By Ayotunde Okunowo
I read the diminutive opinion of an online medium, Ogun News Express where the media outfit was trying to make political assertions for the PDP Candidate of Ogun Central Senatorial District. I am quite not too happy that Journalism has depreciated to such despicable extent that media organizations now adopt candidate or influence public opinions based on brown envelopes and stomach infrastructure.
Baseless articles like this are one of the reasons why international communities believe that Nigerians are indeed not ready for meaningful and credible leadership. We seemed too accustomed to the usual ways of doing and yet expecting different results.
While i am not holding brief for *Chief Shuaib Afolabi Salisu (SAS)*, the erstwhile Chief of Staff to His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, it must be established first and foremost that electioneering campaign has not yet commenced according to the electoral timetable. Any form of visible campaign is against the electoral procedures of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).
Secondly, equating the distribution of Rice and Premium Motor Spirit to Okada Riders as basis of quality leadership & kindheartedness is quite nauseating and inadmissible to people of thought. At this age and time, we should be looking at the larger picture of how to create a society where citizens will attain full financial independence which can only be brought about by quality representation. The biblical Esau would not have assented to quick gratification, and sold his beautiful future for a poorly garnished plate of Porridge, had he seen the larger picture.
I am particularly not aversed to people doing all sorts of things in order to curry political favour but using that as a sole yardstick offends sensibility. Any democratic dividends that benefits all & sundry appears more public-spirited than personal benefits.
What i would have advised these political postulants
to do is to facilitate a public debate between the two foremost candidates in order to assess their readiness, competence & capacity while doing a thorough background check on their character. This will give better insights as to who is indeed worthy to represent Ogun Central Senatorial District.
It is high time for us to do away with emotional politics of rice & fuel, which is not entirely bad in itself, and begin to look at how we can create a sustainable future for ourselves and the unborn generations. Don’t let us sell our votes & conscience for rice & fuel just like the biblical Esau. A small fire that warms is better than the big one that burns.
It is better to have a leader who will not take stomach infrastructure as the hallmark of leadership & quality representation.
What i know is that the inimitable *Chief Shuaib Afolabi Salisu* is busy consulting with leaders & members of the constituency, feeling their pulse, listening to their plights and developing Concept Note for quality representation.
Just yesterday, a group of market men and women from different markets in Ogun Central endorsed the candidacy of Chief Shuaib Afolabi Salisu as the sole candidate for the 2023 Senatorial Polls in Ogun Central. What better testament can be more than that?
Looking at the veritable antecedents of the APC Flagbearer incomparison to the brandished Candidate of PDP, we may begin to understand why values such as honesty, integrity, strategic thinking, intelligence, brilliance, experience and exposure are non-negotiable in leadership.
Time indeed demystifies all things, and will surely separate the MEN from the BOYS.
_Ayotunde Okunowo, a Public Analyst, and Personal Assistant to Apostle Biodun Sanyaolu (ABS), former Ogun Central Senatorial Aspirant writes from Abeokuta_
