In recent weeks, the political atmosphere in Ogun State has been saturated with an alarming resurgence of grandstanding. The same familiar voices that once misled the state with hollow promises and cosmetic governance have suddenly found renewed courage. They have taken to social media with unrestrained zeal, attempting to rewrite history and whitewash an era many remember as a period of retrogression. These ghost-singers of failed leadership now beat their chests, claiming phantom legacies that crumbled almost as quickly as they were announced.
Ogun State has not forgotten.
There was a time — not too long ago — when the reins of governance were in the hands of a single political performer whose administration glittered brightly under artificial lights but collapsed under the weight of its own superficiality. It was a reign marked by theatrics rather than thoughtful planning, self-promotion rather than service, and glitzy announcements unbacked by sustainable development. The result was a lost era that set Ogun State several years back. When the curtain finally closed on that administration, the state was forced into a prolonged recovery from the consequences of misplaced priorities and inflated ego.
Then came a new dawn.
In his characteristic humility and statesmanship, His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, ushered in a fresh approach to governance — one rooted in patience, inclusivity, and long-term vision. He offered olive branches where others sowed division. He extended opportunities even to those who once worked against the state’s interests. Such was the generosity of a leader determined to reposition Ogun State on the path of genuine growth.
Unfortunately, that benevolence has been met with betrayal. Those who were empowered, accepted, elevated, and given a chance to rebuild their image have turned around to bite the very hand that rehabilitated them. Rather than cooperate with the government’s developmental stride, they chose opportunism. Rather than gratitude, they embraced treachery.
Today, these same individuals — desperate for another opportunity — have found a new battleground in the unregulated fields of social media. They have mobilized a network of digital attack dogs whose sole mission is to undermine, distort, and discredit the tangible achievements of the Dapo Abiodun administration. This is Ziggism reloaded in its purest form: a brazen attempt to manipulate public perception with loud, empty rhetoric unsupported by fact.
Yet the facts speak for themselves.
Under Governor Abiodun’s steady and methodical leadership, Ogun State has witnessed infrastructural expansion on a scale unmatched by previous administrations. Roads long abandoned have been reconstructed; new arteries of transportation now connect communities previously isolated. The state has become a fast-growing industrial hub, attracting local and international investors. In agriculture, innovations and partnerships are birthing an era where Ogun is reclaiming its place as a frontline producer. Education, healthcare, housing, technology, and security have all benefited from a deliberate and people-focused governance style.
These are not slogans. These are visible, verifiable achievements.
But to the chorus of disgruntled political tourists, development is only genuine when they are at the center of it. As their political future becomes uncertain, they cling to desperation — attacking everything and praising nothing. Their propaganda machinery has been oiled for one purpose only: to destabilize public confidence in a government that has delivered far more in six years than their benefactors achieved in an entire eight-year tenure.
For all their loud clamouring, Ogun people remember what a wasted eight years looks like. They have not forgotten the era of white-elephant projects, the obsession with personal glorification, and the misallocation of state resources. They have not forgotten the promises that began with fireworks and ended in rubble. They certainly have not forgotten the aftermath: schools that needed rescue, hospitals that required rehabilitation, industries that fled, and communities that were left in infrastructural limbo.
The attempt by this group to weaponize social media is not surprising. It is easier to manufacture lies online than to face the truth on the ground. It is easier to discredit progress than to replicate it. And it is far easier to unleash insults than to present concrete results.
But no amount of digital noise can erase Governor Abiodun’s achievements. His administration’s legacy is being written in concrete, not on keyboards. His development footprint is visible on highways, not hashtags. His governance philosophy has positioned Ogun State as one of Nigeria’s most stable and forward-looking states.
The people of Ogun must remain vigilant. They must not allow the state to be dragged back into the shadows of performative governance. Those now shouting in the marketplace, pretending to be champions of development, once had their chance — and squandered it. Their renewed desperation is nothing but an admission of declining relevance.
Ogun State stands Today at a crossroads between sustained progress and a return to illusionary governance. The choice is clear. History has already shown us what happens when the wrong choice is made.
Tayo, a public analyst, writes from Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
