While our initial inclination was to ignore the ceaseless antics of Mr. Dare Adeleke—who has steadily constituted himself into a public nuisance with his frantic reactions to Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja’s political alignment with the All Progressives Congress (APC)—it has become imperative to address his recent barrage of vituperation and tissue of lies.
First, let it be made clear to the public that Dare Adeleke is not originally an indigene of Ibadan South East Local Government. We challenge him to debunk this fact by showing the public his father’s compound in Ibadan South East rather than hiding behind his mother’s lineage. His disrespect toward Ambassador Arapaja is hardly surprising; he embodies the old proverb that when a community is peaceful, it only means the local bastard has not yet come of age.
It is baffling why Adeleke is crying louder than the bereaved over Ambassador Arapaja’s political choices.
Freedom of association is a fundamental right guaranteed by the constitution. Every citizen is free to join or leave any political group without being subjected to bitter, childish attacks.
Adeleke’s claim that Arapaja is “not bold enough” to defend himself and relies on “proxies” is laughable. It only demonstrates Adeleke’s failure as a politician who has never built a single loyal follower capable of standing by him. Ambassador Arapaja, an erudite and grassroots political leader, has trained countless lieutenants who are fully equipped to dismantle attacks from frustrated figures like Adeleke, and by the way you and your paymaster are not in same category with Amb. Arapaja in all ramification.
Arapaja is a thoroughbred politician who learned at the feet of the late political titan, High Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu. Like Adedibu, Arapaja runs an open-door policy. His home remains accessible to all. Contrast this with Dare Adeleke’s residence, a heavily guarded fortress where you can only find four living things: himself, his cook, his gateman, and his guard dog. Arapaja, echoing Baba Adedibu, lives to serve humanity and uplift the common man.
Arapaja’s reputation remains unassailable. It was this undisputed clout that made Governor Seyi Makinde dispatch Barrister Bayo Lawal to plead with Arapaja to contest for the PDP National Vice Chairman (South-West) in year 2021. Indeed, after that election in Osogbo, a prominent governor’s ally, Mr. Babatunde Tijani (Double T), publicly confessed that without Arapaja on the ticket, the victory would have been impossible. For the record, Adeleke was never Arapaja’s Campaign Director-General; he merely begged to tag along for personal gain.
Furthermore, Adeleke’s wild allegation that Arapaja has “never won his polling unit” is a desperate concoction. Election results are matters of public record. We challenge Adeleke to request official results from INEC for Arapaja’s Polling Unit and Ward 2 in Ibadan South East spanning three decades—including his tenures as Council Chairman, House of Representatives member (2003), Deputy Governor (2007, 2011), and the elections of 2015, 2019, and 2023. How could a politician who rose to become the Deputy National Chairman of a major party never win his own unit?
Such ignorant claims could only come from someone like Dare Adeleke, who has never contested for ordinary councillorship in his entire life. This is the same man who, in 2019, notoriously told aspiring councillors to “go and sell their fathers’ land” if they wanted political support.
His political philosophy has always been selfish. Even when given public trust at the Pacesetter Transport Services, he allegedly oversaw the sale of agency vehicles as scraps at the Gate spare parts market.
Even while illegally detained during the 2019 elections in Abuja on the order of the last administration, Arapaja delivered his unit and ward for the coalition that brought in the current administration.
No amount of falsehood from a paid mercenary can retire Ambassador Arapaja from politics. While Adeleke continues to dish out fabrications to satisfy his paymasters in an administration that prioritizes opposition members over loyal party stalwarts, he should remember that the day of reckoning draws near. The electorate is wise, and lies no longer buy loyalty.
Opeyemi banks from Ibadan
