*The True Mother and the False Mother* -*Adekemi Opatunde, PhD*

*A Personal Note*
This article became an anchor for me. I was lying on my apartment sofa, trying to make sense of the challenges before us after reading several posts across different platforms. One of my favorite ways of dealing with painful challenges is writing, and in those quiet moments, putting my thoughts down reminded me that challenges are part of human nature, but so is the choice to rise above them with wisdom and unity.

The story of King Solomon’s judgment is ancient, but its lesson is alive in our party today.

Two women came before Solomon, both claiming the same living child. When the king ordered the baby to be cut in two, one woman agreed: _“Let it be neither mine nor yours; divide it.”_ The other cried out, _“Please, my lord, give her the living child—do not kill it!”_

In that moment, the true mother was revealed. She would rather lose the child to another than watch it die. The false mother preferred destruction to another’s victory.

That is the choice before Oyo APC today.

Some among us lack team spirit. When things do not go their way, they threaten to defect, to walk away, to burn down what they helped build. Their posture mirrors the false mother: _“If it is not mine, let it belong to no one.”_

Ask yourself honestly: what do you gain by destroying the house you helped to build? A house divided cannot stand. A victory murdered at birth helps no one—not you, not your supporters, not the people waiting for change.

There is a reason we have come this far: our party is blessed with many qualified men and women. So many, in fact, that even our opposition looks to the Ajimobi administration to meet their needs. That speaks to the depth of talent within our ranks. But talent without unity is wasted.

As a mother hen gathers and protects her chicks, so we must rally around one another to prevent failure. We must stand for our great party like the True Mother.

It is true that women carry a natural disposition for compassion and care. Yet in politics, we also know what it means to be overlooked and underrepresented. That reality does not make us bitter; it makes us prayerful and persistent. Across Oyo State, women continue to pray for all aspirants and to press for fair inclusion. We will keep pushing for affirmative action until the door of opportunity opens wide. Our hope is that the party we build today will be strong enough to carry that future forward.

Think of the women in Oyo State waiting for better healthcare and lower maternal and child mortality. Think of the children waiting for quality education. Think of the communities waiting for roads, power, water, and infrastructure that make life dignified.

Think twice before you destroy this living child because you believe it is not yours. If she lives, your generation and generations unborn will benefit. Even you will benefit.

Yes, we have the right to be angry when we feel wronged or marginalized. But anger must not become destruction. Disagreement must not become sabotage. Let us stay away from destructive tendencies.

Pause and consider your actions today, and what they will mean for you, your children, and your grandchildren tomorrow. If you willfully tear down a structure that was being built long before you arrived, remember that the party belongs to all of us. Our strength comes more from the support of the wider public than from membership alone. Think carefully before you set our house on fire. History does not forget.

It was the willingness to sacrifice a personal claim for the child’s life that marked out the true woman as the real mother. It was that wisdom that marked Solomon as the wisest king who ever lived.

The living child in our hands today is the APC in Oyo State.
Will we be the true mother who preserves it, or the false mother who would rather see it cut in two?

The choice is ours. And history is watching.

*Adekemi Opatunde, PhD*
State Woman Leader, APC Oyo State