When Prof Oba Abdulraheem resigned his position as Chairman of the Federal Character Commission in pursuit of the 2019 gubernatorial ticket, it was done with confidence—perhaps even certainty. But the ticket did not come. And the office he left did not wait. What followed was not just a personal loss. It was a collective one.
Ilorin lost a strategic federal slot—one that held immense value for our people in terms of representation and opportunity. That loss has not been fully replaced till today. It created a vacuum at the center, weakening our voice in national considerations. That experience should not be dismissed as an isolated miscalculation. It should be studied as a cautionary tale.
This is yet another such moments.
The recent directive by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that political appointees with electoral ambitions should resign before March 31 has, understandably, set many calculations in motion. For some, it is a call to advance long-held aspirations. But for others, it should be a moment of sober reflection. For Ilorin, it must be the latter.
So, dear Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu and Prof. Abubakar Suleiman, there are moments in the life of a people when decisions taken by a few individuals carry consequences far beyond personal ambition. This is one of such moments.
You both stand today not just as individuals with political futures, but as custodians of scarce opportunities—opportunities that our community did not come by easily. Under the current administration, Ilorin’s share of federal appointments is, by every honest assessment, limited compared to what obtained in time past.
These few positions are not merely titles, they are lifelines—avenues of influence, access, and representation for our people at the center. It is for this reason that history must not be ignored.
Today, as conversations around 2027 begin to gather momentum, it is important to ask the most difficult but necessary question: Is the ticket truly guaranteed, or is it merely sounding sweet in political gatherings? The moment you resign and vacate your offices, it finds a replacement. Like a rented apartment, it does not remain empty out of respect for its former occupant.
Your offices today are not yours alone. They carry the hopes of aides, staff, and countless families whose daily sustenance is tied to your positions. The day you resign is not just the end of your tenure, it quietly becomes the end of livelihood for many others. Ambition may be personal, but its consequences are always shared. This is why restraint, not haste, is the higher virtue at this time.
This appeal is not directed at you alone. It extends to all sons and daughters of Ilorin who are privileged to hold one federal position or another. These appointments must be seen for what they truly are—collective glory. They are the community’s stake at the national table, and they must not be frittered away on the altar of uncertain political pursuits. Ilorin cannot afford another avoidable loss.
I therefore call on well-meaning stakeholders across the Emirate to rise to this moment. The revered Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), and the Ilorin Emirate Youth Development Association (IEYDA), among other respected voices, must intervene, not as political actors, but as custodians of the community’s long-term interest.
I urge you, Mallam Onilu and Prof. Abubakar Suleiman, to pause and reflect deeply. Political opportunities will always come and go, but the damage from a miscalculated step at a time like this may linger for years—affecting not just you, but an entire community.
Have pity on Ilorin. Do not let history repeat itself.
Abdullahi Abdulhamid