This is a world of sinners. In this world of sinners, the idea that saints exist is negated by the evil that fills our societies. Of all the sinners in this sinful world, one can say that Otunba Badejo Adewale Abayomi ranks among the most sinful. He drinks, attends parties (weddings, birthdays, burials, etc), travels all over the world, dances, and to top it all up, is a politician. There can be no greater sinner.

However, in Otunba Badejo’s sinfulness is situated his humanity. He knows the joys life can give. He enjoys the ease and comfort wealth provides, the love of women, the pleasant taste of vintage wine and great beer, and the deliciousness of tasty fish and meat. Otunba has basked in the convenience of instant travel by air, the lushness of green lawns in foreign countries and the comfort of fluffy beds in five-star hotels. He is human and has lived a human life. To be human is to be sinful and Otunba Badejo is sinful.

The good news is that he is aware of his sinfulness and humanity. He works every day to show his gratitude for the blessings he has received from God in spite of his sinfulness. He worships his God with all sincerity, caters to the needs of his family, and lives an honest life. One thing that stands Otunba Badejo out from other sinners is his understanding of human nature and the capacity for good that is inherent in all humans.

It is on the basis of this that he has, for decades, been at the forefront of caring for his people. He listens to them, identifies where the shoe pains and provides relief. Beyond that, he gives them the power and opportunity to do ‘good.’ He helps them to recognise their capacity to do ‘bad’ but shows them that they have a greater capacity to do ‘good.’ Many people he has thus helped have gone on to help others, creating a ripple effect that draws everyone –old and young- to him.

Otunba Badejo’s humanity stems from his experience growing up. He had it rough and had it tough. He developed a mental and emotional toughness to battle the army of poverty and deprivation to rise to the height of wealth and prominence. His experience prepared him to become not only a refuge or shelter for his people but equally a force fighting for their interests. As the ÀSÁLÙ (Refuge) of the Odogbolu Kingdom, Otunba Badejo is fearless, kind, generous and committed to uplifting the rest of sinful humanity as best as his reach and influence will allow him. And he listens.

He has listened to the call of his people, especially those outside the scope of his reach and influence to aspire for a position of authority, one which will allow him to do for all what he has done for many. It is on this ground that OBAA decided to contest for a seat in the House of Representatives. His experience and knowledge as a lawyer, businessman and royalty make him better suited for standing up for the interests of people than his rivals. Badejo doesn’t need the money in the House of Representatives to do things for himself. No, God has done that for him. The wealth God has given him will serve his family and him for ages. What he will do is use money-constituency allowances- from the House to do things that will bring comfort to the people he will become representative to. He will lobby for infrastructures to be situated at strategic locations across the three local governments –Ijebu Ode, Ijebu North East, and Odogbolu- he aspires to represent.

As a person though, Otunba Badejo will continue to use his own wealth to provide stomach infrastructure for his people. Without taking public funds, he will continue to give grants to support small-scale business, health, education, and so on. Badejo is just a man and a sinner, but he is our man and our sinner. If Nigeria has a thousand men and sinners like him, the Change we all desire will become a reality.