In a state where politics has long been driven by patronage, waste, and recycled power games, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa’s leadership in Ondo State is, to some, an aberration.
But to the people — the silent majority , it is a breath of fresh air. Ironically, the very things the public celebrates him for are what the political class now label as his “transgressions”.
One of Aiyedatiwa’s most significant and immediate interventions was the recruitment of teachers into the state’s primary and secondary schools.
In a state with a growing youth population, this was a bold and strategic move. Thousands of classrooms across Ondo now have qualified teachers, giving hope to a generation.
Yet, this has angered those who prefer that such opportunities be hoarded and politicised, regrttably turned into bargaining chips during elections.
His “sin” here? Making merit-based recruitment possible and focusing on students, not politics.
He also committed the sin of Building Roads instead of Political Bridges. Drive through parts of Akure, Owo, Ikare, Ondo town, or the southern axis, and you’ll find road projects in various stages of completion.
Aiyedatiwa isn’t just patching potholes; he’s opening up entire regions for trade, reducing travel time, and lifting rural communities out of isolation.
But this upsets some politicians who measure influence by their ability to control who gets what, where, and when.
Infrastructure that actually serves the people doesn’t allow them that leverage and so, it is a sin.
Many Nigerian states struggle to meet salary obligations. Yet, Ondo under Aiyedatiwa has kept faith with civil servants, paying salaries promptly and regularly. This has brought stability to the state workforce and improved productivity.
But again, he’s been accused of being too focused on the civil service instead of “oiling” the party structure. In the minds of political hawks, workers’ welfare is a distraction. For Aiyedatiwa, it’s a priority.
What irks the old order most is Aiyedatiwa’s direct approach to governance. The payment of monthly stipends to ward executives in all 203 wards is revolutionary. It bypasses political godfathers and empowers the very base of the party -the foot soldiers often forgotten after elections.
This bold move has unsettled the usual power brokers who now see their grip weakened. But for the Governor, governance must flow from the people, not from power blocs.
Under Aiyedatiwa’s watch, moribund state-owned enterprises are being reviewed and revived.
Rather than allow state assets to rot or be sold off to cronies at undervalued rates, he’s working to return them to productivity. In a political culture where “looting” is often hidden behind privatization, this too is a sin.
Perhaps his gravest “offence” is his refusal to be wasteful. Governor Aiyedatiwa is not known for flamboyance or opulence. He doesn’t throw money around to gain loyalty.
This rejection of the usual “spray and settle” style of governance has earned him silent enemies — those who see public office as an ATM for personal gain.
The real issue is that Aiyedatiwa is not paying by emerging, pragmatic exigences.
It is no surprise, therefore that propaganda has become a tool of choice against him.
Those who have lost access to power and patronage have resorted to media attacks, twisting public opinion to paint him as underperforming.
But here’s the truth. Governor Aiyedatiwa is a silent achiever, his focus is on systems, not sentiments; progress, not noise; sustainability, not seasonal gimmicks.
He is not in a supremacy contest with anyone -not in the state, and not in Abuja. He is simply doing the work he was chosen to do.
If these are the many sins of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa -the sins of performance, prudence, empowerment, and people-centered policies, then Ondo State needs more sinners like him.
Let the critics talk. Let the detractors plot. But the people, the real beneficiaries of his governance, know the truth. And in 2026 and beyond, that truth will speak louder than any smear campaign.
LET THE SINNER WORK.
OBADOFIN ADEMOLA
