Why I Stand With Senator Fadahunsi”: Chief Femi Fadipe Extols Senator’s Decades of Impact

In a major political development across Osun East Senatorial District, Chief Femi Fadipe, elder brother of the Accord Party senatorial candidate, Hon. Ibukun Ishola Fadipe (IBK), has openly declared his steadfast support for Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, describing him as an unparalleled leader and a genuine lover of the Ijesa people.

Chief Fadipe made this revelation while appearing as a guest on Akitinyan Fadahunsi, a widely listened-to current affairs radio program on UniqueFM, monitored in Ilesa, Osun State.

Setting aside partisan affiliations and family ties, Chief Fadipe took listeners down memory lane, tracing his personal relationship with Senator Fadahunsi back nearly four decades to the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, when the lawmaker was a senior officer in the Nigeria Customs Service. He noted that Senator Fadahunsi’s benevolence and commitment to Ijesa sons and daughters long predated his entry into partisan politics, adding that the Senator facilitated his car stand at the port.

“I got to know Senator Fadahunsi about 40 years ago at Tin Can Port,” Chief Fadipe recalled during the broadcast. “In those days, simply being an Ijesha native was an automatic license for extra favor and assistance from him. He didn’t just facilitate our jobs at the ports; he would sit with us after close of work until about 10:00 PM, offering guidance, encouragement, and brotherhood.”

Highlighting Fadahunsi’s role in building the economic capacity of Ijesaland, Chief Fadipe credited the retired Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs with laying the foundation for many successful automobile dealers and clearing agents in the region.

“Senator Fadahunsi’s guidance assisted a lot of us in making the right life decisions, which is why our loyalty to him remains unshakable to this day,” Fadipe stated. “I recall vividly how he used to rally round us whenever we encountered business bottlenecks or personal troubles. He was so intentional about seeing us succeed. Off the top of my head, I can count over 50 Ijesa men and women whose successful business careers he personally kick-started.”

In addition to private sector empowerment, Chief Fadipe praised the lawmaker for his relentless efforts in securing federal civil service appointments for constituents in Osun East.

“His track record in public service employment is unmatched,” Fadipe added. “I know of several families he assisted into the Nigeria Customs Service; in some households, two or more children were enlisted through his intervention, including a set of twins who gained entry into Customs purely through his generosity.”

When asked by the program host whether his own family had benefited from the Senator’s influence since his election to the National Assembly, Chief Fadipe affirmed that the Fadipe family had enjoyed the lawmaker’s support, just like numerous other families across the senatorial district.

“The Fadipes have benefited like everyone else,” he affirmed. “I can readily mention relatives and youths within our family who have been successfully placed in various federal agencies through Senator Fadahunsi’s legislative recommendations.”

Concluding his remarks, Chief Fadipe emphasized that his support for Senator Fadahunsi is grounded in gratitude, proven capacity, and a lifelong history of selfless community service.