Oyo State at 50: Of Vision, Leadership and the Burden of Tomorrow
By Barrister Chief Niyi Aborisade
Fifty years ago, on 3rd February 1976, history gave birth to Oyo State from the old Western Region. At the time, it carried within it the territory that later became Osun State in 1991. What began as an administrative decision has since grown into a living story of people, power, progress, and painful lessons.
Oyo did not merely emerge as another state. It arrived with an identity the Pacesetter State anchored in the popular saying: Ajíṣẹ́bí Oyo làárí; Oyo kì í ṣe bí ẹni kankan. Oyo sets the pace; others take notes. Half a century later, that name still challenges us.
Our first governor, Colonel David Jemibewon, provided steady military leadership at a delicate time in Nigeria’s evolution. But it was the return to civilian rule in 1979 that truly defined Oyo’s political character.
Chief Bola Ige came not as a ruler, but as a reformer.
In four years, he proved that government could be humane, bold and purposeful. Free education opened doors for thousands of children who would never have seen a classroom. Free healthcare saved lives. BCOS gave Oyo its own voice. Gbagi Tuntun redefined urban commerce. Roads connected forgotten communities. The Alakia Airport signalled ambition beyond the present.
He even introduced gymnastics into school culture, not for spectacle, but for discipline and unity.
That era taught us something powerful: that development is not about noise, but about intention.Bola Ige’s later service as Attorney General of the Federation only broadened his national stature before his tragic assassination in 2001 a wound that time has not healed.
Oyo has also known betrayal and bloodshed. The rebellion of his deputy and the violent politics of 1983, led by Busari Adelakun, plunged the state into fear. Thuggery replaced debate. Intimidation replaced ideas. Democracy nearly collapsed under the weight of ambition.
Soon after, the military returned. Dr. Omololu Olunloyo’s civilian government lasted barely three months before General Buhari’s coup swept away the Second Republic.
Military administrators followed, including General Oladayo Popoola, whose public transport initiative showed that leadership could still be modest even in uniform.
When civilian rule returned in 1999, Chief Lam Adesina governed, followed by Rashidi Ladoja. Ladoja’s story remains symbolic. He dared to govern independently in an era of political godfathers. For that courage, he was unlawfully removed in 2006 through a shameful alliance of thugs and compromised legislators.
Ibadan witnessed the humiliation of democracy. Yet, the courts restored him. Law defeated lawlessness.
Today, he wears the crown of Olubadan not as a reward of politics, but as a reminder that dignity survives power.
Governor Seyi Makinde now steers the ship at this golden milestone.
Like many of us, he is a product of the free education policy of the Bola Ige era. He has spent over six years in office, long enough to shape, and be shaped by, history. Oyo will remember him, not for how long he ruled, but for what changed because he ruled.
Beyond Celebration: A Personal Conviction
Anniversaries must not deceive us.
Oyo still struggles with:
*Inadequate public education
*Fragile healthcare systems
*Youth unemployment
*Untapped agricultural potential
*Weak tourism structures
*Growing security concerns
These are not statistics. They are human realities.
If given the privilege to serve as governor, my commitment is clear:
*Education must be free again and meaningful.
*Healthcare must be accessible, not luxurious.
*The airport must compete globally.
*Agriculture must become industrial, not primitive.
*Tourism must generate income, not just photographs.
*Security must become a right, not a prayer.
Without safety, investors stay away. Without jobs, crime grows.
Without education, the future collapses.
A State Still Writing Its Story,Oyo at 50 is neither a finished book nor a broken dream.
It is a manuscript still being written.
We have produced giants.
We have survived dark chapters.
We have tasted progress.
We have endured betrayal.
But the most important pages are still blank.
The pacesetter must learn to lead again not in name, but in courage, fairness and vision.
That is the task before us.
Barrister Chief Niyi Aborisade is a lawyer, human rights activist, historian, author and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) gubernatorial aspirant in Oyo State.