What began as a celebratory empowerment exercise by Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (representing Ondo Central) has turned into a source of discontent after several ward secretaries in Akure were reportedly excluded from the list of beneficiaries, sparking accusations of unfair treatment from his own party members.
The distribution, held today at the international conference center (The Dome), saw dozens of keke‑napep tricycles, motorcycles (okadas), deep freezers, sewing machines and other tools handed out to executives of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the all wards in Akure South Local Government.
The gesture was intended to boost grassroots capacities, provide livelihoods, and galvanize support ahead of next year’s elections.
However, the mood changed when four ward secretaries from Wards 3, 8, 10, and 11 discovered their names were left off the beneficiaries list.
All four secretaries were
present physically to receive their share, but were told their names had been exempted “by order, from above.”
Speaking to Palace Pulse, one of the delisted persons said they were taken aback, considering their support for the senator during his campaign and they have been active grassroots mobilisers for the party. “We showed up today expecting that what we were told was for ‘all ward executives.’ Now we were told that we didn’t qualify. It feels like betrayal,” lamented one of the aggrieved secretaries.
They further accused the distribution committee of opacity, claiming that they don’t deserve the humiliation and disgrace melted out to them.
The incident has stirred concerns among other lower ranking party officials, who fear that similar treatment might be melted out to them in future exercises.
For now, the empowerment programme will likely be remembered not just for the keke‑napep and motorcycles handed out, but also for the bitterness and sense of exclusion among grassroots operatives who felt overlooked.
As next year’s general election approaches, such fractures at the base may prove far more costly than the value of the items distributed.
