In politics, some men announce their importance with loud declarations, while others reveal their relevance through the people who show up when life presents its most difficult moments. For Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi, the days following his resignation as Chief of Staff to Governor Seyi Makinde have offered a fascinating illustration of the difference between occupying an office and commanding political relationships.
Since his resignation, Ogunwuyi has attracted attacks, criticism and public defence. Some of his allies have reportedly faced threats, while questions have emerged about the possibility of political marginalisation. Yet, amid the drama, the former Chief of Staff has largely maintained his silence. His most prominent public statement since the resignation has been the announcement of the death of his mother, Alhaja Aminat Mopelola Ogunwuyi, who died at the age of 89.
Perhaps, in the painful circumstances surrounding her death, Ogunwuyi did not intend to make any political statement. But the response to the loss of his mother has revealed something that political calculations alone may never adequately explain: the strength of personal relationships beyond party boundaries.
Since Saturday, Ogunwuyi’s high school residence in Ogbomoso has witnessed what could aptly be described, in the language of the Yoruba people, as Ojà Oyingbo — a bustling marketplace where people come and go, each with their own purpose, yet contributing to the extraordinary activity of the place.
The residence has become a meeting point for politicians, associates, sympathisers and well-wishers from different political camps. What makes this gathering particularly significant is not merely the number of visitors, but the political identities of some of those who have come to pay their respects.
Ogbomoso politics has witnessed its fair share of rivalries, disagreements and factional struggles. The recent APC congress, particularly the developments in Ogbomoso South, exposed the divisions among party stakeholders and gladiators. Against that background, the sight of politicians from opposing APC factions trooping to Ogunwuyi’s residence to offer condolences is remarkable.
Those who have struggled to sit at the same table over political interests have found themselves converging at one residence because of a personal loss.
Death has a way of reminding people that political differences, however intense, are temporary in the face of life’s most profound realities. Yet, beyond the human significance of the gathering, its political implications are difficult to ignore.
If politicians who have disagreed over party leadership, congress outcomes and political calculations can put aside their differences to identify with Ogunwuyi at a moment of grief, it raises a legitimate question about the depth of the relationships he has cultivated over the years.
The expression paperweight has featured in conversations about Ogunwuyi’s political relevance since his resignation. But if he has become politically irrelevant, why has his name continued to command so much attention? Why have his next moves become a subject of speculation? And why has his residence attracted political figures whose relationships with one another have been strained by factional disagreements?
These are questions worth asking, not because attendance at a condolence gathering automatically translates into electoral strength, but because political influence is not measured exclusively by public office.
A politician’s relevance can also be reflected in the relationships he maintains, the confidence he commands across political divides and his capacity to bring people into the same space, even when their interests do not ordinarily align.
Ogunwuyi’s experience in the Oyo State House of Assembly, the House of Representatives and the governor’s office provides a substantial political background. But the gathering at his residence presents a different dimension of his influence: the personal relationships that appear to extend beyond the immediate boundaries of party affiliation.
Of course, condolences should not be interpreted as declarations of political allegiance. People visit the bereaved for many reasons, including friendship, respect, compassion and shared history. Nevertheless, the breadth of political representation at Ogunwuyi’s residence provides a basis for examining the networks he has built.
The question, therefore, is not simply whether he is a heavyweight or a paperweight. It is whether the political relationships on display can be sustained and translated into constructive political engagement when the mourning period is over.
The possibility of Ogunwuyi moving from the PDP to the APC has generated speculation, but he has not publicly confirmed such a decision. Until he speaks, it would be premature to present a possible defection as an accomplished fact.
However, the response to his mother’s death raises an interesting political consideration for the APC.
If politicians from different APC factions can converge around Ogunwuyi in a moment of grief, could he also provide a platform for dialogue among those same political interests when the conversation returns to party unity?
Ogbomoso APC has experienced internal divisions, and the recent congress brought some of those tensions into public view. A party preparing for the political contests ahead must consider not only the strength of individual aspirants but also the relationships required to build a cohesive political structure.
This is where Ogunwuyi’s possible role becomes an important subject of discussion.
