Campaign rallies like excursions are meant to afford politicians and their supporters ample opportunities to learn, relearn and unlearn facts about needs, preferences and sentiments of the society they seek to serve. It is akin to what we call community entry in development communication where development partners initiate and nurture a desirable relationship with community.
If I am asking, I would say that the need to genuinely attune oneself to specific realities of community should be a basic understanding that must dawn on anyone who is joining any campaign train.
The Karimi ward-to-ward campaign continues to provide me and my friends a rich and timely opportunity to humbly appreciate not just the challenges of our communities but the less-talked-about virtues that make our land an envy of other lands.
Historically, the selfless-ness of Kogi West is legendary. It is no wonder that this very virtue is what politics a là politicians sought to polute. But, thankfully, these virtues have been written with the permanence of divine ink.
Specifically, Kabba-Bunu-Ijumu’s ownership and support for Karimi’s Senatorial bid bears eloquent testimony of our fair-mindedness. I have been on the field with Hon Karimi and the KBI continues to practically emptied herself to Karimi. Following the good example of Lokoja-Koto wherein Sen Tunde Ogbeha voluntarily handed over in 2007, Kabba-Bunu-Ijumu is saying that, after 16 years of eight terms, they too should longer hold on to the senate perpetually. This is courageous. It is integrity. It is love. It is maturity. It is love afresh.
They mince no words in telling Mr Tajú to shelf his ambitions for now. They say that his ambition will constitute a blight on the conscience and collective integrity of the Constituency.
Truly, it has been a humbling experience. We may have lost many material deliverables but we have not lost our essence. We have not lost our integrity and empathy.
I can only appeal to Mr Karimi men and women of Yagba land to remember this good gesture. The optics are quite clear and positive for Karimi. 25th February is almost here. God willing Hon Karimi is winning. Having shown capacity in the past at the Green Chamber, there is no doubting the capabilities of the ranking lawmaker.
– Tade Oshaloto ANIPR is a Senior Special Assistant to Gov Yahaya Bello on Grassroots Sensitization.
