Hon. Prince Ademola Adegoroye (PDA); A Testament Of Endurance and Perseverance -By Ayodeji Olatubora

God’s time, they say, is the best. God rules in the affairs of men and he is a rewarder of diligence, sacrifice and consistency. God himself said, ‘I will restore the years of the locust, cankerworm and caterpillars’ and that ‘they that wait upon the Lord, he will renew their strength and they will mount will wings like eagles’. It is also noteworthy that eagles do not just fly, but they soar.

The city of Akure, the hometown of Prince Ademola Adegoroye was agog as the news of his nomination as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria filtered the air. Initially, there were doubts as to whether it was really him as his name was spelt, ‘Adegorioye’ as opposed to ‘Adegoroye’. In fact, someone had put a call across to confirm if it was him and the answer was affirmative. It was not just really about the spelling, but also the fact that it was unexpected. Congratulatory messages followed suit from eminent personalities including the Former Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko who described PDA as a fine gentleman who has paid his dues in politics and remains a builder of men. In addition, Chief Olu Falae, (Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Former Minister of Finance and former Presidential Aspirant ) and Afenifere chieftain and a commissioner for Finance in the old Ondo State, Chief Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti hailed the nomination. Furthermore, the highly revered Monarch; the Deji of Akure kingdom, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo hailed this very nomination. The Akure metropolis was thrown into wide jubilation.

Certainly, that of PDA has been an admixture of a Long Walk To Freedom and the Audacity of Hope; hope they say, is frail, but difficult to kill.

Hon Adegoroye bestrode the political firmament of Ondo State in 1999 like a colossus and went on to win the election into the state House of Assembly to represent Akure Constituency. As a legislator, he stood out and was a rallying point for his Akure people. He was and remains a loyal party man. The Akure Prince vied for the Governorship of Ondo State in 2003 under the defunct AD and became the candidate of the defunct ACN in the 2007 Gubernatorial elections. He was the 2nd runner up in that election even as his relationship with the hierarchy of the party was damaged due to the perceived support the party hierarchy then had extended to a candidate other than himself. He was aggrieved and joined forces with the ruling PDP then as an act of protest, knowing fully well the sacrifices he had made to build the party to that level. He later returned to the newly formed APC sometime in 2014 to join forces with other progressives to build the party into an election winning party. It was a homecoming of some sort. He again vied for the Governorship in 2016 and failed to secure his party’s nomination. He remained a loyal party which he has always been.

I make bold to state that PDA built the progressive element of the political divide in Ondo State from scratch. From the AD to AC days, PDA was a major financier of the party and made a lot of sacrifices for the party. In fact, he has always been committed to party building and in effect, building individuals. In the build up to the 2007 elections, PDA had just started building his own personal house in Akure and the party (AC) needed money badly. PDA sacrificially sold the house he was building and raised money for the party. He has always kept his structure intact and has always been a loyal party man.

Early in 2022, following the demise of the Late Hon Adedayo Omolafe who represented Akure South/North Federal Constituency in the House of Reps, PDA threw his hat in the ring and vied for the office of Member of House of Reps. However, he failed to secure his party’s nomination. After this exercise, Many had thought that hope was lost, but the ways of God are certainly not the ways of man.

PDA remained consistent, hopeful and resilient in his quest to contribute his quota to nation building. His appointment as a Minister is God’s system of compensation and restoration and it is another episode of the biblical thematic expression of ‘opening the book of remembrance’. Certainly, we should all not be weary in well doing because at the right time, it would pay off. In my congratulatory message to PDA, I described it as a ‘miracle job’ and that it came to me as an ‘unsurprising surprise’.

There is no doubt about the fact and as aptly put by Deji of Akure, that he is a round peg in the round hole and a worthy son of the land.

As Asiwaju rightly said in the controversial Abeokuta address , ‘Emi Lokan’, Emi Lokan simply means, ‘It is my turn’. The denotative meaning of such in this clime and this regard is ‘I have paid my dues, I have served, I have made sacrifices and now it is my own turn.’ Who knows if PDA tapped into this grace and turned it into a personal prayer because Asiwaju himself later alluded to the fact ‘Emi Lokan’ has now become a prayer point in pentecostal churches.

It is indisputable and undeniable that for PDA, it is his time. Similar to Asiwaju’s, PDA has not held any public office since he left as a member of the House of Assembly in 2003. However, he has committed himself to party building and has entrenched himself in the minds of people who have followed him closely and from afar. He has built bridges and is a friend to all. Prominent amongst his extensive network are Dr Kayode Fayemi, Rauf Aregbesola and Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, amongst others. God in his infinite wisdom, has now raised him to national politics and my prayer is that his path, which is as a shining light, would continue to shine brighter unto the perfect day. We look forward to the screening exercise and his eventual confirmation as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Many Congratulations to a quintessential gentleman and astute politician, Prince Ademola Adewole Adegoroye.

Ayodeji Olatubora is an attorney, a development and policy professional and a public affairs analyst