Oyetola: The underrated, yet impactful leader @71 – By: Ismail Omipidan

He is underrated, and he prefers it that way. After all, a good leader should not be defined by noise or flamboyance. True leadership is often underrated because the most impactful contributions like active listening, empathy, humility, and resilience, are easily overlooked in favour of more visible traits like charisma or stirring rhetoric.

But underrated leaders often excel at skills such as fostering collaboration, embracing silence, nurturing potential, and consistently showing small acts of care that build deep trust and loyalty within their teams. This is precisely the kind of leadership the former Osun State Governor, now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, exemplifies in Osun.

He may not be loud. That is simply his nature. At 71, no one can change him. Afterall, achievement responds to strategy, not rhetoric anyway.

Yes, he is calm. Leadership is not about empty boasts and jankara style. It is about tailored results. And to get such results, the leader needs to be calm and calculated. Leaders that are unnecessarily excited, run into problems. Examples abound in our recent Osun history.

So far, despite not being in power, Oyetola has demonstrated remarkable leadership by keeping the APC intact in the state over the last three years, so much so that he has attracted heavyweight figures like Omooba Dotun Babayemi, Baba Shuaib Oyedokun, Hon. Wole Oke, Senators Francis Fadahunsi and Fadeyi Ajagunla, Hon. Ajilesoro, along with thousands of their supporters, into the party’s fold.

Ordinarily, once a party loses power in Osun, members often disintegrate and only scramble to regroup when another election cycle approaches. But not under Oyetola’s watch. He has proven that the accolades he earned as governor of Osun between 2018 and 2022, particularly as a steady manager of people and resources, were no fluke.

His critics often say he doesn’t know politics. Yet, he is beating the so-called sophisticated and traditional politicians at their own games. Just last weekend, the battle he led quietly since April, yielded positive fruit for Osun citizens in general and the Osun APC in particular.

Dear Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, as friends and foes alike gather to pray for you and celebrate your birthday this morning, I pray Almighty Allah wraps you in His divine safety, strengthen your heart with unwavering faith, and guide your steps away from danger and deceit.

Happy birthday, Your Excellency. Igba Odun Odun kan ni.

Omipidan, an author, journalist and a political strategist served as the Chief Press Secretary to Oyetola from 2019 to 2022.