There is an old saying that a lie may travel fast, but the truth eventually catches up with it. In politics, however, facts have a way of becoming more stubborn. Records do not campaign, project timelines do not vote and official documents do not bend to political desperation.
Our attention has been drawn to a reckless statement attributed to Hon. Ajibola Muraina Saubana about the power station projects in Ibarapa that were awarded in 2009 and marked as completed as far back as 2021.
The third-term former lawmaker was reported to have said that work on the power project was stopped simply because Hon. Adepoju obtained a court injunction to stop any form of work at the site.
Ordinarily, we would not have bothered ourselves to respond to such a ludicrously inaniloquent statement, but for the sake of the unsuspecting members of the public who are likely to be misled by it.
The Abeokuta–Igbo-Ora/Lanlate/Igangan 132/33 KV Double Circuit Transmission Line was awarded in 2009 at the sum of one billion, nine hundred and thirty-four million, one hundred and twenty-nine thousand, four hundred and twenty-one naira, two kobo (₦1,934,129,421.02). The development took place 14 years before Hon. Dr. Anthony Adebayo Adepoju was elected as a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives in 2023.
As someone who prioritises the welfare of the people who gave him the mandate to serve, he wasted no time in giving serious attention to the issue of power supply being faced by the people of his constituency for more than a decade before his election. In the course of his legislative oversight, he realised that other power stations awarded alongside the Abeokuta–Igbo-Ora/Lanlate/Igangan 132/33 KV Double Circuit in other constituencies of the federation had been completed, while that of our region had also been marked as completed as far back as 2021, when Hon. Muraina was in power, even though the reality of the work done at the project sites was not up to 40%.
Aware of the situation, Hon. Adepoju applied the instrumentality of Parliament to escalate the issue. The primary aim of probing the project was never an attempt to ridicule Hon. Muraina, but to know why the same project, on which not up to 40% of the work had been done at the site, was marked as completed as far back as 2021, despite the billions of naira earmarked to carry out the project.
On what basis would a motion raised to investigate the abandoned power projects in the region be a witch-hunt against a former lawmaker when he was not the ministry or agency where such a capital project was domiciled? The investigative probe by Hon. Adepoju has resulted in a lot of progress at the three sub-power stations and, as you all know, immediately after work began at the site, some enemies of progress went to one of the project sites at Igbole, Igbo-Ora, killed one of the security men at the site and carted away valuable equipment that had recently been brought to the site, just to frustrate the progress of the ongoing project.
Now, to properly respond to the allegation of a court injunction that was said to have made work at the site stop, as allegedly made by Hon. Muraina, one would think that someone who read law up to a PhD level would understand that no individual, not even a sitting lawmaker, can simply go to court and seek an injunction to stop a Federal Government project. We do not mean to insult the former lawmaker, but it is high time people started questioning his so-called law degree. We do not want to assume that the ex-lawmaker was under the influence of something way beyond his capacity when he uttered such a disgusting statement in the name of politics, or was that an attempt to deceive the people of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North as he used to do since 2007?
We had earlier thought that the activities leading up to the 2027 general election would be an issue-based campaign, but the way Hon. Muraina is going, his desperation to grab power at all costs will bring us back to the days when politicians could just hold a microphone and utter anything.
When this same political Methuselah was looking for power in the buildup to the 2019 general elections, his request to the people of the constituency was that, if elected, he would not hesitate to complete the same power station. He was in that same National Assembly for another four years, completing total of 12 years in the National Assembly, without any progress made at the sites of the project. One wonders how he now finds it comfortable again to raise allegations about the same site that has seen remarkable improvements over the last three years.
Beyond the successful investigative motion of Hon. Adepoju on the power station, the lawmaker has continued to make frank efforts across the Ministry of Power to ensure the project is completed without further delay. One of the recent efforts of the lawmaker was his visit to the office of the current Minister of Power just three weeks ago, Chief Joseph Tegbe, where he expressed the plight of the people of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency to the Honourable Minister.
