History has shown that some individuals who once played destructive roles in our collective affairs often resurface, believing that Nigerians are quick to forget past betrayals. They re-emerge with renewed confidence, hoping to reinvent themselves and reclaim relevance, even when their past actions are well documented and deeply damaging.
One such individual is Chief Gbenga Awoyale, who styles himself as the “National President” of Orisun Igbomina. His reappearance in public discourse calls for a reminder: we do not suffer from collective amnesia.
We have known this man and his antics long before he ventured into the iron rod business. We are not people with short memories, and the sons and daughters of Omo Igbomina do not suffer the same fate. We know him, we have his dossier, and no one should take him seriously, because this behaviour is his stock in trade.
Awoyale founded Orisun Igbomina during the tenure of former Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki. The organisation was not created out of a genuine desire to promote Igbomina unity or culture. Rather, it was deliberately established as a counterweight to Egbe Omo Igbomina, which was seen at the time as too strong, too independent, and politically inconvenient for the ruling power structure.
It is on record that Governor Saraki sought to weaken and polarise Egbe Omo Igbomina because of its influence and refusal to submit its heritage to political manipulation. Awoyale willingly made himself available as an instrument for this agenda. Orisun Igbomina became the vehicle through which this destabilisation was pursued.
Orisun Igbomina was, in effect, a one-man organisation. Awoyale registered it, controlled it, funded it through political patronage, and dictated its direction without accountability. Those who initially associated with him eventually withdrew, citing fraud, lack of transparency, and personal ambition as the driving forces behind the group.
Unable to undermine Egbe Omo Igbomina from within, Awoyale chose the path of sabotage from outside. While a member of the PDP at the time, he openly positioned Orisun Igbomina against Egbe Omo Igbomina, selling himself to political interests as a willing destabiliser. This earned him patronage, publicity, and financial backing, including funds allegedly used to sponsor newspaper publications attacking the integrity and leadership of Egbe Omo Igbomina.
Today, Awoyale has returned to the public space with a new mission. This time, he seeks to rally support for his brother, Prince Lekan Adewoye, who is aspiring to contest a senatorial seat. Supporting a sibling’s political ambition is not the problem. What is unacceptable is the method being employed.
Awoyale now seeks acceptance and legitimacy by aligning himself with the same Egbe Omo Igbomina he once ridiculed, fought, and attempted to destroy. He is even parading himself as a believer in the supremacy of Egbe Omo Igbomina, contrary to his ignoble actions during his days with Saraki.
He now wants to benefit from the credibility of an organisation he previously derided, branded as unworthy, and manipulated for political gain.
Let it be clearly stated: the people of Egbe Omo Igbomina do not suffer from memory loss. The failed attempts to polarise and weaken the organisation are still fresh in our minds. The fact that those efforts did not succeed does not grant their architect moral clearance to return and seek profit from the same platform he once sought to dismantle.
There must be consequences for actions. A society without accountability rewards betrayal and punishes integrity. This is a defining moment for Egbe Omo Igbomina and for every true Omo Igbomina. We must insist on a culture of responsibility, where actions, good or bad, carry consequences.
It is both ironic and insulting that Awoyale now parades himself as a stakeholder in Egbe Omo Igbomina after years of hostility. His recent media appearance, which was translated into English due to his inability to express himself in the language, was laced with condescending remarks and lacked basic civility. It was clearly aimed at advancing his brother’s ambition rather than promoting unity.
The donation of N4 million by his brother to Egbe Omo Igbomina, which was meant to support the success of the Igbomina Summit, does not erase years of sabotage, propaganda, and division. Financial contributions cannot purchase moral redemption, nor can they rewrite history.
Posterity is watching, and judgment, when it comes, is rarely gentle. If Awoyale truly believes in Orisun Igbomina, why not use that platform to seek electoral support for his brother, when both of them are from Arandun? Why suddenly abandon the organisation he created and return to Egbe Omo Igbomina, except out of convenience and selfish calculation?
Even politically, his credibility is questionable. During the last general election, the party he now claims allegiance to lost in Arandun Ward largely due to his insistence that the people should not vote for the APC because the government did not patronise his iron rod business at its various construction sites.
It was his internal sabotage that led to the APC’s loss in Arandun, yet he now seeks the same party to offer his brother its ticket as a senatorial candidate, if his wishful thinking materialises. This pattern of political inconsistency, moving from one party to another without clear ideology or loyalty, has become his trademark.
A man who thrives on division cannot be trusted to promote unity. A spoiler cannot suddenly become a statesman. As the saying goes, a leopard does not change its spots.
Egbe Omo Igbomina must remain vigilant. We cannot allow those who once sought our destruction to now benefit from our strength. Unity must not be traded for convenience, and history must not be sacrificed on the altar of political ambition.
We remember. We are watching. And this time, we must stand firm. Igbominas must remain vigilant. We cannot allow such charlatans, who are unstable in all their ways, to dictate what happens to us.
Tunji Oyeniyi writes from Oro in Kwara State
