public issues

One thing I can tell you for certain, many atrocities will be committed in the name of road union leadership. But beyond the chaos, behind the hardened voices and the fearsome reputations, lies a calculated effort to instill fear, an unspoken strategy to maintain power. Yet, beneath the surface, behind the actions, sometimes theirs, but often their followers’, there exists a father, a husband, a man with emotions hidden beneath the weight of his title. These were the moments I witnessed in the eyes of Mukaila Auxiliary when I met him a few days ago at Agodi Correctional Centre. The man before me was reflective, deeply aware of how all power ultimately belongs to Allah. He spoke with conviction, if he had been here before and found freedom, he was confident that mercy would find him once again. But what struck me the most was his unwavering respect for the very system that has kept him captive. Behind his humbled face, I could still see the echoes of battles fought, the weight of a struggle that never truly ended. And for a moment, I found myself reminiscing, about the times I tried to reach out, not just to him, but to the very structure he represented. I grew up in the heat and heart of it all in the early 2000s. • I’ve met Alhaji Akewusola Tokyo. • I walked freely into Alhaji Tawa’s house almost every week. • I was raised in Molete—the HQ of Oyo Politics. I reminded him of how we first met at Oga’s house just days before the election. I was starstruck, yet I felt an overwhelming sense of pity. Deep down, I had a feeling it wouldn’t end well. If only they were smart enough… just if only. Power, Betrayal, and the Cycles of Fate Power is a revolving door, but loyalty is often left outside. The very people who struggle alongside you, who chant your name in the streets, are sometimes the first to disappear when the tide turns. Those who once swore allegiance become the architects of your downfall. The same system that rewards also punishes, and in the end, everyone is just another character in a script already written by fate. Auxiliary’s story is not unique—it is a script that has played out in history over and over again. The difference is only in the names, the faces, and the timeline. Idris AnimasaunArchitect and Social Change Advocate