During the meeting, the Honourable Minister acknowledged that lack of funding had resulted in the slow progress of the work at the sub-power stations but promised an immediate alternative to solving the problem while he continues to source for funds for the completion of the project.
Right in front of the Honourable Minister, Hon. Adepoju made a call to the President of the Igbo-Ora Progressive Union (IPU), Pastor Alex Oladeji and Hon. Yemi Akinlabi, where the two committed community men also spoke extensively with the Honourable Minister about the issue of lack of power supply in the constituency.
The interaction provided a pathway to an immediate alternative solution to the problem, while a strong promise was made to source for funds to complete the power project, as Ibarapa region of the state is also the Honourable Minister’s constituency. This was just one of the recent efforts of Hon. Adepoju based on his relationship with the Minister of Power.
It is not just an insult to common sense for an individual who parades himself as a lawyer to open his buccal cavity at a public forum to claim that Hon. Adepoju secured a court injunction to stop work on a project being carried out by the Federal Government; it is a demonstration of political desperation at its peak, even when this same gerontocrat is aware that Engr. Dapo Adeoye, an indigene of Igbo-Ora, is the engineer in charge of the power project and that community people can easily ask questions from him to expose his lies.
On the issue of electricity in the constituency, Hon. Adepoju has made efforts to immediately provide an alternative to the issue of power supply in our constituency while looking at ways the ongoing power station can be completed. That was why he left no stone unturned to ensure the insertion of transformers and the replacement of all faulty electric poles from Eruwa down to Igangan in the 2025 budget. But man proposes, God disposes. The same budget has not been implemented to date to allow the contractor to commence work on the multimillion-naira project, which would have solved a lot of our electricity outages. This is publicly available information that anyone can verify.
And on the issue of the Federal Medical Centre, when will Hon. Muraina start to tell the people the truth? We are in the information era and he should realise that whatever he says, when outsiders hear it, they will begin to see the intellectually mobile residents of Ibarapa as individuals who know nothing and can still be cajoled by a man whose knowledge of good governance was last useful as far back as 12 years ago.
When do we tell Hon. Muraina that the lifecycle of a bill ends with the same dispensation in which it was sponsored? A bill sponsored in the 9th Assembly became dead immediately after the constitution of the 10th Assembly. The same applies to a bill sponsored in the 10th Assembly becoming dead in the 11th Assembly.
God forbid, if the Federal Medical Centre Bill by Hon. Adepoju, which is still before the President for assent, fails, it is not a crime and the best we can do is to initiate another one if the people of the constituency give us the mandate to serve again, as it is within the power of the presidency to either grant or withhold assent to any bill. Why is it now so difficult for Hon. Muraina to tell the people of the constituency the truth instead of coming around every election season to lie, raise false claims and stir people’s emotions?
A good leader tells the people the truth rather than playing on their intelligence. Despite the non-implementation of the 2024, 2025 and 2026 budgets, Hon. Adepoju has succeeded in facilitating projects across all five communities comprising our federal constituency and we can no longer be taken back to the ignominious era where our people wasted their mandate on a man who would later replicate it with public toilets without water, computer centres without computers and a bus stop that has now become an abode for goats.
A man who cannot stand in the middle of the road today and say, “This is the project that I facilitated that is still being used by the people of my constituency” has no moral right to promise the people anything having spent 12 years in the National Assembly.
Below are the overview achievements of Hon. Adebayo Adepoju the last 3 years:
Employment Opportunities
* Facilitated employment opportunities for constituents in:
* Bureau of Statistics
* Nigeria Immigration Service
* Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
* Nigerian Army
* Nigeria Customs Service
* Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)
* Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)
* Nigeria Police Force
* National Human Rights Commission
* Federal Ministry of Education (Lecturers)
* Federal Medical Centre (FMC)
* National Assembly of Nigeria
* Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)
* National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)
* Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
* Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA)
* Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC)
* Beneficiaries drawn from all five towns in the constituency.
* Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND)
* Facilitated employment for 172 youths.
Facilitated Physical Projects
* Cassava Processing Plant, Igangan.
