Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, has urged the Yoruba nation to begin deliberate preparations for political and economic relevance beyond President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tenure.
Speaking in Akure at a public lecture titled “Ondo State: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” to mark the 50th anniversary of Ondo State, Olanipekun warned that the Southwest cannot afford complacency while power remains at the centre.
He stressed that the presidency will not remain in the region indefinitely, urging strategic planning, unity, and purposeful leadership.
Olanipekun noted that although President Tinubu may serve until 2031, the Yoruba nation must start preparing for political realities afterwards.
“I’m not just asking us to prepare for post-2031 because President Tinubu will not be there forever. He will be there till 2031. So, we should be prepared for post-2031,” he said.
He cautioned that internal divisions could weaken the Southwest’s influence in national politics.
“We must hold ourselves together; stay united. There should be cohesion, unity, love, respect and thoughtfulness. Otherwise, the way I see it, we may be lost,” he added.
Olanipekun described development in the region as a collective responsibility requiring courage, strategic thinking, and sustained engagement beyond partisan interests.
He emphasized that Yoruba leaders, traditional rulers, and stakeholders must work together to safeguard the region’s future.
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who also spoke at the event, said his administration is focused on strengthening existing institutions and laying foundations for long-term growth rather than creating new structures.
Ondo State’s Development Agenda
Governor Aiyedatiwa highlighted reforms in health, education, and security. He pledged to further equip the Amotekun Corps, positioning it for the proposed state policing framework.
“Amotekun has come to stay. We will make it work better, recruit more personnel and equip them. With state policing in view, it will be able to handle sophisticated weapons against bandits and marauders,” he said.
He also outlined plans to drive industrialisation, agriculture, and the blue economy. Value addition to cocoa production through processing plants, he explained, would boost revenue and create jobs.
The governor pointed to ongoing projects such as the coastal highway and a proposed refinery, which he described as transformative.
“The coastal highway is a game changer. It will drive industry and movement of people. Tourism, hospitality, health and education will naturally grow as development spreads,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa said the state had adopted five-year and ten-year rolling development plans centred on human capital development. Youths were engaged through an essay competition envisioning Ondo’s future over the next 70 years.
He stressed the importance of strengthening institutions rather than creating new ones.
“You are not starting a new ministry of health, but you can make that one work better. You can’t create a new ministry of education; it’s been there, it’s a structure we can make more functional, to deliver better,” he explained.
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