By Yomi Abegunde
Lagos, Nigeria
The appointment of Prince Dayo Adeyeye as the Chairman, the Nigeria Port Authority stands out as a weighty, anticipated, and highly celebrated appointment in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Obviously, the appointment is a reflection of the capacity and credibility of the Ise Ekiti Born Prince Adeyeye and a recognition of his unflinching support and commitment to the presidency of Asiwaju Bola Timubu and the actual development of Nigeria.
Going through the memory lane, the 2020 ENDSARS crisis, a social movement that was supposed to remain a movement against police brutality mainly from the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force, turned out to be a machination against the personality and the suspected presidential ambitions of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The supposed movement against Police brutality shifted its focus to becoming a weapon in the hands of political foes as well as unsuspected friends like enemies, leaving out the then President and political office holders.
This period saw deliberate attempts to discredit Tinubu and derail his aspirations. The persecution was more intentional, not only from outside forces but also from within the political party he built with personal sacrifices.
During this period, some of his lieutenants became a tool of persecution and betrayal became a norm among them. Governors and other political leaders were jittery of associating with the dream of Asiwaju for the fear of shared persecutions. It was this period, Senator Dayo Adeyeye began rallying support for the achievement of Asiwaju’s lifelong dream.
Undeterred by the assaults on Tinubu’s political career during the ENDSARS protests, Adeyeye demonstrated remarkable courage and conviction. He established the South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA) as a vehicle to drive the mobilisation for Asiwaju across Nigeria, starting with the Southwest Nigeria.
Despite facing persecution from party leaders and then Government in Ekiti State during the struggle Adeyeye persevered, and built a strong support base from scratch for Asiwaju.
SWAGA rapidly gained momentum and rallied support from traditional rulers, market women, youths, students and other electorates. The success recorded in the Southwest led to its expansion into the North Central region, significantly strengthening Tinubu’s support base. What began as a mere show of support from Adeyeye and his SWAGA team became an image making, and an ideological movement that strengthened Tinubu’s dream to become Nigeria’s president.
Despite all these, Adeyeye’s name was omitted from the ministerial list for appointment. This omission led to widespread speculation and disappointment among political observers, members of SWAGA’23 and his supporters.
Upon all these, Adeyeye continued to demonstrate his loyalty and commitment to the success of Tinubu’s administration. He appeared on several media channels to promote and educate Nigerians on the policies and programs of the current administration.
Thirteen Months, thirteen days after President Tinubu’s inauguration, Adeyeye was finally appointed and the celebration that followed his appointment as the Chairman, Nigeria Port Authority. This is a clear signal and the significance of such appointments has been greeted with high level of expectations from political leaders and Nigerians at large.
It was as if Asiwaju just made his inaugural appointment. Coupled with his professional and political experiences, Adeyeye’s appointment is not only well-deserved but also represents a major milestone in Tinubu’s administration.
Adeyeye has had a diverse career, beginning in journalism at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and The Punch Newspapers. He later became the Principal Partner at Dayo Adeyeye & Co law firm before joining the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) to fight for democracy. He held significant roles in political campaigns, including Director of Publicity for Chief Olu Falae’s presidential campaign, Adviser for MKO Abiola’s campaign in 1993, and spokesperson for the Alliance for Democracy (AD), he also served as the spokesperson of Afenifere in the heydays under the leadership of Abraham Adèsanya and Bola Ige.
Adeyeye served as Executive Chairman of Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board in 2007, Minister of State for Works in 2014, and Pro-Chancellor of Ekiti State University in 2015, also a former Senator of the federal Republic of Nigeria. For over three decades, he has played active roles in the political developments of the country.
His appointment is an acknowledgement of the unwavering support and dedication of Adeyeye and the SWAGA members across the country, whose efforts have been instrumental in shaping the polity for the benefit of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.