* Cassava Processing Plant, Tapa.
* Cassava Processing Plant, Igbo-Ora.
* Fully mechanized processing equipment installed in all three plants.
* Motorized boreholes provided at all cassava processing plants.
* Solar-powered Cold Room, Igbo-Ora.
* Motorized boreholes in Idere.
* Motorized boreholes in Igbo-Ora.
* Solar streetlights in Ayete.
* Solar streetlights in Oja-Oba, Igbo-Ora.
* Construction of one block of three classrooms at Oke-Odo Community Secondary School, Igbo-Ora.
* Rehabilitation of Sagaun–Onimangoro Road, Igbo-Ora.
* Construction of one block of six classrooms with headmaster’s office in Ayete.
Scholarship Programmes
* Hon. Dr. Adebayo Adepoju Scholarship for Best SSCE and UTME Students.
* Annual scholarships covering tuition for selected students throughout their academic programmes.
* Beneficiaries selected from both local governments and all five towns.
* Hon. Dr. Anthony Adebayo Adepoju Free UTME Scholarship Scheme.
* Free JAMB forms for qualified candidates.
* Over 1,000 candidates participated in the aptitude test.
* Refund of registration fees to candidates who had already purchased UTME forms.
Educational Intervention Programmes
* Ibarapakan Free Holiday Lessons across the constituency.
* Over 1,000 secondary school students benefit every third break
* Engagement of 42 experienced teachers and three supervisors.
* Distribution of customized exercise books to participants.
* Distribution of school bags to the top 15 students.
* Constituency-wide tutorial classes for UTME candidates.
* Provision of computers for CBT simulation and practical training.
* Improved UTME performance among beneficiaries despite nationwide poor results.
Data-Driven Governance
* Constituency-wide data collection of unemployed graduates (2018–2023).
* Creation of database for evidence-based employment selection.
Citizen Engagement
* First-ever Constituency Town Hall Meeting.
* Attendance of over 2,000 constituents.
* Community recommendations integrated into constituency projects.
Youth and Academic Excellence
* Hosted First-Class and Distinction graduates from the constituency.
* Recognition and encouragement of academic excellence.
* Career mentorship and networking opportunities for outstanding graduates.
Social Welfare
* Distribution of:
* 600 bags of 50kg rice.
* 1,200 bags of garri.
* 350 chickens.
* ₦5 million cash support.
* Over 2,000 constituents benefited.
* 500 beneficiaries received ₦10,000 each.
Youth Leadership Development
* Introduction of the One-Day House of Representatives Member Initiative.
* Designed to groom future legislators and leaders.
* Practical exposure to legislative procedures.
* Encouragement of youth participation in governance.
* Advancement of the Not Too Young To Run philosophy.
* Free return flight to Abuja for the winner.
* Two-day accommodation and feeding in Abuja.
* One-Day House of Representatives Member certificate.
* Opportunity to sit on the official seat of the constituency’s House of Representatives member.
* Opportunity to witness House of Representatives plenary.
* Practical legislative training under the Senior Legislative Aide.
Agricultural Development
* Three mechanized cassava processing plants established.
* Increased value addition for cassava farmers.
* Improved agricultural productivity.
* Enhanced post-harvest processing capacity.
Water Supply
* Mega motorized boreholes installed in communities with limited access to potable water.
Food Security
* Solar-powered cold room established to reduce post-harvest losses.
* Storage support for butchers, traders, and market women.
Security Infrastructure
* Solar streetlights installed in Ayete.
* Solar streetlights installed in Oja-Oba, Igbo-Ora.
* Improved security of lives and property.
Legislative, Human Capital Development and Leadership Achievements
*(MOTIONS)*
* Raised a motion on the need to safeguard the academic pursuits of Nigerian medical students in Ukraine, urging the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to reconsider its position and allow Nigerian medical graduates of 2022 from Ukraine to have their medical certificates recognized for practice in Nigeria, thereby preventing the waste of the students’ time and resources.
