the senator’s visibility had been more noticeable through billboards than through what he considered meaningful constituency impact.
The chairman said some members of the public had consequently resorted to referring to the senator as “Senator Billboards,” a description he attributed to perceptions surrounding the senator’s public visibility.
Olufade, however, stressed that political representation should ultimately be judged by its impact on the people rather than the number of billboards erected.
“Representation goes beyond the display of billboards. The best display should not be on billboards; it should be on the lives that have been meaningfully impacted,” he said.
He argued that residents were capable of distinguishing between publicity and tangible service delivery, insisting that the people of Oyo State could not be swayed merely by political branding.
According to him, “Oyo State people are wise and they cannot be cajoled by Senator Billboards.”
Olufade urged political office holders and aspirants to focus more on delivering tangible benefits to the people, stressing that the ultimate legacy of any elected representative would be determined by the lives touched and communities transformed during their tenure.
He commended the three APM lawmakers for what he described as their commitment to grassroots development and urged them to sustain the momentum by continuing to place the welfare and aspirations of their constituents at the centre of their legislative responsibilities.
The chairman maintained that the interventions recorded across Ibadan North offered a practical demonstration that effective representation could translate legislative positions into real development outcomes for ordinary citizens.
