Spread the love
When Senator Smart Adeyemi couldn’t clinch the senate seat in 2015 most people thought it was the end of his political career. When by last year his name begin to strongly resonate on the political atmosphere, mixed reaction trail his possible political resurgence. While some holds he still remained politically relevant other said he has become a spent force.
But my tiniest thought that Smart the son of Adeyemi has completely lost political relevance and no longer a popular brand perished on July 18, 2018, when he asked three of us to follow him on a trip at the behest of a visit to Yagba Communities in Kogi State.
As a journalists, news gathering and reporting remains my outmost concerns. But before we embarked on the trip he told us he does not request our presence for coverage. He said he want us to observe and draw conclusion if people still recognise him and remember if he did anything tangible for them while he was still at the senate.
By the time we took off around 12 noon in Lokoja, words has came in that people has started gathering for his visit in Odo Ere, headquarters of Yagba West. When we stormed Isanlu, headquarter of Yagba Federal constituency there was a spontaneous reactions by some youths on seeing him. I could not believe the unsolicited reception since his stoppage was not part of the places to visit but just to greet one of his ally who had just been elected as a traditional ruler.
The youths launched into a frenzied adulation of him; and, in his usual sedate manner, he acknowledged the cheers and the chants. He became a cynosure of eyes as he sat quietly at the Makutu palace taking in the atmospherics and the nuances of the idyllic setting. He would later titillate them in good measures during his speech.
All through the short stay, he carried himself well. Dressed in a blue buba and sokoto, prostrating thrice to a political followers who had now become a royal Highness.
The cloud has started gathering momentum helping us to cut the visit short and face the business of the day. The bad road does not help our course. The Kabba – Egbe road was one of Adeyemi pressing issue before he left the senate. Little wonder that he revisited the case when he led some person to the Ministry of Works few months back. A development that seems to have yielded positive result with penultimate weeks virement approval of the road by the federal government.
We got to Odo Ere by 5:30pm. Instantly I knew there is no doubt that Adeyemi was still well known and appreciated. Adeyemi knows what he wants; and, kept his eyes sharply focused on the ball, with accolades pouring in, he is very well content and dancing to the rhythm of his soul. There and then, he set targets and promised of meeting them. His impressionable mind affected by some inspirational lines, he went into alluring personality of what a representative should be. Pronto! He turned himself into a voracious talker, taking his listeners mind to some quit inspirations.
Te accolade later pour in. Adeyemi was described as a man who has deliberately put his nose to the grindstone to chart a trajectory in life and, also, to define his eon by the magnitude of his profound representation. A serious senator, philanthropist and business man.
Adeyemi told the crowd that the APC-led Government at the Federal level still remain the best option for the country in 2019 despite the intractable differences. He said Nigeria’s challenges are huge but the President has shown that he is capable of addressing it all. “I want to assure that in 2019, APC will still be in power at the national level. We don’t rule out the fact that there are issues just like past governments. APC is still far better than other parties. If anybody tell you otherwise, it’s just a blatant lies. It is not in the interest of this country for APC to lose out.”
Adeyemi said Nigeria’s economy was picking up, urged the communities to wait and see miracles if APC was given eight years to rule, “Politics is all about service. If you want to serve the people, you will allow the will of the people to prevail. Political office holders and aspirants should have the interest of the people at heart. We must not be desperate about any position. Any politician who is desperate, actually, is not out to serve.”
Lest I forget, that the traditional ruler of Isanlu Makutu, Oba Tolorunju Ayo said the people of the communities will forever remain grateful to him (Adeyemi) in view of the human touching projects he bequeathed to them while at the senate. Said in their choice for political candidates in 2019, the community will bear in minds those who had brought smile to the people through such projects.”
The Odo Ere delivered the prompt. Seven chairmen of the APC in Kogi west senatorial axis urged Adeyemi to consider the prayers of the people and contest for the senatorial seat once more. Led by APC Chairman of Yagba – West, who said the party executives will endorsed him for the seat if he chooses to contest.
To whimsically dismiss such sublime disposition as comical performance could only have happened in the political space in a bid by opposition to further an unconscionable resort to malign and demarket his political position.
By the time we got to Egbe, darkness created us. The rain pouring in full force. Yet, it does not change the minds of the people who waited eagerly under the canopy to see him. Some little stop along the way to traditional and political stakeholders (Which we didn’t follow being personal) we return to Mopa by 12 midnight and met still a handful of his supporters and followers. After a while, we waved good bye to Yagba constituency.
By the time we disembarked in Lokoja by 4:30 am next day, we, were not only bemused but convinced beyond doubts that Adeyemi’s relevance still remained unrivalled.
Perhaps, the Yagba prompt might have forced him to have a rethink and accepts to throw his hat in the ring for another contest. Today, Adeyemi is a candidate for the February 16, 2019 Senatorial election in Kogi West on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He goes into the contest adequately prepared. With twenty one years of active political participation (nine in NUJ politics, eight of legislative practice) in his kitty – Adeyemi is well experienced and qualified as a ranking legislator if experience and ranking are what his people in Kogi West Senatorial District want from whoever would be voted to occupy the senate seat in Abuja. If vocal voice, which cannot but be listened to, is the requirement, then Adeyemi stentorian voice is capacitated enough to endear elements in the National Assembly and the Executive to him. Such affection could translate into some positives in terms of approvals for projects in the zone that will be salutary to the people’s wellbeing.
Promoting imbalance in Smart’s projection on a scale that is lower than the man for the Kogi West Senate is an unkind enterprise. Without denying anybody’s achievements, Adeyemi’s traducers have discounted their own electioneering strategy by deliberately failing to point out that, while in the Senate, he also executed a number of projects.
Therefore, if performance is what his people are looking for, Adeyemi performed creditably in and out. His contributions to debates on motions and bills on the floor were deep and robust. Even though, they are not within the remit of legislative mandate, Adeyemi also constructed a number of market stalls and roads. Remarkably, he provided ambulances and medical equipment worth hundreds of millions of nairas to his constituency; assisted constituents to get employment into the civil service and attracted empowerment programmes for youths and women. He was the first to distribute 200 cars for cab services as a means for his people becoming self reliance; amidst other dividends of democracy. By and large, Adeyemi cannot be denied his sense of humanity. No amount of stratagem and propaganda can diminish his essence and politics.
A politician with a grassroots appeal, his pro-people disposition has become more sharpened by a combination of his luminous epochs as a legislator. To cap it all, that frontiers have been expanded by becoming a positive rallying point of sorts via his profound interventions in the media where he shares the same passions and operates on the same wavelength with the millennials.
Little wonder that his electioneering catch phrase speak volumes about the direction he seeks to emphasise this time round as senator: “Think Smart, Act Smart and vote Smart” have been carefully couched and crafted to strengthen the promise of acquaintance between him and the people in the unfolding political cum social contract.
Going into the battle on APC’s political platform coupled with him reaching out to the teaming youth population, women, farmers, artisans and the elite with his programmes is a solid advantage. However, beyond the strategic nature of the political party platform, Adeyemi is a good material. He can deliver if voted into the Senate.
If any constituency want a vibrant and articulate legislator to represent them in the Senate, such should think SMARTly.
I write from what I saw and know; which formed my personal opinion and conviction.
– Boluwaji Obahopo writes from Lokoja.
Spread the love
