THE SINS OF BOLAJI EGBEYEMI OLAGBAJU,EKITI DEPUTY SPEAKER

Standing Gbagidi When Loyalty Was Scarce

I must confess—this is a difficult piece to write.

Not because I lack words. No. Words obey me like loyal servants.

But because I am about to do what I rarely do: reveal what has long been kept beneath the surface… what many have wondered but few have dared to articulate.

Who exactly is Rt. Hon. Bolaji Egbeyemi Olagbaju, the Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly?

A quiet politician.

A composed presence.

A figure whose actions, if we are to be brutally honest, amount to very serious sins in the theatre of Nigerian politics.

And that is why ,I say this without apology ,I hate her.

Yes, I hate Rt. Hon. Mobolaji Egbeyemi Olagbaju.

Deeply.

Intensely.

Suspiciously.

Before you rush to judge me, pause. I owe neither you nor your generation an explanation.

You see, I do not like people who refuse to behave the way power expects them to behave. I do not like people who are given influence and refuse to weaponize it. I do not like individuals who inherit political pedigree yet decline to wear arrogance as clothing and pride as a crown.

And that is precisely why Bolaji Egbeyemi unsettles me.

Look at her.

Daughter of the late Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, Esq. a former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State. A name that opens doors without knocking.

Connections? Plenty.

Opportunities? Endless.

Ambition? Curiously restrained.

And therein lies my discomfort.

How does someone born into such formidable influence choose contentment in service rather than chaos in ambition? 

  How does a Deputy Speaker sit comfortably within her constitutional lane without plotting to overthrow the Speaker, destabilize the House, or orchestrate drama worthy of Nollywood?

Is that not… suspicious?

But my discomfort did not begin today. I took time deliberate time to study her. To observe her quietly, especially during that turbulent season of party primaries, when loyalty became scarce currency and conviction began to wobble.

That period exposed many.

Those who once shouted loyalty suddenly became strategically silent.

Those expected to stand firm began to sit on the fence—balancing like political acrobats, waiting to see where the pendulum would swing.

But Omobolaji?

She stood gbagidi.

Firm.

Unshaken.

Unapologetic.

Like the Northern Star.

While others calculated, she committed.

While others hedged, she held her ground.

While others whispered, she stood.visibly and solidly behind Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji.

Now tell me how does one like such a person?

A politician who is not alagabagebe.

Who did not latán.

Who chose loyalty when it was risky.

Who refused to play safe when conviction was required.

It is unsettling.

It disrupts the familiar script of convenience politics.

And that is why my “hatred” deepens.

Because she is not just loyal she is ultra loyal.

Not just hardworking , she is ultra diligent.

Not just supportive—she is an unapologetic BAOist, an unwavering pillar of Governor Oyebanji’s vision.

In an environment where allegiance is often transactional, hers appears almost ideological… almost dangerous.

And have you noticed her carriage?

She walks with a calmness that is almost irritating. Not hurried. Not desperate. Not loud. As though she understands something the rest of us are yet to grasp.

Then comes the real offence ,humility.

Yes, humility… in Nigerian politics. What audacity!

A woman born into influence who refuses to weaponize her pedigree.

An individual with access who still chooses accessibility.

A leader who prefers impact over noise.

Frankly, it is disturbing.

And as if that is not enough, she goes ahead to serve her people—not perform, not pretend, not parade—serve.

Providing water to her community. Water!

In a nation where many leaders struggle to provide excuses, she provides something as fundamental as life itself.

Who does that?

Who reduces governance to simple, measurable impact?

It disrupts the script entirely.

Then there is her intellect—quiet, sharp, disciplined. Not the noisy kind that seeks validation, but the dangerous kind that understands, analyzes, and acts.

People like Bolaji Egbeyemi Olagbaju are difficult to decode within the conventional Nigerian political framework.

She is not loud enough for controversy.

Not reckless enough for scandal.

Not desperate enough for manipulation.

Not disloyal enough for intrigue.

So where do we place her?

And that is why I say I hate her.

Because she refuses to fit into the convenient stereotypes we have created for power. Because she proves that privilege does not have to produce arrogance. Because she embodies what the Yoruba call “Ọmọ inú ọgbà”—one who, despite growing in abundance, retains discipline, purpose, and humanity.

She reminds us—painfully—that leadership can still be decent.

That loyalty can exist without servility.

That humility can coexist with power.

That service can still be sincere.

And perhaps, that is the greatest discomfort of all.

Because people like her expose the system—not by shouting, but by being different.

So yes… I hate Bolaji Egbeyemi Olagbaju.

I hate her composure.

I hate her discipline.

I hate her loyalty.

I hate her refusal to misuse power.

I hate her inconvenient example.

Because in a world that often rewards noise, excess, and ambition without conscience…

She stands as a quiet rebuke.

And truth be told!

That kind of hatred is nothing but reluctant admiration in disguise.

Blessed be the day she was born.

Blessed is the legacy that shaped her.

And blessed is Ekiti State for having, in its corridors of power, a reminder that leadership can still wear the face of character.

— Wale Ojo-Lanre, Esq.

Usi Ekiti