Old friendships, familiar faces and new connections came together at Obalofin Court, GRA, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, on Sunday, 9 August 2026, as former members and ex-students of Gateway Front Foundation and Political Academy, POLA, gathered for a special reunion and to begin preparations for the foundation’s 25th anniversary.

The gathering brought together old and new members of the Gateway Front Foundation, GFF, including several people who had not seen one another for nearly two decades.

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What began as a meeting to discuss the foundation’s anniversary plans quickly developed into an emotional homecoming, with members reconnecting and reflecting on the journey that began in 2000.

The historic residence of GFF Founder and Chairman, Otunba Senator Gbenga Daniel, provided a fitting setting for the reunion. The Obalofin residence is closely associated with the foundation’s early years, having served as the place where its activities first took root.

Since its establishment in 2000, GFF has maintained a continuous presence in Ogun State, building a network that has brought together people from different generations and professional backgrounds.

Among those who attended the reunion was a delegation led by former GFF Executive Secretary, Chief (Mrs) Folake Marcus-Bello.

The delegation included several longstanding members of the foundation, among them Hon. Ladi Adebutu, Mr Kehinde Sogunle, Prince Lekan Tejuoso, Hon. Wale Ogunbanjo, Hon. (Arc.) Kayode Adebayo, Otunba R.A. Adenaike, Engr. Ayinde Awobadejo, Chief Tola Odulaja and Otunba Stiles.

Their presence represented a link between the foundation’s early years and its current generation of members.

Daniel personally received the visitors at Obalofin, where the reunion provided an opportunity to renew old relationships and welcome newer members into the foundation’s expanding network.

Earlier, Adebutu and members of the GFF delegation had paid a courtesy visit to Daniel, during which members signed a resolution on state creation.

The delegation also included Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello, a former commissioner and the foundation’s second Executive Secretary; Kehinde Sogunle, a financial member of GFF and Chief Knowledge Officer of Lead Resources; Prince Lekan Tejuoso, a former Commissioner for Cooperative Development; and Femi Omotayo.

The meeting also produced a practical step towards the foundation’s next major milestone.

A 25th Anniversary Special Implementation Committee was constituted to coordinate preparations for the anniversary celebrations.

Sogunle was appointed chairman of the committee and is expected to lead the planning process ahead of the landmark event.

The anniversary will provide an opportunity for the foundation to reflect on its 25-year history, recognise those who contributed to its development and consider its direction for the years ahead.

For many of those who attended the Ijebu Ode gathering, however, the significance went beyond the anniversary plans.

The reunion offered former colleagues, friends and associates an opportunity to reconnect after years apart, while allowing newer members to meet some of the people who helped shape the foundation in its formative years.

The atmosphere also highlighted the enduring relationships built through the organisation over a quarter of a century.

With the anniversary committee now in place, attention will turn to organising a celebration that brings together the different generations of the Gateway Front Foundation community.

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The Ijebu Ode gathering has already provided a meaningful beginning, bringing old members back to a place closely connected to the foundation’s origins while creating space for new faces to become part of its continuing story.