* Raised a motion calling for urgent government intervention to protect Nigerians from discrimination and apartheid-like treatment by foreign nationals and employers, while advocating stronger protection of citizens’ constitutional rights.
* Raised a motion demanding a thorough investigation into and completion of the abandoned New Abeokuta–Igbo-Ora/Lanlate/Igangan 132/33KV Double Circuit Transmission Line project valued at ₦1,934,129,421.02, urging the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to investigate the project, its disbursements, reasons for abandonment, and ensure its completion for the benefit of Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa North, and Ibarapa East Federal Constituencies.
*(BILLS)*
* Sponsored the Institute of Economists of Nigeria Bill, 2023 (HB224), which has passed and moved for concurrence.
* Sponsored the Federal Medical Centres (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (HB799) to establish the Federal Medical Centre, Igbo-Ora, Oyo State.
* Sponsored the Federal College of Education, Lanlate Establishment Bill (HB1158), currently awaiting Second Reading.
* Sponsored the Federal University of Agriculture, Forestry and Technology, Igbo-Ora Establishment Bill (HB1172), which has passed Second Reading.
* Sponsored the Dishonored Cheque (Offences) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeking to provide restitution and compensation for victims of dishonored cheques.
* Sponsored the Regulation of Casual Labour in Nigeria Bill, 2024, to protect casual workers from exploitation and inhumane treatment.
* Sponsored the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, to hold electricity distribution companies accountable for negligence resulting in death or disability.
* Presented a petition before the House of Representatives seeking justice for employees of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, who were owed salaries for over 33 months.
* Donated millions of naira toward humanitarian and human capital development initiatives across the constituency.
* Donated ₦4 million to support the kidney transplant of a constituent, demonstrating commitment to healthcare intervention and humanitarian assistance.
* Trained over 120 constituents in poultry farming to enhance agricultural productivity and economic empowerment.
* Provided start-up funds to beneficiaries of the poultry farming empowerment programme to encourage self-reliance and increased household income.
* Serves as Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Federal Character in the House of Representatives.
* Serves as Chairman, Nigeria–Romania Friendship Group, strengthening Nigeria’s parliamentary and diplomatic relations with Romania.
Second Year in Office
Constituency Initiatives/Special Educational Intervention Programmes
* Hosted the first-ever One-Day House of Representatives Member, Hon. Peace Oluwaseyi Oladosu, at the National Assembly, Abuja.
* Sponsored an all-expense-paid trip for the One-Day House of Representatives Member and her parents to Abuja.
* Facilitated the official recognition of Hon. Peace Oluwaseyi Oladosu during the House of Representatives plenary of July 23, 2024.
* Recorded the first-ever appearance and recognition of a One-Day House of Representatives Member on the floor of the House of Representatives in Nigeria’s 25 years of uninterrupted democracy.
* Facilitated strategic engagements between the One-Day House of Representatives Member and serving members of the House of Representatives.
* Provided practical legislative training and exposure to the workings of the National Assembly for the One-Day House of Representatives Member.
* Sponsored the beneficiary’s return trip through Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at no cost to the family.
* Commenced the Second Phase of the Ibarapakan Free Holiday Lessons across Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency.
* Expanded the free holiday lessons with the engagement of 44 experienced teachers, up from 33 teachers in the first phase.
* Enhanced students’ academic performance through free holiday coaching classes.
* Complemented the Oyo State Government’s efforts in improving educational standards.
* Kept secondary school students meaningfully engaged during the long vacation period.
* Expanded the curriculum beyond conventional subjects to include Moral Development, Academic and Career Development, Technology and Innovation, and Drug Abuse Awareness.
* Broadened the programme beyond Leadership and Governance to provide more holistic student development.
* Launched Ibarapa’s Got Talent (IGT) to discover, nurture and promote talents across Ibarapa.
* Created a platform for young people aged 10–45 years to showcase talents in singing, dancing, comedy, magic and other creative performances.
* Promoted Ibarapa’s cultural heritage through the Ibarapa’s Got Talent initiative.
