By Lekan Adejuwon
In Ekiti State, influence is sometimes measured not by volume but by the careful stewardship of reputation, history, and institutions. Femi Alufa exemplifies this model.
In an era where social media outrage often eclipses reason, Femi Alufa, a media entrepreneur, history buff, peace advocate, political aide and native of Ijero-Ekiti, represents a quieter, yet deeply consequential, form of influence. He is not known for viral commentary or confrontational activism. Instead, his interventions emerge at critical moments – protecting reputations, defending institutions, and shaping how communities remember their leaders. In Ekiti, and increasingly across Nigeria, that is a rare and invaluable skill.
Femi Alufa is best known locally as a media entrepreneur, publishing the Ekiti Summit News Media, a platform dedicated to community issues, peace building, and civic education. Beyond media, he is a civic advocate, convening initiatives that strengthen social cohesion and safeguard the legacies of prominent Ekiti figures. This dual role – media and civic leadership – is emblematic of a tradition in Ekiti politics and public life: mentorship-informed activism that values legacy and historical consequence.
A defining example is Femi Alufa’s leadership of the Justice for Afe Babalola Legacy (JABL) initiative. When allegations emerged against Chief Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, founder of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) and a towering figure in Nigeria’s legal and educational landscape in late 2024 to early 2025 in the case of criminal defamation by Lawyer Dele Farotimi against Aare Afe Babalola,SAN, OFR, CON, Femi Alufa and his vibrant group JABL did not respond with sensationalism. He and his group convened professionals, academics, and community elders to issue statements emphasizing legacy, legality, and the distinction between allegation and adjudication. In a media culture quick to pass judgment, JABL deliberately slowed the conversation, protecting not just an individual but the integrity of institutions that underpin Ekiti’s and Nigeria’s civic life.
“Justice for Afe Babalola Legacy” (JABL) is an advocacy group established in December 2024 to defend the reputation and achievements of legal icon Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, following allegations of judicial corruption made by activist lawyer Dele Farotimi.
The group, which includes prominent academics and legal professionals, social crusaders and advocates for
protecting Aare Afe Babalola’s reputation including Professors Ademola Ademowo, Ademola Azeez, Abiodun Ojo, Adebayo Ogundipe,O.B.A.Oyinloye, Adesina Adetola,Rotimi Opeyeoluwa and others countering what they describe as “baseless and malicious” accusations in Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, which alleged Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the Supreme Court. The group expressing confidence in the judiciary to deliver a fair verdict in the defamation cases filed against Farotimi and
preserving a lifetime of contributions of Aare Afe Babalola’s over 60-year career as a lawyer and his founding of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), and his philanthropy.
In a significant development in January 2025, Aare Afe Babalola agreed to withdraw all criminal defamation and cyber-bullying suits against Dele Farotimi.
The withdrawal followed a midnight meeting in January 2025 at Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) involving the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and other prominent traditional rulers in Ekiti State; The Ewi of Ado -Ekiti, The Oloye of Oye -Ekiti,The Ajero of Ijero -Ekiti,The Olojudo of Ido -Ekiti and the Ogoga of Ikere -Ekiti who pleaded for peace.
It would be recalled that before the withdrawal, Farotimi had been remanded in prison by a magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti and granted a ₦50 million bail by a High Court in December 2024.The case sparked intense debate, with some critics viewing the prosecution as an attempt to gag critics, while supporters like Justice for Afe Babalola Legacy (JABL) insisted it was a necessary defense of a “hard-earned” legacy of Aare Afe Babalola.
Femi Alufa’s approach is shaped by mentorship, notably from Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate Leader of the 10th National Assembly since his sojourn in Lagos over two decades ago and this reflects a broader Ekiti ethos: education, experience, and reputation carry weight. Protégés learn that influence is not merely about loud public statements or social media traction – it is about safeguarding the institutions and narratives that sustain communities.
For Femi Alufa, media is less a tool for personal branding than a mechanism for shaping how events will be remembered in local history.
Compared to some Ekiti media actors, Femi Alufa stands apart. Many local commentators rely on immediacy, emotive language, and confrontation to attract attention. Alufa’s interventions, in contrast, are measured, coalition-based, and historically aware. His goal is not to dominate the moment, but to ensure that public discourse respects due process and preserves collective memory.
This approach has earned him respect across Ekiti State’s civic, legal, and political circles. Initiatives like Ekiti Peace Day (Kiriji Memorial Festival),in remembrance of the Warriors and Peace Makers of the EkitiParapo (Kiriji) wars of the late 19th century which he organizes, demonstrate his commitment to community cohesion and reflect the same principles seen in JABL; deliberate action, respect for tradition, and the reinforcement of local institutions. It is a form of influence that does not require office or electoral mandate but achieves tangible impact on civic life.
Critics might argue that restraint risks inaction. In a society where institutions are sometimes weak, patience can be misread as timidity. But Femi Alufa’s career demonstrates that measured advocacy can safeguard both individuals and the social structures essential for justice and progress – a lesson particularly relevant in Ekiti, where educational attainment, mentorship, and historical continuity shape leadership culture.
For national observers, Femi Alufa’s work offers a model of civic engagement that is both disciplined and rooted in place. For Ekiti residents, it is a reminder that influence can be exercised responsibly, without spectacle, and that legacy – whether of a legal luminary like Afe Babalola or the institutions that support him – matters as much as the headlines of the day.
Femi Alufa may not dominate trending topics. But in Ekiti and beyond, his interventions demonstrate that the quiet guardians of history and institutions often leave the most lasting impact.
- Lekan Adejuwon is the Editor -in Chief of Ekiti Standard Newspaper.
