ADED$LAPO 👑🇳🇬

This was a town hall held in 2023 for the LP candidate, Peter Obi in Ile-Ife Feb 17th, 2023.. The reception was warm, electric, and superb. Every seat was filled with young, brilliant minds from universities across the Ife axis. In the heat of the 2023 political season, I instructed the ground team that we would stay away from the OAU campus while seeking out venues, as we were fully aware of the university’s well-known stance on partisan politics. Local coordinators who facilitated the event planning like @realevabest and others can testify to this known stance . Any former student or alumnus of OAU needs no lecture on this reality. I requested the use of Kabiyesi Ooni’s OJAJA Hall and his office generously made it available to us at a modest amount, compared to its booking fee. This was southwest hospitality and political tolerance at its finest promoted by local leaders. Not a single incident of harassment at the epicenter of Yoruba land, where zero intimidation or push back against a gathering of Nigerians choosing a candidate of their choice, who was not locally popular occurred. I cannot vouch the same for other cities or states outside the region. After awaiting the candidate from Lagos for hours who couldn’t make it in due to weather challenges, we opted for a teleconference via zoom to continue the program. My previous post was a reminder that OAU Ife has a long-running history of remaining apolitical and treats political events with high sensitivity for those who may not be aware. A thankless endeavor, where the total cost of funding such political events out of pocket to promote a civic discourse in our evolving politics, is not common place. Today it’s heartbreaking to see many resorting to divisive rhetoric with claims of intolerance against a history of events that shows otherwise. Our politics has become excessively polarized, toxic and one bearing fangs of needless ethnic bickering, with many like myself, looking back in hindsight and wonder if it was worth any of it. Do your politics, but once again my dearest “OAU Ife cannot be Cancelled”. Prince Akin Olaoye - Ife North