Ogun Butchers Association Endorses Sarafa for Ogun 2027 Governorship
The Butchers Association, by its very nature, represents far more than a professional guild. It is a critical component of the nation’s food value chain, sustaining livelihoods, ensuring food security, and driving daily economic activities across communities.
In Ogun State, the Butchers Association stands as a formidable grassroots institution whose activities cut across agriculture, commerce, transportation, and local employment generation. From livestock sourcing to meat processing and distribution, the association contributes significantly to the state’s internally generated revenue while providing thousands of families with sustainable means of survival. Its structure, discipline, and communal spirit make it a microcosm of how organized informal sectors power Nigeria’s economy from the bottom up.
It was against this backdrop of economic relevance and communal strength that the 2026 Ogun State Butchers Day was celebrated on Friday, January 2, 2026. The annual event, deeply rooted in gratitude to the Almighty God, serves as a moment of thanksgiving for progress, achievements, and collective advancement recorded by the association over the years. It is also a rare occasion when national, state, and local leaders of the association converge at the state abattoir headquarters to wine and dine together, renew bonds of unity, and reflect on the journey so far.
This year’s celebration, however, was remarkably different and exceptionally historic.
The atmosphere was charged with excitement and pride as members warmly received the former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom between 2021 and 2023, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola OFR. His presence elevated the event from a routine annual gathering to a moment of collective memory and political reflection. He was graciously received by the National Vice President of the association, Alhaji Ambali Akano Adetona, alongside respected leaders including Alhaji Amodu Adeko, Alhaji Lamidi Oni, other national and state executives, and a mammoth crowd of enthusiastic members.
The event took on a deeply reflective tone when the master of ceremony, the charismatic OAP, Aare Ayomide Adetunji Quality, reminded the gathering of Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola’s historic contributions to the association during his tenure as Secretary to the Ogun State Government. The establishment and formal approval of the annual Butchers Day, the provision of enduring infrastructural amenities that continue to serve the association, and the annual pilgrimage sponsorship scheme for members were recalled with profound appreciation. The moment became even more emotional when Peke Sule, one of the beneficiaries of the pilgrimage sponsorship, stood before the crowd to testify, transforming policy decisions of the past into living testimonies of impact.
In a powerful political undertone that resonated across the venue, the National Vice President, Alhaji Ambali Akano Adetona, mobilized leaders and members to pass a resounding vote of confidence in Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola OFR. Beyond that symbolic gesture, he openly rallied the association to support him should he heed the growing call to contest the 2027 Ogun State gubernatorial election. According to him, while whoever emerges belongs to all, it is in the best interest of the association to stand firmly with the man who laid the foundation upon which their present achievements rest. He described Ambassador Isola as a leader who did not merely govern from afar but stood shoulder to shoulder with the butchers, supporting them consistently and sincerely.
The endorsement was not driven by sentiment alone but anchored on history, loyalty, and gratitude. To the association, supporting Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola is not about politics in its narrow sense, but about continuity of purposeful leadership and recognition of a man who invested in their dignity when it mattered most.
Deeply moved by the overwhelming goodwill and the recounting of his enduring legacy, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola OFR responded with humility and warmth. He reminded the gathering that he is part of them in solidarity. He commended the association for sustaining and strengthening the legacy established in 2003 while he served as Secretary to the State Government, describing their consistency as a testament to disciplined leadership and collective responsibility.
The erstwhile Minister for Mines and Steel Development went further to admonish the leadership and entire membership to continue living in peace and unity. According to him, the spirit of friendship, tolerance, unity, and peace is not only the glue that holds the association together but also the engine that drives prosperity and safeguards their livelihoods. He emphasized that internal harmony would always translate into external strength and societal relevance.
In a closing gesture that underscored his lifelong commitment to the association, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola OFR urged the butchers to continue calling on him for any proposal or project that would advance their welfare. This assurance was followed by a generous donation, a symbolic yet profound reaffirmation that his relationship with the association remains active, personal, and unbroken.
The 2026 Ogun State Butchers Day thus ended not merely as a celebration, but as a powerful statement of remembrance, relevance, and rising political consciousness. It was a day that reminded all present that true leadership is ultimately validated by impact, and that when the people remember, history quietly prepares the future.
