By Femi Ogunshola
There is a popular Yoruba proverb that says, “Eni ija oba lo n pera akọkunrin” — it is in the battle for the throne that the true strength of a man is revealed.
Not many are aware that Prof Wale Sulaiman’s mother is a daughter of the most revered emirate, born in the heart of Ilorin . Yet beyond lineage and heritage, history, if honestly written, will remember Prof. Wale Sulaiman, CON, as one of the very few men who stood firm, fought relentlessly, and dared to challenge the entrenched political structure for the sake of Kwara South.
For the benefit of posterity and truth, it must be stated clearly that among all the governorship aspirants from Kwara South, I doubt if anyone pursued the APC governorship ticket for the region with the intensity, sacrifice, courage, and determination demonstrated by Prof. Wale Sulaiman.
This fact was quietly reaffirmed during the meeting of governorship aspirants on May 21, 2026, following the suspension of the APC governorship primaries.
It was openly acknowledged there that Prof. Sulaiman, CON was probably the only aspirant among them who secured a one-on-one audience with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a bid to secure the buying in of the president.
The pictures attached illustrate his move better, though a few out of the many,
But the real story, the untold story is far deeper than what the public saw.
It is a story of sleepless nights, relentless lobbying, emotional exhaustion, political disappointments, and a fierce determination to ensure that Kwara South would not become a forgotten political territory after Kwara Central had held power for two decades.
Prof. Wale Sulaiman did not join the governorship race merely to make up the numbers. He did not enter the contest for the vanity of being called an “aspirant.”
His mission was driven by a profound conviction that his people deserved fairness, justice, inclusion, and political relevance.
The man, former Governor Abdulafatai Ahmed who was said to have filled the slot for Kwara South was a mere appendage of Sen Bukola Saraki, a place holder who couldn’t point to any significant or non achievement all through his inglorious eight wasted years.
Abdulfatai was a total captured of the mighty, a man with no ball.
Prof Sulaiman however refused to watch Kwara South become a conquered political fiefdom. And he fought with everything he had.
I did not join his team by accident. Some governorship aspirants had earlier approached me to provide media service for them but I chose Prof. Wale Sulaiman because I saw sincerity in his vision, clarity in his mission, and genuine passion in his developmental agenda for Kwara State.
His hunger for change is extraordinary. His determination is almost frightening.
Prof. Sulaiman is a man who refuses to surrender to impossibility. Against all odds, he pushed through every political wall imaginable, meeting influential figures across the country in a desperate bid to secure justice for Kwara South.
Sadly, many of those mocking him online today know absolutely nothing about the sacrifices made behind closed doors.
I recently read a disparaging comment on social media where someone wrote, “You see this man? He is one of the reasons people don’t rate Kwara South people.”
What a painful and deeply unfair remark.
I shook my head in disbelief.
People who sit comfortably behind keyboards, feeding on rumours and half-truths, can never understand the emotional burden carried by a man who genuinely fought for his people.
Prof. Sulaiman once told me:
“I already have everything that can make life comfortable for me. But government provides the leverage to help the masses, provide infrastructure, and create an environment where people can truly thrive.”
Those were not empty political words.
He demonstrated this a few months ago when, as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Medical Sciences, Ila-Orangun, Osun State, Nigeria, he helped secure sixty-two employment opportunities for qualified indigenes of Kwara State.
This is a globally renowned neurosurgeon , a world-class professional whose name commands respect across continents. He is accomplished, successful, and financially comfortable and I dare say that he is a billionaire by all standard. He did not need politics to survive.
Yet, he chose to fight.
And what many do not know is that this struggle cost him enormously, financially, emotionally, and personally.
From privileged insider knowledge, I can confidently say that Prof. Wale Sulaiman spent fortune pursuing this aspiration, without soliciting funds from anyone. So, reducing his sacrifice to mischievous narratives over photographs and videos is not only dishonest, it is cruel.
In the early hours of May 21, 2026, my phone was flooded with calls and messages asking whether Prof. Sulaiman had stepped down for Yahaya Seriki.
I immediately dismissed the rumours.
The speculation arose because of a photograph taken with Yahaya Seriki the alleged consensus candidate of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and a video where Prof. Sulaiman stated his readiness to abide by party directives as instructed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
What many people deliberately ignored was his exact wording: “party directive.”