* Encouraged youth participation in the creative industry as a means of economic empowerment.
Parts of the Physical Projects Completed and Commissioned in the Second Year in Office
* Constructed a three-block classroom building at Oke-Odo NUD Primary School V.
* Completed the construction of the Sagaun–Onimangoro Road, Igbo-Ora.
* Facilitated streetlighting along the Sagaun–Onimangoro Road, Igbo-Ora.
* Facilitated the construction of five additional solar-powered boreholes across Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency.
* Constructed a solar-powered borehole at Kajola, Ayete.
* Constructed a solar-powered borehole at Igbo Nla, Igangan.
* Constructed a solar-powered borehole at Lajeebon, Idere.
* Constructed a solar-powered borehole at Oke Ayo, Tapa.
* Constructed a solar-powered borehole at Isale Oba, Igbo-Ora.
* Fulfilled a campaign promise by providing clean and potable water to underserved communities.
* Improved access to safe drinking water for rural communities and farmers across the constituency.
* Commenced the construction of a six-block classroom building at Ayete Grammar School, Ayete.
* Facilitated the second major classroom construction project within July and August 2024 to bridge educational infrastructure deficits.
* Approved and facilitated the complete renovation of the Chief Magistrate Court, Pako, Igbo-Ora.
* Approved immediate funding for the rehabilitation of the dilapidated Magistrate Court following an on-the-spot inspection with community leaders and stakeholders.
Empowered hundreds of constituents with digital skills through a four-day ICT training programme covering computer literacy, internet navigation, email management, social media, online safety and productivity tools.
* Provided ₦50,000 start-up grants to each participant of the digital skills empowerment programme, alongside transportation stipends.
* Distributed bags of fertilizer to farmers across the constituency to boost agricultural productivity, enhance food security and support local farmers.
* Organised a three-day youth sensitisation and empowerment programme featuring entrepreneurship support, incentives and drug abuse awareness for youths across the constituency.
* Launched a widows empowerment programme targeting 2,903 widows, providing long-term economic and social support through a structured intervention initiative.
Scholarship Offers
* Offered to sponsor WAEC registration fees for the best-performing SSS3 students in the second phase of the Ibarapakan Free Holiday Lessons.
* Distributed writing materials to outstanding SSS2 students who participated in the assessment exercise.
Motions
* Moved a motion commending the Federal Government’s free caesarean section policy for pregnant women and urging its extension to include free malaria treatment in Federal Government medical hospitals.
* Moved a motion calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria and UNESCO to recognise the Igboora World Twins Festival and Idere Hills as world-class cultural heritage and tourism sites.
*Constituency Projects*
* Facilitated the distribution of six electricity transformers across Igboora, Idere, Ayete, Tapa and Igangan to improve electricity supply and support ongoing rural electrification efforts in the constituency. Two had been supplied with the rest underway.
Christmas/New Year Social Support Programme 2.0
* Distributed Christmas and New Year food items and cash support to over 7,000 constituents across Igboora, Idere, Ayete, Tapa and Igangan as part of the 2024 festive season social intervention programme.
Hosting of First-Class and Distinction Graduates 2.0
* Hosted the second edition of the First-Class and Distinction Graduates Recognition Programme, celebrating 11 outstanding graduates, an increase from eight beneficiaries in 2023.
* Presented cash gifts to all first-class and distinction graduates in recognition of their academic excellence.
* Recommended outstanding graduates for employment opportunities in federal government agencies and parastatals.
* Added two exceptional students to the constituency’s tuition-free higher education scholarship scheme for the duration of their undergraduate studies.
Community Support
* Donated over ₦5 million to community associations, students’ unions and religious institutions across the constituency.
Education Infrastructure
* Facilitated the construction of additional three-block classroom buildings at Igangan High School, Igangan and Tapa Community Grammar School, Tapa, to improve the learning environment for students.
*Completed the first phase of the Igboora electrification project, providing electricity infrastructure, including transformers, poles and cables to restore power to over 700 residents in the Pako area of Igboora.