Should he decide to join the APC, his existing relationships could potentially make him a useful interlocutor among competing political blocs. His value would depend on whether he could sustain dialogue, earn the confidence of the different factions and contribute to a workable arrangement acceptable to the stakeholders involved.
Such a role would not automatically make him the leader of the party, nor would it guarantee reconciliation. But it would be a political possibility worth examining rather than dismissing without consideration.
After all, unity is rarely achieved by pretending disagreements do not exist. It requires people who can engage those who disagree, identify common interests and create room for cooperation.
While the debate about Ogunwuyi continues, the APM leadership also has important questions to consider as it pursues reconciliation ahead of the coming political contests.
The reconciliation tour led by political stakeholders has brought attention to the need for unity within the party. Yet, reconciliation is not merely about convening meetings or issuing assurances of togetherness. It is about understanding the interests, grievances and relationships shaping political behaviour at the grassroots.
The APM, particularly its leadership in Ogbomoso, must consider the wider political environment in which it operates. If the APC’s divided factions find a way to work together, what would that mean for the calculations of other political parties in the area?
Could a more united APC alter the dynamics of future contests? What alliances would other parties need to maintain, and how would they respond to changes in the relationships among their political opponents?
These are legitimate strategic questions for any party seeking to strengthen its position.
The challenge is not to assume that a condolence visit has settled old disputes or produced a new alliance. Rather, it is to recognise that personal relationships can sometimes create opportunities for political conversations that formal party structures have struggled to facilitate.
A reconciliation effort is most effective when it begins with a clear understanding of the relationships and interests that need to be reconciled. Perhaps these are the genuine questions the APM should have considered before embarking on its reconciliation tour, which some observers may regard as late but long overdue.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of Ogunwuyi’s post-resignation experience has been his apparent reluctance to join the public exchange of accusations and counter-accusations.
While others have debated his political standing, defended him, criticised him or speculated about his next move, he has largely remained silent. His mother’s death has understandably shifted attention away from political calculations towards mourning, family and the responsibilities that accompany bereavement.
There is something instructive about allowing events to unfold without rushing to answer every critic. Silence does not necessarily mean weakness, just as public declarations do not necessarily establish strength.
Ogunwuyi will ultimately be judged by the decisions he makes, the relationships he maintains and the political direction he chooses. For now, however, the condolence visits demonstrate that his resignation has not removed him from political conversation.
Whether those relationships will translate into a new political chapter remains to be seen. What cannot be ignored is that his name continues to feature prominently in discussions about the future of Ogbomoso politics.
The death of Alhaja Aminat Mopelola Ogunwuyi is first and foremost a family tragedy, and the condolences offered to her son should be understood in that human context. No political interpretation should diminish the pain of losing a mother.
Yet, public life often reveals unexpected lessons through private moments. In this case, the gathering at Ogunwuyi’s residence has offered a glimpse of how personal relationships can transcend the boundaries that political competition creates.
It has also raised questions about the difference between institutional authority and personal influence, between holding an appointment and maintaining relationships, and between political rivalry and the capacity to recognise a common humanity.
Ogunwuyi may eventually choose to remain in the PDP, explore another political platform or pursue a different course altogether. That decision belongs to him. What matters for political observers is to assess his options through evidence, not merely through the circumstances of his resignation.
For now, the visitors to his residence have made one thing clear: the political conversation surrounding Ogunwuyi is far from over.
In the end, the true test will come after the condolences have ended, when the political meetings resume and the competing interests of Ogbomoso’s political actors return to the table.
Will the relationships witnessed in a moment of grief become a foundation for greater political cooperation? Can Ogunwuyi use his experience and connections to contribute to a new conversation about unity? And will the politicians who have come to honour his mother continue to recognise the value of their relationships when political interests once again diverge?
Those are the questions the coming months may answer.
For a man whose political relevance has been questioned since leaving office, the gathering at his residence offers a reminder that political influence is not always confined to an official title. Sometimes, it is reflected in the relationships that remain when the title is gone.
And perhaps the most important lesson is this: a man should not be measured only by the office he has lost, but also by the relationships he has retained and what he can responsibly build from them.
Written by
Femi Ajiboye,
Editor, RoundOyo.
