“Arise and Ogunsakin had organised the event tagged ‘An Evening with Senator Dayo Adeyeye’ to celebrate Adeyeye, their childhood friend and secondary school mate, who has distinguished himself through hard work, selfless service and determination to succeed”
By John Odunayo
It was tributes all the way for a former Minister of Works, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, on his appointment as Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority by President Bola Tinubu.
Political heavyweights, captains of industry, friends and well-wishers all agreed that the appointment was well-deserved by the former spokesperson of the Senate.
Among those that spoke at event organised by the duo of Senator Ayo Arise and AIG Tunde Ogunsakin (rtd) in honour of the NPA chairman in Abuja on Thursday night were Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji; the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; and a former Minister of Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro.
Arise and Ogunsakin had organised the event tagged ‘An Evening with Senator Adedayo Adeyeye’ to celebrate Adeyeye, their childhood friend and secondary school mate, who has distinguished himself through hard work, selfless service and determination to succeed.
Dignitaries at the occasion also included former Ekiti Governors Ayodele Fayose and Segun Oni; a former Nasarawa Governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura; and the Chairman of the South West Development Commission, Senator Olu Adetumbi.
Also present were the NPA Managing Director, Abubakar Dantsoho; Senator Iyiola Omisore; a former Ebonyi Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe; and Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, among others.
The Senate Leader, Bamidele, a National Assembly member from Ekiti State, described Adeyeye as a resilient and loyal ally of President Tinubu.
Bamidele said, “If anyone had told me it would take this long for Senator Adeyeye to be appointed, I would have said it’s impossible.
“He was among the first to champion this movement and stuck with it through thick and thin. That’s why this moment is not just a personal victory for him—it’s symbolic of loyalty finally being rewarded”, Bamidele said.
The former Minister of Defence, Obanikoro, echoed Bamidele’s sentiments, telling Adeyeye, “You threw yourself into the SWAGA business when it wasn’t popular. When Asiwaju was taken with reservations, you took yourself into SWAGA, you criss-crossed the entire South West for Tinubu.
“The appointment you got is well deserved. I am happy that you have been recognised, and there is no doubt that bigger recognition will come. This is a precursor to what will come”.
Ekiti State Governor, Oyebanji, described Adeyeye’s appointment as an honour to Ekiti State.
He said, “The President gave this position to Ekiti, and he could not have chosen better. Senator Adeyeye is loyal, intelligent and deeply experienced.
“From his time as a Minister, a Senator, and a university council chairman, he brings the right mix of discipline, wisdom, and patriotism.”
Oyebanji praised the unity displayed by Ekiti political leaders across party lines in honouring Adeyeye.
“I am lucky to be surrounded by four former governors who are all backing me. That has never happened in our state’s history. This new unity is the strength behind our progress,” the governor said, referencing the presence of Segun Oni and Ayodele Fayose.
In his remarks, Adeyeye expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for fulfilling his promise.
“He (President Tinubu) told me not to worry, that he had plans for me. And he kept that promise. The President promised a quality board, and he delivered. We are ready to work together as a family and move the Nigerian Port Authority forward.”
Adeyeye also assured Governor Oyebanji of his full backing ahead of the upcoming Ekiti governorship election.
He said, “We’re not just supporting you, Mr Governor, we’re going to win by a landslide.
“There is no opposition. The former governors, the people—they’re all behind you”.
Adeyeye called for an end to politics of bitterness and emphasised the importance of sustaining the prevailing peace in the state.
He further assured NPA Managing Director, Abubakar Dantsoho, of a harmonious working relationship with his team.
Senator Arise and AIG Tunde Ogunsakin (retd) also recalled that Adeyeye’s contributions to Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign in the South-west were both strategic and sacrificial.
“The role Adeyeye played wasn’t just political—it was foundational. He took risks, built alliances, and never wavered’, Arise said.
Arise, the former Chairman, Senate Committee on Privatisation, also described their alma mater, Annunciation Grammar School, Ikere Ekiti, as a citadel of learning that is lucky to have produced two Senators and an AIG among other notable Nigerians.
