By Wale Ojo-Lanre Esq
Who? Why?
Lately, a strange fear has been walking the streets of Ekiti politics. It does not announce itself with facts or logic. It hides behind unpolished opinions, jaundiced commentaries, and ill-informed whispers. And its target is a woman whose only visible offence is quiet competence and stubborn loyalty. So the question must be asked plainly: who is afraid of Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Princess Monisade Christianah Afuye—and why?
This is not a defence written out of pity. It is an intervention born of observation. Princess Afuye is a Lady of Grace, a daughter of royalty, born to a great king who ruled Ikere Ekiti with distinction and left behind achievements that remain reference points till today. Successive rulers in Ikere deserve commendation for building on that foundation, but the pedigree is undeniable: discipline, restraint, and responsibility were her inheritance long before politics.
In a country where deputy governors are remembered more for rebellion than service, Princess Afuye has become an anomaly. She has been widely acknowledged—quietly but firmly—as one of the most loyal deputy governors Nigeria has produced in recent times. Not once has she contemplated backstabbing. Not once has she flirted with political blasphemy against her leader and boss, His Excellency Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji. While others rehearse insurrection in the corridors of power, she practised partnership.
Unlike many deputies whose names are etched in history for treachery, defection, or palace warfare, Afuye has refused the intoxicating illusion that loyalty is weakness. She has not side-kicked her Governor, not sponsored dissent, not weaponised ambition. She has remained disciplined, controversy-free, and focused on governance. And this, ironically, is what unsettles some people.
Honestly, one struggles to identify what this woman of wisdom has done wrong to deserve the sudden hostility of political opportunists. She has not declared ambition. She has not challenged authority. She has not destabilised structures. Yet her name is being borrowed recklessly by those desperate for relevance. They invoke her not because she attacks them, but because without mentioning her, they disappear. They tap her aura to shine. They borrow her visibility to be seen. In doing so, they elevate her into a heroine they themselves cannot survive without.
One of the most revealing strands of this fear-mongering is the sudden descent into academic snobbery. Some have latched onto the lazy argument that because Princess Monisade Christianah Afuye does not parade a Master’s degree, she is therefore unfit to be Deputy Governor. This line of attack is not only puerile; it is ignorant, legally defective, and intellectually dishonest. It betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of governance, leadership, and the Nigerian constitutional order.
Degrees—whether Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Professorships—are not the determinants of effective political leadership. History, both local and global, has repeatedly exposed that paper qualifications do not automatically translate into wisdom, judgment, or capacity to govern. Political leadership is measured by temperament, loyalty, discipline, strategic thinking, and the ability to manage power without being intoxicated by it. On these indices, Princess Afuye has demonstrated competence that many certificate-heavy politicians have failed to exhibit.
Those advancing this argument conveniently forget that she possesses what many professors lack: lived political intelligence, institutional memory, palace-bred discipline, and a refined understanding of power relations. They forget that she has shown more restraint than many who decorate their names with academic alphabets. They forget that loyalty, stability, and governance harmony are not taught in lecture theatres but learned through character and experience.
More importantly, from a legal standpoint, the argument collapses entirely. Princess Monisade Christianah Afuye is not merely qualified; she is over-qualified by Nigerian constitutional standards. The 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act, and INEC guidelines are unambiguous on qualifications for elective office. She satisfies—and exceeds—all statutory and constitutional requirements. Anything beyond that is elitist embroidery, not law. To suggest otherwise is to expose one’s ignorance of basic legal reasoning and constitutional literacy.
What these critics are truly frustrated by is not the absence of a Master’s degree, but the absence of any weakness they can exploit. They are confronted with a deputy governor who cannot be dismissed as incompetent, cannot be baited into rebellion, cannot be discredited by scandal, and cannot be undermined by law. Having failed on substance, they retreat into elitist abstractions.
So why the fear?
Because they have discovered—too late—that there is nothing to use against her. No scandal. No betrayal. No rebellion. No recorded intrigue. Her popularity is organic, not manufactured. Her credibility is quiet, not theatrical. Her strength lies in consistency, not noise. And that kind of political capital terrifies those who survive on disruption.
Princess Monisade Christianah Afuye represents what many fear but cannot defeat: a deputy governor who understands power without being consumed by it. A woman who knows that true leadership is not about overthrowing the driver but ensuring the journey is smooth. Her conduct has helped entrench stability in Ekiti governance and has reinforced the BAO–MCA partnership as a symbol of harmony, continuity, and responsible leadership.
Her achievements are not loud, but they are real. She has been a stabilising force in government. A dependable representative of Ekiti State. A quiet amplifier of inclusive governance, especially for women. A steady hand in a system where volatility is common. Above all, she has proved that loyalty, when genuine, is not submission—it is strength.
So again, who is afraid of Ekiti State Deputy Governor?
Those who cannot bait her into error.
Those who cannot manufacture scandal around her.
Those who cannot destabilise her relationship with her Governor.
And that fear—raw, noisy, and desperate—is the loudest evidence of her political solidity.
In an age where betrayal is fashionable, Princess Monisade Christianah Afuye has chosen faithfulness. In a political culture addicted to drama, she has chosen discipline. And in doing so, she has exposed a simple truth:
Not everyone who is quiet is weak.
And not everyone who is loud is relevant.
This is for Princess Monisade Afuye Deputy Governor Ekiti State.