By Hon.Ilebaye Idajili
The die is cast! Soon the peep and muff of shafts and grains in off-season governorship election of November 11 will evaporate like the morning dew.
However, in its trail are must memories of diverse form that would linger for some times especially among the gladiators, politicians, the wider speculators who are ambiguously difficult to place. Then the ultimate, the political machine, that is the voters who because of their voting power absolutely, ultimately control the well lubricated and functioning engine.
But in a nation reputed for loudly answering disorder and disorientation, your guess is as good as mine. The system is punctuated with holes and doubts.. Be as it may, the unfolding political theatre is becoming more and more interesting especially of late.
As the governorship candidates and their supporters are busy criss-crossing the landscape of the state, in attempt to sell their candidacy and their packaged manifestos to the electorate who are also busy, though in a frenzy manner to assess them, are quickly reminded of the bad hours they are going through, hoisted on them by the insensitive and unrepentant clueless politicians.
While it is obvious some are dingy in darkness of pessimism, some are dynamic in their highly favoured optimism.
The three Senatorial districts of the state are into Keen contest, each with best candidate(s) it could produce for the governorship contest.
The West is trying its luck with three candidates. The East is matching up with two candidates while the Central is firing its cannon with one candidate.
My intention is not to bore you with names of the candidates and details of their credentials which are already at public domain.
But l intend to throw away my professional ethic a bit to enable me concentrate on one candidate who have warmed himself into my heart and numerous hearts as well across the state because of his humility.
His inward and outward actions being reflected, have compelled and contagiously changed our earlier perception and conviction.
He is noted for his humility personified. His patience, accessibility couple with the manner he handles issues have portrayed him as a man with large heart, endowed with capacity and ability to accommodate and handle human related issues without any bias or that which could cast aspersions on his integrity and credibility more especially as he had handled such in the past creditably well.
He is also highly principled and we’ll experienced.
If we may remind ourselves, this candidate was a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of APC. He had also held fort for the Interim National Chairman of the party who also doubled then as the governor of his state.
What l have as least on my mind which might interest you and possibly instil some fears into your spine are the issues of religion, ethnicity and party affiliation. However, I consider all these as inconsequential if a state which was built on our sweat by our foremost leaders is to grow and fast too.
May l therefore, unveil this magnificent, tolerant, patience, who have faced humiliation and threat to his life several times because he is daring the political tidal water of the state; because he deems it feat to rescue the state from the present ramshackled and distorted disposition.
So unfortunate that a state which was once on the pedestal of high speed of growth and development and which attracted some states created same time to come and understudy its level of speedy development, is now learning to walk like a toddler.
Very unfortunate you might say. That is the picture and that is the reality.The man, Alhaji Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, the SDP candidate, popularly refered to as Muri, because of his leadership qualities exemplified, has continued to attract to himself overwhelming support and supporters.
Wherever he goes on campaign especially the level of turn out is unprecedented, organically unprecedented.
Like the days of Zaccheus in the Holy Bible, people tried to climb trees or any available height to enable them catch a glimpse of the man who have a petit stature and said to have the midas touch.He is also said to be an icon of the best specimen of all the candidates.
He has traversed almost all nooks and crannies of the state where he has acquainted himself with challenges of various communities and the need for the communities to identify with his laudable programmes of his well packaged manifestos to enable them on conviction, cast their votes for him during the governorship election in the State.
It is in this reckoning that he took his time as a man who has high respect for the traditional stool to pay his homage while in the Central District of the state, on the revered Ohinohi of Ebira land, HRM Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, for his royal blessings in his palace at Okene recently.
While giving the candidate his fatherly blessings, the longest serving monarch in the state and the Deputy President, Kogi State Council of Chief’s, said in response: ” My palace is wide open at anytime, no one tells a father not to welcome his children.
Young man, you have an ambition, will you drop this ambition because someone is threatening you”? These were the warming and courageous words of a father, to a man who deserved nothing more than that because of his meekness, simplicity and humility.
These qualities were handsomely demonstrated before the royal father.
His humility made him, unlike others, to visit the tombs of the late political sage, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Ahmed, popularly refered to as A. T. Ahmed and a renowned Islamic Clergy where he prayed for their reposed souls. This quality exemplification, significantly changed the people’s earlier perception about Muri.
People who earlier had misgivings about his candidature began to have a rethink as some of us had had in the past.
The crowds which followed him eventually to Jummat Mosque prayer was unprecedented and almost became uncontrollable. It was indeed an opportunity for the youth to see Muri as their own, the anointed messiah.
He has continued to emphasize the need to preserve and strengthen the bond of existence among the various ethnic groups in the state. He also used the opportunity of his campaign to sell his manifestos to the people while acquainting himself with the challenges facing the people in the state while dropping promises if he eventually wins the upcoming governorship race in the state.
As a result he said there should be tolerance, neighborliness, fair and just dealings among the various ethnic groups irrespective of their religious faith or political persuasions.
He is a liberal who will make deliberate efforts to enhance the unity, harmony and progress of the state because he has the restrained believe that a disunited Kogi State cannot be an asset to its required itching growth and development.
Therefore, a man who has identified with the positive development of the pursuit of togetherness and understanding among the various people of the state should unhindered and willingly be voted in to actualize his laudable dream for the state and the people.
His campaign tours round the state has opened his eyes to the numerous challenges facing the state and the vacuous vainglorious self delusion and insincerity of our leaders. These he promised to tackle them if voted into power.
It is evident that the level of progress in the state unequivocally has hit rock bottom in every human endeavour—education, agriculture, health, water supply, roads, urban and rural development among others.
A man who has identified these key areas of endeavours, depreciating, should be given the opportunity to serve. Period!
