Veteran Politician Shuaib Oyedokun Says Being A Bibliophile Is Innate, Calls Home Library ‘Energy Source’ Of His Inisa Residence

Chief Shuaib Afolabi Oyedokun, a veteran politician, who is the Oluomo of Inisa, has described his home library in Inisa, Odo Otin Local Government, Osun State, as the ‘heart of the house’ explaining that it serves as the vital energy source that animates his entire residence.

Following a detailed tour of his home on Friday, August 21, 2026, the elder statesman sat down for an interview with Team@orientactualmags.com at the entrance to his cherished library to share his lifelong dedication to learning, legacy, and the changing tides of modern culture.

Chief Oyedokun noted that being a bibliophile is innate tracing his deep affection for literature back to his late father, Pa Oyedokun, whom he remembered as an adroit collector of Islamic texts. His father, he added, studied far and wide, traveling to centers of knowledge in Wukari, Taraba State and as far away as Sudan.

Carrying on that rich family tradition, the veteran politician noted that he accumulates books not just for personal enrichment, but also to make knowledge accessible to anyone who visits his Inisa residence.

For Chief Oyedokun, a nonagenarian, newspapers and magazines are very important but rather than keeping entire editions, he selectively clips and preserves only the editorials considering them as concentrated fountains of societal knowledge and historical truth.

His archive extends far beyond newspapers published in the 70s ,80s and 90s. Walking through his records reveals a tangible timeline of personal and familial history; university lecture notebooks, receipts for tuition fees at a London college and other institutions, comprehensive personal files for each of his children, handwritten school letters from decades past and political history books.

‘Sometimes when I want to joke with my children, I will say, ‘Come and see your letter, come and see what you wrote here’ he shared with a warm laugh, recalling how he can playfully remind them of the days they wrote home asking for minor allowances.

Shifting his focus to the present generation, the elder statesman said reading culture is dying and it is a worrisome development.

With deep reading going into extinction, modern platforms like TikTok  have according to him consumed an immense amount of young people’s time, leaving them with fewer moments for quiet reflection or intellectual growth.

Promotion of a strong reading culture, he noted, builds smarter communities, sharpens critical thinking, and preserves shared human knowledge.

Currently taking time to rest at home following recent electoral activities, Chief Oyedokun emphasized that staying behind is deliberate. He intends to use the period to reach out to grassroots supporters and party members who worked tirelessly to ensure electoral victory for APC in the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election noting that he has done this to ensure that he lifts their spirits ahead of future political engagements.

‘I am just resting after the election because I need to stay at home and make contact with our people especially those who worked hard for the party, they did very well and we have to stand with them because of future political engagements.

I was to go for my annual medical checkup outside the country but you see there is one habit that people, especially politicians should have, it is not only when you win an election that you stay back to celebrate. When you lose, don’t turn yourself to a selfish person by not visiting people who supported you even when you have lost, you have to encourage them because sometimes they are mocked and insulted, so, you have to boost their morale and see to their welfare.

For example in 1979, I contested and lost against the candidate of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s party and immediately the result was announced, I left the collation center and started visiting people who supported me to thank them but my opponent who won the election had left for Ibadan immediately to celebrate his electoral victory and he did not come back until after two months, so, people were angry.

You see, in politics, it is either you win or lose. I will not just leave them like that I have to stay around to lift their spirits’ he said.

Chief Shuaib Afolabi Oyedokun, who is an APC chieftain, had at different times served as old Oyo State NPN Secretary, Secretary to the old Oyo State Government under late Dr Omololu Olunloyo , PDP Deputy National Chairman (South) during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration and Chairman of Michael Imodu National Institute for Labour Studies, (MINILS), Ilorin, during the Goodluck Jonathan administration-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079,  08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you