Ekiti and the Danger of Deceptive Profiles
By Idowu Ephraim Faleye +2348132100608
Politics is supposed to be about service, about truth, and about building trust between leaders and the people. But in our society, it is often the opposite. The political space has become a stage where many politicians present themselves with decorated profiles and exaggerated claims, thinking that such packaging will guarantee them success. They tell the people stories that sound good but are not grounded in fact. And this raises a critical question we all need to think about: if a leader begins with lies, how can such a leader govern with sincerity?
When you look closely at the way campaigns are conducted, you will notice a dangerous pattern. Politicians do not always sell themselves as they truly are. Instead, they inflate their achievements. They present credentials that are incomplete or even false. They say what they believe people want to hear, not what they can truly deliver. And once they succeed with this deceit, they carry the same habit into government. A person who tells lies to get into power will naturally find it easy to tell lies to remain in power.
In the case of Ekiti politics, the propaganda has been quite obvious. Supporters of Engr. Kayode Ojo, for example, have been going around with claims that he owns 52 companies. They present this as proof of his wealth, his capacity, and his ability to govern. Yet, they do not mention the names of these companies. They do not say where they are located. They do not tell us how many people are employed there. They only throw the number into the air, hoping it will impress the people enough to make them accept it without asking questions.
This is exactly how falsehood creeps into politics. Numbers are quoted because they sound big. Promises are made because they sound sweet. And once the people refuse to ask questions, lies begin to pass for truth. But the real tragedy is that Ekiti people are being cajoled into accepting these claims without proof. It is not wrong for a man to have companies, but if those companies are real, let the evidence be brought forward. Let us see their names. Let us know their locations. Let us know how they add value to the economy of the state. Otherwise, we must admit that what is being circulated is nothing but propaganda.
Now, let us pause and reflect. Even Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who rose to become the richest man in Africa, can not boast of 52 companies. His success was not in the number of companies he claimed to own but in the value of the few he carefully built and expanded. Dangote became who he is today because he built strong, functional enterprises that contributed to the economy and employed thousands. The story of Dangote teaches us that credibility is not about throwing numbers around but about proving worth through impact.
If we apply the same principle to politics, then the question becomes simple: how can a politician who starts with lies be expected to govern with sincerity? Leadership is about trust, and trust is fragile. Once broken, it is difficult to repair. A leader who has to deceive his people to rise to power has already shown that he values ambition more than truth. And when ambition takes priority over truth, the people are the ones who suffer.
The danger of deceptive claims is deeper than many realize. When a politician begins with lies, every other promise they make becomes questionable. How can you trust a campaign promise if the very foundation of the profile is false? How can you believe in a vision if the man presenting it cannot be honest about his past? Lies breed lies. Falsehood at the beginning leads to betrayal in the middle, and betrayal leads to disappointment at the end. That is the painful cycle many societies have been trapped in.
This is why Ekiti people, and Nigerians in general, must be more vigilant. It is no longer enough to clap for politicians when they throw out big numbers. It is no longer enough to nod in agreement when they make sweet promises. Citizens must ask hard questions. If someone claims to own 52 companies, what are their names? Where are they located? How many jobs have they created? How do they contribute to the growth of the state? If those answers are not provided, then the claim should be dismissed as falsehood.
The responsibility lies with us, the citizens, to reject propaganda and insist on proof. Because if we do not challenge lies at the beginning, we will have no moral ground to complain when lies continue in governance. If we allow falsehood to be the ticket into office, we cannot expect sincerity once power is attained. This is the simple but bitter truth.
Let us also reflect on the meaning of integrity. Integrity is not something that begins after a man becomes governor. It begins long before that. A man who cannot be truthful when campaigning cannot suddenly become truthful when ruling. The office does not change the character of the person; it only magnifies what is already there. Therefore, if deceit is present at the start, deceit will only grow stronger with power.
And so, Ekiti people must learn to measure leadership not by the number of companies a man claims to own, nor by the glamour of his campaign promises, but by the honesty of his words and the truthfulness of his record. Leadership is not about propaganda but about credibility. It is not about shadows but about substance.
We cannot continue to allow ourselves to be cajoled by fraudulent claims. We cannot build our collective future on lies. A society that normalizes deceit in politics is simply preparing for betrayal in governance. And betrayal is what keeps us stagnant, what denies us progress, and what leaves the masses disillusioned.
In the end, the question remains very clear: if a leader begins with lies, how can such a leader govern with sincerity? The answer is that he cannot. Lies at the beginning will always lead to disappointment in the end. The only way forward is for citizens to demand honesty from the start and to reject any leader who thinks deception is a tool of politics. Because truth, and only truth, can build the foundation of genuine leadership.
Idowu Ephraim Faleye|EphraimHill DataBlog-Freelance writer, Independent stories, Data-driven Insights