* Facilitated the installation of 40 solar-powered streetlights in Igangan to improve security and nighttime visibility.
* Facilitated a mega motorised borehole at Idofin, Igboora, to improve access to clean and potable water.
* Facilitated the construction of a culvert around the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, to improve road access and ease transportation.
* Raised a motion calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria and UNESCO to recognise the Igboora World Twins Festival and Idere Hills as Intangible Cultural Heritage and internationally recognised tourist destinations.
* Facilitated a greenhouse farming project in Igboora to empower farmers, promote year-round agricultural production and strengthen food security.
* Facilitated a state-of-the-art Digital Learning Centre/Computer Laboratory at Igboora Grammar School, equipped with computers, solar power, air conditioners, printers, photocopiers, ICT furniture and other modern facilities.
* Facilitated ICT training for teachers on the operation and maintenance of the Digital Learning Centre.
* Facilitated the complete renovation of a six-block classroom building at Roman Catholic Mission School, Pako, Igboora.
* Launched the second edition of the One-Day House of Representatives Member initiative, providing secondary school students with a platform to develop leadership, legislative knowledge and intellectual capacity.
* Successfully conducted the constituency-wide One-Day Rep aptitude test across the five principal communities under the supervision of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Hosted the second annual Ramadan Lecture, Qur’anic Competition and Iftar to promote religious tolerance, unity and peaceful coexistence among people of different faiths in the constituency.
* Facilitated the foundation and construction of the first-ever constituency public library in Igboora to promote reading culture, research and academic excellence.
* Distributed instructional materials, including school bags, mathematical sets and exercise books to 10,898 public secondary school students across the constituency.
* Provided instructional materials for teachers in all 21 public secondary schools across Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency.
* Facilitated the construction of four additional classrooms at Ayelogun Grammar School and Islamic Mission Basic School I, Idere, with two classrooms in each school to improve learning infrastructure.
Third Year in Office Achievements
* Hosted the Grand Finale of the Second Edition of the One-Day House of Representatives Member Initiative, engaging over 2,700 SS3 students across Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North.
* Commenced the Third Edition of the Ibarapakan Free Holiday Lessons for public and private senior secondary school students across the five principal communities.
* Provided monthly social support to hundreds of widows across Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North.
* Expanded the widows’ social support programme to 2,000 beneficiaries within three months.
* Facilitated the distribution of 15,153 school items to public secondary schools in Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North.
* Facilitated classroom furniture, school bags, notebooks, writing materials and other educational resources for public schools.
* Secured the official recognition of the One-Day House of Representatives Member by the Nigerian House of Representatives during plenary.
* Sponsored the One-Day Representative, Hon. Suliat Adeola Haruna, to visit the National Assembly and gain practical exposure to legislative proceedings.
* Facilitated the Senate concurrence on the Institute of Economists of Nigeria Bill (HB 224), a bill sponsored by Hon. Adepoju.
* Commenced the upgrade and renovation of Igangan Town Hall into a modern multifunctional facility incorporating town hall, vocational and examination-centre functions.
* Organised the Second Phase of the Digital Skills Acquisition and Empowerment Programme, training hundreds of constituents in modern digital skills.
* Empowered digital-skills beneficiaries with ₦100,000 each, alongside certificates, writing materials and bags.
* Distributed instructional materials to all 29 public secondary schools across Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North.
* Distributed school bags, exercise books and past-question booklets to thousands of students across the constituency.
* Organised the Second Phase of the Empowerment and Drug Abuse Sensitisation Programme for hundreds of constituents.
* Facilitated drug-abuse awareness and sensitisation programmes targeting youths and women across the constituency.
* Provided a brand-new patrol motorcycle to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ibarapa Central, to enhance community security operations.
* Facilitated and supported education, human-capital development, youth empowerment, women’s welfare, social support, security and infrastructural development across Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North.
Hassan Adesodi Olaoniye, ANIPR
Special Adviser to Hon. Adebayo Adepoju
(Media and Publicity)
August 22, 2026
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