At no point in that video did Prof. Wale Sulaiman say he had stepped down for Yahaya Seriki.
Not once.
The online platforms that screamed headlines about his withdrawal were either careless or deliberately mischievous.
The truth is simple: Yahaya Seriki visited Prof. Sulaiman at his Ilorin residence and requested a photograph alongside other aspirants. That was all.
But behind the scenes, a much bigger battle had been raging.
Prof. Sulaiman had held several meetings with Chief Bisi Akande, the pioneer National Chairman of the APC, passionately making the case for Kwara South.
At one point, Baba Akande reportedly asked him:
“Will Kwara South unite behind any of you that emerges?”
“Yes,” Prof. Sulaiman answered confidently.
Chief Akande genuinely fought for him. He met with President Tinubu personally and presented the argument around fairness, justice, and political balance. The pressure mounted repeatedly through meetings, calls, and follow-ups. It was never a one-time intervention.
Still, Prof. Sulaiman did not stop there.
He also reached out to Chief Olusegun Osoba, who equally made efforts on his behalf. Both elder statesmen reportedly appealed directly to the President.
But the response remained the same:
The President had already given Governor AbdulRazaq the freedom to determine his successor.
In frustration, both leaders reportedly told Prof. Sulaiman, “Tinubu lagidi” , meaning the President was unyielding.
Yet, Prof. Sulaiman refused to give up.
He took the struggle further to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, meeting him at Transcorp. There, he passionately pleaded the cause of Kwara South.
The Ooni listened.
The Ooni promised.
And the Ooni acted.
Kabiyesi personally reached out to the President and appealed on behalf of Prof. Sulaiman. But again, no commitment was secured.
Still unwilling to surrender, Prof. Sulaiman later returned to Ile-Ife alongside a respected first-class monarch from Kwara (I don’t want to mention his name) to meet the Ooni once more.
The Ooni welcomed him warmly and reportedly said:
“Prof, your case is already with the President. They know you very well in the Villa now. We need people like you in governance. Your credentials are intimidating.”
But he also delivered the painful truth:
“Your governor is your biggest problem. He is not looking in the direction of Kwara South, and the President has given him the latitude to produce his successor.”
Even then, the Ooni promised not to give up.
He tried again.
And again, the answer remained unchanged.
Prof. Sulaiman returned to Baba Akande, Chief Osoba, and Chief Samuel Adedoyin. They all tried. They all pushed. They all appealed.
But the political wall would not break.
The final effort came just one day before the APC governorship primary, when Prof. Sulaiman finally secured an opportunity to meet President Tinubu in Lagos.
I remember anxiously making calls, waiting for updates.
When the meeting eventually happened, the President reportedly told him:
“You are late. I have already given the governors a free hand to produce their successors, and I cannot reverse it.”
The President further instructed him:
“Go and work with your governor. Support his choice and coordinate other aspirants to work together with the preferred candidate.”
That was the “party directive” Prof. Wale Sulaiman later referenced publicly.
It was not fear.
It was not weakness.
It was respect for party leadership and constituted authority.
A man who had fought that hard — a man who had exhausted every political and moral option available — could not suddenly become a coward overnight.
After that meeting, the governor reportedly called him personally, appealing for support and cooperation. Shortly afterward, Yahaya Seriki visited his residence, seeking understanding and collaboration.
Yes, photographs were taken.
But no formal declaration of withdrawal was ever made.
Till today, no one has produced any video or direct statement where Prof. Wale Sulaiman said, “I have stepped down.”
What exists are rumours, assumptions, and deliberate distortions.
I am always careful when making political choices. I study people deeply — their character, their competence, their history, and their sacrifices.
And without hesitation, I can say this:
Prof. Wale Sulaiman has paid his dues.
He deserves a place in history.
He deserves honour among his people.
He fought battles many never saw. He confronted powers many feared. He carried the hopes of a region determined not to remain politically invisible.
Mocking such sacrifice is not merely unfair — it is a tragedy.
And perhaps the most emotional part of all this is that many people do not even know that Prof. Wale Sulaiman’s mother is from Ilorin.
Yet, despite everything, he stood up and fought passionately for justice, fairness, and equity for Kwara South.
Not for himself alone.
But for his people.
For their voice.
For their future.
For the soul of Kwara South.
