OYO INSIGHT has challenged former third-term House of Representatives member, Hon. Ajibola Saubana Muraina and his supporters to present five major constituency achievements that remain functional after his cumulative 12 years in the National Assembly.
The challenge followed a lengthy rejoinder credited to Dr. Ademola Akintomiwa, who responded to an earlier editorial by OYO INSIGHT questioning Muraina’s decision to seek another term in the House of Representatives.
Rather than engage in what it described as political rhetoric and emotional arguments, OYO INSIGHT said the focus should remain on performance, accountability and the measurable impact of public office.
According to the platform, questioning Muraina’s ambition is not an attempt to deny him his constitutional right to contest. It is, instead, a legitimate demand for citizens to examine whether another term is justified by his record.
“Constitutional eligibility does not confer immunity from public scrutiny,” the platform maintained, arguing that the right to contest an election does not automatically translate into entitlement to another mandate.
OYO INSIGHT also rejected attempts to portray criticism of Muraina as an attack on Ibarapa, stressing that no individual politician should be allowed to appropriate the identity of an entire constituency.
“Ibarapa is bigger than Ajibola Muraina. Ibarapa existed before Muraina entered politics, it has produced leaders before him and it will continue to produce leaders after him,” the platform said.
It argued that political relevance should ultimately be determined by what a politician builds, leaves behind and contributes to society rather than by the number of times the politician appears on the ballot.
Five Functional Projects, Not Political Rhetoric
The major question raised by OYO INSIGHT is straightforward: After 12 years in the National Assembly, what five major, verifiable constituency projects facilitated by Muraina are still functional today?
The platform demanded that his defenders provide specific details, including the locations of the projects, dates of execution, funding sources, present condition and measurable impact on the people.
It said broad claims about infrastructure, employment, empowerment and training were insufficient without documentary evidence.
“Public office is not assessed by adjectives,” OYO INSIGHT stated, insisting that political achievements should be measurable and verifiable.
The platform also questioned what Ibarapa gained from Muraina’s tenure as Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) during the Seventh Assembly.
It noted that the position provided a significant national platform for legislative oversight of Nigeria’s petroleum sector and asked whether that strategic opportunity translated into tangible benefits for Ibarapa.
OYO INSIGHT therefore asked: What major petroleum-related intervention came to Ibarapa? How many constituents were connected to employment opportunities in the petroleum sector? What training institutions, industrial initiatives or federal programmes were attracted to the constituency?
The platform stressed that chairmanship of a powerful committee should not automatically be presented as an achievement.
“Chairmanship of a powerful committee is not itself an achievement. It is an opportunity. The achievement is what a legislator does with that opportunity,” it said.
Muraina’s Electoral History
OYO INSIGHT also rejected what it described as attempts to portray Muraina as politically invincible.
The platform recalled that Muraina represented the constituency in the House of Representatives for two consecutive terms between 2007 and 2011 before losing the 2015 election to Hon. Olugbenga Ojoawo of the APC.
He subsequently returned to the National Assembly in 2019 after a fiercely contested election against Hon. Ademola Ojo of the APC, which was initially declared inconclusive before a rerun produced a winner.
In 2023, however, Muraina again lost the seat, this time to Hon. Adebayo Adepoju of the PDP.
According to OYO INSIGHT, the electoral history demonstrates that Muraina has both won and lost elections, just like other politicians and that no politician possesses a permanent mandate over a constituency.
“The people of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North have already demonstrated on more than one occasion that they are capable of saying ‘No’ to Ajibola Muraina at the ballot box,” it stated.
‘Let the Ballot Box Decide’
The platform also dismissed claims that political opponents or media organisations are afraid of Muraina’s return.
It argued that genuine political strength is not determined by the number of press statements issued by supporters but by the decision of voters at polling units.
OYO INSIGHT maintained that a party ticket is not an electoral victory and that securing a nomination cannot be equated with securing the support of the electorate.
“The 2027 election is not a coronation ceremony. A party ticket is not a certificate of popularity. A political endorsement is not an electoral result,” it said.
It called on Muraina and his supporters to respond to questions about his record with verifiable evidence rather than accusations against journalists and political opponents.
The platform also rejected attempts to drag other politicians into what it described as a legitimate debate about leadership, performance and succession.
‘History Will Judge Public Office’
OYO INSIGHT said political office should be viewed as an opportunity to serve rather than personal property.
It cited the careers of several prominent Nigerian political figures as examples of leaders whose legacies survived beyond their occupancy of particular offices.
According to the platform, the true test of political leadership is whether institutions, ideas, infrastructure and opportunities created during a politician’s tenure continue to benefit the people after the politician has left office.
It therefore urged Muraina’s supporters to focus less on political songs, rhetoric and personal attacks and more on presenting evidence of what his 12 years in the National Assembly delivered to Ibarapa.
The platform concluded that Muraina remains constitutionally free to contest the 2027 election and seek another mandate, but the people also retain the right to examine his record and decide whether they want him back.
“The stage belongs to the people, not to the dancer. When the electorate decides that the music should continue, they will say so at the ballot box. When they decide that another dancer deserves the stage, no newspaper, political camp or self-appointed defender of a politician will be able to stop them.”
Reactions have since trailed the editorial with many constituents asking: “After 12 years in the National Assembly, can Muraina and his supporters name five major constituency achievements that are still functional and verifiably benefiting the people today?
0 Comments