On Saturday, at the royal palace of His Royal Majesty Oba Adeola Adeniyi Ajakaiye (Oyinyosaye III), the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, history met harmony. The 2025 Iyin-Ekiti Day Celebration became more than a cultural festival; it evolved into a lecture in leadership, a masterclass in how collaboration, respect, and shared vision can birth community transformation.
In the presence of eminent sons and daughters of Iyin Kingdom, the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, was installed as the Oluomo of Iyin-Ekiti, a title conferred by the Oluyin-in-Council and the entire kingdom, in recognition of his enduring contributions to the development of his birthplace.
Alongside him stood the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, installed as the Agba Akin of Iyin-Ekiti; Senator Jide Ipinsagba, the distinguished Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Procurement, as the Aare Bobagunwa of Iyin-Ekiti; Hon. (Engr.) Remi Oseni, Chairman, House Committee on FERMA, as the Aare Bobajiroro of Iyin-Ekiti; and Otunba Niyi Adebayo, former Governor of Ekiti State, as the Asiwaju of Iyin-Ekiti.
These were not mere ceremonial adornments, they were affirmations of purpose, proof that public service, when driven by sincerity, earns both divine and communal validation. The installation of these dignitaries, especially Senator Jide Ipinsagba, signified the triumph of partnership over pride and collaboration over chaos.
During the event, a ₦1 billion community development fund was launched, showcasing the power of united influence. This fund was not the product of one man’s ego but a reflection of collective will, leaders and citizens aligning for growth rather than engaging in the usual pull-him-down politics. It was a demonstration of what Ondo North desperately needs: synergy, not schism.
For too long, Ondo North has suffered under the shadow of disjointed representation. Past senators, consumed by rivalry and self-importance, failed to bring home tangible legacies. Their tenure was marked by silence in policy impact and barrenness in community development. Even those who wielded influence, like Hon. Adeogun, left no enduring footprint, no industrial imprint, no ICT revolution, no infrastructural rebirth. Theirs was a season of presence without performance.
But in Senator Jide Ipinsagba, Ondo North has found a departure from that old narrative. He represents a new doctrine, that progress is born when service replaces showmanship. His ICT initiatives are not token gestures but futuristic investments. His development interventions are strategic, people-centered, and measurable. Like the leaders honoured in Iyin-Ekiti, he sees leadership as a platform for continuity, not competition.
The Iyin-Ekiti celebration therefore teaches a profound lesson: collaboration creates continuity, and continuity births legacy. When men of purpose gather with shared intent, progress becomes inevitable. The ₦1 billion fund raised in Iyin-Ekiti is a testimony that unity yields development, a mirror Ondo North must look into.
Now is the time for the people of Ondo North to rally round their senator, not to worship him, but to work with him; not to compare him, but to complement him. Because when a leader builds with intellect and integrity, his people must build beside him, not behind him.
Iyin-Ekiti has shown Nigeria the template: cooperation over condemnation, unity over envy, and shared vision over solitary ambition.
And if Ondo North embraces that creed, the name Senator Jide Ipinsagba will not just echo in titles, it will be inscribed in time as the man who turned representation into regeneration.
