By Rosemary Okoduwa
Obvious signs indicate that the universe at every point in time and season offers us that opportunity for the repressed masses to have hope to hold on to and liberate themselves. Before the 2023 General Election, the Teeming Edolites who were and still absolutely tired and frustrated about the sorry state of the country decided to take their destiny in their hands and moved on to Labour Party to renew their hope.
They started a movement to liberate themselves, their unborn children and secure the future of our country.
That movement was symbolised at every layer of the nation’s political spectrum.
At the national level it was symbolised by Peter Obi who became the presidential candidate of Labour Party. The movement was symbolised by persons of impeccable character in the 2023 general elections. This movement upset the political landscape, changed the narratives as many incumbent members of the National Assembly lost election to Labour Party candidates.
Though the movement could not clinch the presidency, but collated results across the nation shows that with proper coordination, the fest attained during the 2023 election can be replicated in some areas. The set at the general election is temporary
As we approach Edo 2024 General Election, the universe is kind once again to us and has presented us someone who is in the mould of past civil revolutionaries, some one who has been tested and trusted, some who has given a good account of himself in previous public assignments, a former member of House of Representatives, in the person of Edo State’s best Lawmaker in modern legislative history, Hon. Sergius Oseasochie Ogun.
Competency and track record
It is a fact that Hon. Sergius Ogun is the best lawmaker Edo State has produced in modern Edo politics with his undisputed record of having the highest number of sponsored bills, motion and constituency projects executed in Edo State and by extension, Nigeria, during his eight years stinct at the National Assembly.
Equity, fairness and justice
The gubernatorial quest of Sergius Ogun is coming at a time the ever courageous and pragmatic Edo citizens are clamouring for power shift to the Edo Central Senatorial District who have had the least involvement as the number one citizen of the state since the advent of democracy in the state in 1999
Since Edo state became a political entity on the 27 August 1991. The following zone has had a combined year as Governor and Deputy;
Edo South – 27 years and 5 months.
Edo North – 25 years and 11 months.
Edo Central – 1 year and 6 months.
Edo State voted equity, fairness and justice during the Presidential election and will be doing the same in 2024. Edo people hate oppression, injustice and marginalization.
Someone who has won election previously
Sergius Ogun has contested election twice and also won landslide in both. The voters in his constitutency told him to go for a third term because they had never had it that good and didn’t want it to end, but Hon. Sergius Ogun told them that he is not the only capable person in Esanland, he has done his two terms as promised during his campaign for first term and has delivered well. Other capable persons should be given the chance to invest their capability into legislative governance.
Right messages
Edo state fell in Love with Peter Obi because of the right messages he was championing about what real governance means in terms of government investing more in the people rather than increasing the cost of governance, Government patronizing made in Nigeria goods and facility.
When we look at Sergius Ogun’s Messages, we see same hope and determination to deliver good governance, given the mandate. It is on record how Sergius Ogun shook the country as a lawmaker, when he moved a bill for public Office holders to compulsory patronize public educational institutions for their children and healthcare for themselves and families. In his reasoning, that way, they would not neglect the importance of investing in the development of our educational and healthcare facilities. This singular bill shook the country and opened the eyes of millions of Nigerians on how we can fundamentally uplift our educational and healthcare systems plagued by strikes as a result of neglect from public office holders.
As we can see, the universe has once again given us yet another chance on a plater of gold. Beyond the primaries, we all still have the challenge of bringing back the activeness of that movement that birthed the OBIdient groups and individuals, who played a strong role in the actualization of our victory in Edo state. And we strongly believe with strong evidence, that only a strong OBIdient who shares a similar pattern with the objectives of the movement can convince them to come out and vote to win Edo state once again.
Sergius Oseasochie Ogun is that man. As we look at the primaries, it is important we look beyond the primaries. What next?
The architects of OBIdients movement, home and abroad, the usual voters who are motivated by #5,000 or #10,000 to vote. In fact, they were the silent majority who didn’t see reasons to vote until our revolutionary movement came on board, they invested millions, traveled down to Edo state to vote the Labour Party. Hence beyond the primary, we should be more concerned about how to bring them all on board.
Again, we say, every generation will discover their purpose, they can either fulfill it or betray it. Ladies and gentlemen, Edo state have no intention or imagination of betraying this purposeful mission to liberate Edo State as a prelude to liberating Nigeria.