By Oluwatosin Oladipo
When civic accountability platform MonITNG raised the alarm over Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola’s distribution of 102 transformers to 435 communities in Ogun State; paraded as his 56th birthday gift; it wasn’t just a story about electricity.
It was a story about political power, public deception, and how Nigeria’s democracy keeps dimming under the weight of corruption disguised as generosity.
MonITNG’s findings revealed that the transformers were not funded by the senator but were federal government projects captured in the 2024 and 2025 national budgets.
2024 Project Code: ERGP20245144 – “Supply and Installation of 500KVA Transformers in Various Communities in Ogun East Senatorial District” – ₦125 million
2025 Project Code: ERGP20263486 – “Supply and Installation of 500KVA Transformers in Various Locations in Ogun East Senatorial District” – ₦200 million
Together, they amount to ₦325 million of taxpayers’ money, rebranded as a personal birthday gift.
Public Money, Private Glory
According to MonITNG:
“It is therefore misleading to present these public projects as personal birthday gifts or private interventions, especially as part of a political strategy ahead of the 2027 Ogun State elections.”
This incident is not isolated. Across Nigeria, politicians hijack government-funded projects; toilets, boreholes, transformers, classrooms; and repackage them as personal “empowerment” initiatives.
It’s a deception that thrives because of citizen ignorance and economic desperation.
Tinubu’s Burden: The President Many Think Is Doing Nothing
Across local communities, many Nigerians have been claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu “has not done anything” and that his government has no direct effect on their daily lives.
But few realize that many of the community projects funded under Tinubu’s 2024 budget; from roads to transformers and skill centers have been personalized by local politicians, who erase federal ownership and replace it with personal branding.
The same federal projects meant to reflect the president’s economic plan are now painted with senators’ faces, commissioned in their names, and advertised as birthday gifts or constituency empowerment.
Thus, the president’s work is stolen by middlemen in agbada; politicians who weaponize government projects for political gain.
Like the Yoruba say, “Tí a bá fi ọwọ́ méjì bò àṣọ, ẹni tó wọ̀ á mọ ẹni tó bá fi rọ̀.”
(If two people sew a cloth, the one who wears it determines whose work shines.)
The Culture of Complicity
In several Ogun communities, people are already submitting their voter’s card numbers in exchange for two dericas of garri, rice, or maize, believing that the transformer project was a personal favour.
Many groups have been gathering, singing the senator’s praises, while others are being “mobilized” to support him for the 2027 elections.
As one youth in Iperu said bitterly,
“We know it’s government money, but hunger does not allow us to argue. At least we get small light and small rice.”
This mindset; choosing rice over right is the cancer eating Nigeria’s democracy.
Just like Esau in Genesis 25:34, Nigerians are selling their birthright of good governance for a bowl of porridge.
“Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils... thus Esau despised his birthright.” – Genesis 25:34 (KJV)
Constitutional and Legal Perspective
The Nigerian Constitution frowns upon the misrepresentation of public projects.
Section 16(1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) states that “the material resources of the nation shall be harnessed and distributed to serve the common good.”
Likewise, the Fiscal Responsibility Act (2007) and the Public Procurement Act (2007) emphasize transparency, due process, and accountability in the management of public resources.
By presenting federally funded projects as personal donations, a senator or any public officer potentially violates:
Section 13 & 14 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, which mandate honesty and avoidance of abuse of office.
Sections 19 & 22 of the ICPC Act (2000), which prohibit the misuse of public property for personal or political benefit.
If proven, such acts could attract investigation and sanctions by the EFCC and ICPC for abuse of office, corruption, and deceitful misrepresentation.
“He Who Sows Lies Will Reap Disgrace”
As the proverb says, “The lie travels fast, but truth has longer legs.”
Politicians who bask in deceit may enjoy temporary applause, but when the truth emerges, the people’s anger will burn hotter than any transformer spark.
Citizens, too, are not innocent. When they trade their conscience for a bag of rice, they empower corrupt leaders to rule without fear.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” – Hosea 4:6 (KJV)
EFCC, ICPC, and the Way Forward
MonITNG’s demand for a joint investigation by the EFCC and ICPC is not just about Ogun State; it’s about restoring the principle of public trust.
These agencies must trace:
1. Who funded the transformer project.
2. Who executed it.
3. Who claimed it as personal property.
If found guilty, such acts should be punished under Section 26 of the ICPC Act, which covers fraudulent misrepresentation of public projects.
Path to Redemption
1. Transparency Portals: All constituency projects should be listed publicly with implementation status and contractors’ details.
2. Public Education: Citizens must be enlightened to recognize that a government-funded project is their right, not a gift.
3. Political Accountability: Lawmakers must be barred from taking personal credit for budget-funded interventions.
4. Civic Courage: Communities should resist manipulation and demand documentation before praising any politician.
Conclusion: When Darkness Pretends to Be Light
What happened in Ogun State is a reflection of a national rot.
Projects meant to symbolize the success of a federal government are hijacked by individuals for personal glorification.
President Tinubu may be pushing policies and approving budgets, but when those funds are localized into private applause, the people only see the senator’s smile, not the president’s effort.
Like light hidden under a bushel, the truth is dimmed by deceit.
Until Nigerians learn to value integrity over inducement, the cycle will continued and power, both political and electrical, will remain unstable.
As Ecclesiastes 7:7 reminds us: “Surely oppression makes a wise man mad, and a gift destroys the heart.”
Nigeria must decide; will it keep trading truth for transformer, or finally demand that public service be done in the light?
