Nigerian Concord Newspaper
Our democratic journey began to suffer the moment the fertile soil of the supremacy of political parties was uprooted and transplanted absolute authority into the hands of governors.
Today, eye service has replaced objective criticism. The political retina that ought to perceive reality has been overshadowed by a political cataract, blinding many to the truth.
Until our constitutional foundation is strengthened, our institutions are rebalanced, and our collective political mindset is rewired and restored, the harvest of democracy will continue to decline.
Take the Ore–Okitipupa Highway as an example. It has deteriorated into a hostile terrain where every journey resembles a gladiatorial combat between road users and the road itself. Traveling along that corridor is no longer a means of transportation, it has become a daily exercise in survival.
Even more disturbing is the apparent absence of institutional courage, appointee and member of the governor’s political party from that senatorial district seems unwilling to disturb the governor’s comfort zone, awaken him from his administrative slumber, or demonstrate the intestinal fortitude required to remind him that leadership is measured by responsibility, not rhetoric.
It takes uncommon courage to tell him that, by allowing such a vital road to deteriorate, he has fallen short of the expectations of the good people of his senatorial district. Democracy thrives when those entrusted with power are held accountable, not when loyalty silences truth and criticism is mistaken for disloyalty.
Kunle Awesu, an Akure-based Financial expert writes
16-02-2026