Edo 2024: Future Of Edo Is Greater Than Party Affiliation – Mayaki
By Rosemary Okoduwa
The 5th edition of Mayaki’s Roundtable with friends in the media recently took place at the NUJ press centre in Benin.
This year’s event was low-key due to what the convener referred to as personal challenges .
Mayaki said he did not allowed the challenges to discourage him in his quest for good governance and an egalitarian society. ‘And so, we are considering the theme: Party Supremacy, Competence and the Future of Edo State. We all know that in party politics, the party is supreme, but what will your reaction be, if presented with a difficult-to-sell candidate for an election?”
As a committed progressive, how will you react when presented with a candidate who has no clear ideology or manifesto, who is likely to set the state back 20 years?
Lets consider this classical case and a more recent one. The party is supreme but former Governor of Rivers State and now Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike took a decision to work against his party presidential candidate Alh. Atiku Abubakar in the last general election and was proudly appreciated by President Bola Tinubu who is the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC). That simply tells you that even Mr. President who is a core party man appreciates people who went out of their way to support a better and credible candidate to emerge as president irrespective of party affiliation. And today, Wike a foremost PDP national leader is adding real value to the APC led government. What does that tells you about party supremacy?
For me therefore, I have made up my mind to commit myself to encouraging my numerous supporters across the state, especially in my local government area, ward, and unit, that they vote for the candidate who will best develop the state, regardless of political affiliation. I mean a man who has the carriage, clout and charisma befitting of a governor.
In this governorship election, it will not be about party. It will be about the man who will help us develop this state. That’s the man myself and my supporters will vote for.
My party at the state level is currently factionalized and fragmented, but that’s not the issue for discussion today. What matters to me now is the development of Edo State and not party supremacy. Who will lead us to the promised land? Who has the capacity, competence, connections, experience, and sincerity to provide the leadership needed to tackle the enormous challenges in governance and take the state out of the woods?
My candidate is the man we can all trust. The man who has networks and connections both home and abroad. The man with ‘moral’ or ethical reputation, not a novice to governance system. This man is not of the APC stock because irrespective of party supremacy, the future of Edo state is more supreme in my heart. My first commitment is to the state while the party is secondary.
Lets not forget that the measure of a leader’s skills refers to the required leadership abilities, from the communicative to the managerial and cognitive. Does the leader know what to do as a leader at every point in time? Is he always available? Does he have vision and good understanding of what to do? If he does, does he have the required skills and political will to do same? I have accessed all the candidates and have come to the conclusion that the candidate I will campaign for has all these qualities in abundance.
The strength of a leader’s vision, the methods he employs in driving the vision, his communication and ensuing goodwill and popularity, all add up.
I mean the candidate who has a clear vision and thorough understanding of the mandate he’s seeking for. One who has remained focused and committed to taking development to all corners of Edo State and alleviate the sufferings of the people in our various communities. The one who has equally applied the right leadership style and judiciously applied his limited stock in governance.
Remember some leaders have great communication skills and popularity, but not the vision but the man am going to support has all these in abundance. Many other leaders are also known to have vision but lack all other leadership skills. The candidate of my choice is a visionary leader with enviable leadership skills. I mean a serious minded candidate.
I call on Edo people to embrace the candidate who has demonstrated competence and the ability to govern the state, regardless of party affiliation, in the upcoming September 21st governorship election in Edo State.
Let me also state here that I will not support those who wished me dead during my hospitalization. Sometimes, God allows some things to happen to us so we can learn a lesson or two, or to make informed decisions. The accident, though unfortunate, taught me some lessons especially about those who wish to lead us but lack compassion. Perhaps, they thought I wouldn’t recover.
They seek power without understanding its purpose. They did not visit me in the hospital or at home after my discharge, yet they were quick to seek my support for the election—how callous.
It’s simple—if someone doesn’t value you, they deserve to lose you. Those who put me last while I put them first by supporting them even on my hospital bed do not deserve my support.