By Wale Ojo-Lanre Esq
The saying goes, “May our loyalty never be tested.” But in Nigerian politics, loyalty is tested every market day and more often than not, it fails like a counterfeit currency. One does not need to dig too deep to see deputy governors who turned Judas overnight—those who were picked in good faith, lifted from obscurity, only to bite the very hand that fed them. From Abia to Lagos, from Enugu to Ondo, the stories are too familiar: the deputy who, intoxicated by proximity to power, suddenly imagines himself more important than the man he swore to support. Shakespeare was right when he wrote, “Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.” For nothing stinks more in politics than the betrayal of a deputy governor.
From Orji Uzor Kalu and Enyinnaya Abaribe’s bitter war in Abia, to Chimaroke Nnamani and Sunday Onyebuchi in Enugu, to Olusegun Mimiko and Ali Olanusi in Ondo, and the famous falling out between Bola Tinubu and Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele in Lagos, the pattern is unending. Deputies who should have been partners in progress became architects of division, forgetting that the number one seat was not theirs to covet but theirs to support.
Yet, Ekiti seems to have broken the curse. At the side of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji stands Princess Monisade Christianah Afuye, Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, who has rewritten the story. Where others have plotted, she has partnered. Where others have undermined, she has uplifted. Where others have succumbed to the intoxication of ambition, she has chosen the nobility of service.
Her background explains part of the difference. Born into the royal family of Ikere Ekiti as the daughter of the immediate past Ogoga, Princess Afuye inherited not just blue blood but the discipline, patience, and tact of palace life. In her veins runs not the rashness of ambition but the regal calmness of service. A Yoruba proverb captures her essence: “Igi gogoro ma gun mi l’ori, sugbon ko ni fo mi l’ojú”—a tall tree may overshadow me, but it will not blind me. She has chosen to stand tall beside her governor, not to outshine him, but to let his light shine brighter for Ekiti.
Her politics is palace wisdom turned public service. She has made patience, loyalty, and tact her watchwords. While Nigeria groans under the weight of deputies who see their office as a launchpad for rebellion, Afuye has quietly built her reputation as a dependable stabilizer. Mario Puzo once said, “Loyalty is the strongest glue which makes a relationship last for a lifetime.” In her partnership with Governor Oyebanji, she has proved him right.
Since their inauguration in October 2022, the BAO–MCA team has been hailed as the most harmonious governor–deputy relationship in Ekiti’s history. The Governor himself admitted: “I am blessed with a deputy who understands the meaning of loyalty and service. Princess Afuye is not just a deputy governor; she is my partner in progress.” And the evidence is clear: no drama, no rebellion, no whisper of intrigue—only harmony, service, and quiet diligence.
This stability has not gone unnoticed. The APC, recognizing a rare partnership when it sees one, has once again placed its bet on BAO and MCA for another term, rallying the state around the slogan “4 + 4 = 8.” For the party, it is wisdom; for the people, reassurance. A senior APC leader put it bluntly: “This is the best governor–deputy relationship Ekiti has ever seen. Why tamper with stability? BAO and MCA complement each other, and together they have delivered peace, inclusiveness, and development.”
The significance of Afuye’s loyalty shines brightest against the failures of others. Unlike Ali Olanusi, who defected in Ondo at the twilight of his tenure, or Bucknor-Akerele in Lagos, whose feud with Tinubu became political folklore, Princess Afuye has remained steady. Unlike Abaribe, who clashed endlessly with Orji Kalu, she has chosen the strength of harmony over the weakness of discord.
Her stride is spectacular precisely because it is rare. She has shown that ambition can be channeled into partnership, that true strength is found not in undermining but in uplifting, and that politics, when seasoned with loyalty, can indeed be noble. Beyond politics, she has emerged as a role model for Nigerian women in leadership. In a space where women are often pressured to either play submissive or combative, she has created a third path—graceful, loyal, and firm. She has shown that women can thrive in politics not by scheming or undermining, but by serving with wisdom and dignity.
Her story proves that politics can still be noble, that loyalty can still be rewarded, and that partnership can still build progress. Abraham Lincoln’s warning, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” finds its echo in Ekiti, where the house has not only stood, but flourished—because of the rare harmony between Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji and Monisade Christianah Afuye.
Today, the chant of “4 + 4 = 8” is not just political arithmetic, but a covenant of trust between the leaders and the people. It is an endorsement of stability, loyalty, and shared progress. It is proof that in Princess Monisade Afuye, Ekiti has not just a deputy governor, but a partner in progress, a stabilizer in governance, and a role model in politics.
When history writes this chapter, she will not be remembered as a deputy who plotted against her governor, but as one who chose loyalty over betrayal, service over ambition, and harmony over ego. In a theatre where disloyalty too often steals the spotlight, Monisade Christianah Afuye will stand out as the rare heroine of loyalty.
And so, Ekiti chants with conviction: “BAO and MCA, 4 + 4 = 8.” The price of loyalty and diligence is a deserved reward. God bless Deputy Governor Monisade Christianah Afuye. God will crown the efforts of His Excellency Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji. Greater Ekiti State!
