-
APC House Of Reps Member, Hon. TOLULOPE SADIPE
Hon. Tolulope Akande Sadipe, a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives representing Oluyole Federal Constituency in Oyo State has built a political career defined by resilience, visibility, and a consistent focus on grassroots development. Since her first election into the National Assembly in 2019 and her re-election in 2023 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), she has operated in a hostile political environment where her party does not control the state structure, yet she insists that her impact has remained steady and deliberate.
Her efforts were recently recognised at the City People 5th Political Awards in Lagos, where she received an award of recognition for her contributions to constituency development and public service delivery. For her, the honour represents a validation of years of work rather than a personal achievement.
Reflecting on her journey, she explained that her legislative focus has always been anchored on practical development and measurable impact.
“I started representing Oluyole in 2019 and I returned in 2023 and since then I have made my manifesto a priority, which is worthy laws for Nigeria, for the benefit of all Nigerians and road infrastructure, education, employment and empowerment as well as power,” she said.
Over the years, she has implemented a range of constituency projects aimed at addressing basic infrastructure and social needs. These include power-related interventions such as transformers, solar lighting systems, and support for community energy solutions. She also facilitated mass transit vehicles to ease transportation challenges in parts of her constituency.
On education, she noted the scale of her intervention with pride. “I’ve built about 26 school blocks across Oluyole and I intend to do more,” she said, stressing that education infrastructure remains central to her development agenda.
Her recent work also includes road safety interventions. She facilitated the construction of five pedestrian bridges along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a major highway that runs through her constituency. “I just recently facilitated 5 pedestrian bridges across Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. There’s currently none. So I am there to make sure the life of my people is better, ensure that they will know that I am representing them and I’m not in Abuja representing myself,” she explained.
For her, representation is not symbolic but practical and visible at the community level.
“My people are my priority and that is why I went into politics. I went into politics to prove that things can be done properly,” she added.
She also acknowledged the role of her political platform in expanding her reach. “I am so happy that APC gave me a platform to be able to do that. My party, without them I couldn’t be where I am today and this award wouldn’t exist because prior to then I was doing my humanitarian work as a private citizen and my reach was limited,” she said.
According to her, political structure has enabled her to scale her impact beyond what she previously achieved independently.
“But now I can reach a lot more people and I intend to continue to serve at a very high standard and obviously my fear of God will definitely continue to propel me to do right,” she added.
Despite these achievements and recognition at the City People 5th Political Awards, she admits that her journey has not been without difficulties. Operating in a politically complex environment where her party is not dominant at the state level has created both structural and personal challenges.
“My biggest up and down is that some people don’t understand me,” she said. She explained that her approach to leadership is sometimes misinterpreted.
“They perceive my commitment to serving the people as arrogance. They perceive my commitment, my desire to do the right thing at all times as an affront. So I have had to deal with that and work on how to better relate to such people,” she said.
Beyond perception issues, she highlighted the structural limitations of operating without political alignment at key levels of government.
“Since I’ve been representing Oluyole, I have never had a local government chairman that is from my party… I have never had a governor that is from my party… I have never had a state honourable that is from my party,” she explained.
This situation, she said, has forced her to take on development responsibilities largely on her own.
“So I have to single-handedly maintain and support Oluyole Federal Constituency. As a result, I have not been able to reach every single nook and corner of the local government,” she said.
Despite these limitations, she insists her interventions are spread across all wards in her constituency.
“But when you look at what I have done, I have done something in every single ward. It’s either borehole, it’s either transformer, it’s either a school, but I have touched every single ward,” she said.
She expressed hope for future collaboration that would improve service delivery.
“I really look forward to having others to collaborate with me to help move the local government forward,” she added.
Her experience also reflects broader conversations around women in politics in Nigeria. She spoke candidly about the additional pressure female politicians face in leadership roles.
“I am still being told by some that I am not a leader in the local government. I’m an office holder. But I believe that if I were a man, it would be totally different. The support and the respect I would have would be different,” she said.
For her, the challenge is not only entry into politics but staying and surviving within it.
“So as a woman, it’s one thing to battle to get there. It’s one thing to be able to remain there,” she said.
Her advice to aspiring female politicians is rooted in values and self-preservation.
“Your dignity comes first. Your person comes first. Your integrity comes first. That’s one key advice I would always give every woman coming behind me,” she said.
Beyond advice, she is actively working to build structures that support women in leadership. She described her ongoing initiative as a philosophy aimed at strengthening collaboration among women.
“I am leading, driving this collaboration, female collaboration,” she said.
She further explained the initiative:
“I’m putting together a program called Sister Hold My Hand, that is to drive female collaboration.”
For Hon. Tolulope Akande Sadipe, survival in Oyo State politics as an APC lawmaker is rooted in persistence, constituency engagement, and consistency in delivery despite political limitations. Her recognition at the City People 5th Political Awards, she suggests, is not the destination but a reflection of sustained effort in a challenging political environment.
“I am there to make sure the lives of my people are better,” she said, a statement that captures the core of her political philosophy, representation measured not by position, but by impact.
By Benprince Ezeh
08068599879