By Ajogwu Black Lion
From the bubbling town of Ajaka, a child was born into the family of Alh. Hussaini Akpa, one of the most politically conscious elites of Igala extraction in the Second Republic. Stories abound about the philanthropic gestures of Alh. Hussaini. His name still rings bells in the minds of his people, many decades after he transited to join his ancestors. He actually lived a remarkable life of enduring impact. He touched many lives and strived to better the lives of his people. Alh. Hussaini Akpa is dead, but his legacy of compassion continues to linger in the lifestyles of his children. This is the bigger picture of where Idris HK tapped his gentlemanly benevolence, anchored on his passion for community development.
HK is a double-edged sword, not a weapon for war but a totem existing in human form, predisposed to the peaceful development of the Igala/Bassa nation. His antecedents speak volumes, and his life is a tirelessly refined attestation to a man who is intellectually able, gallantly willing and pragmatically ready to propel Kogi East to greater heights. His determination for the growth and development of the Igala/Bassa nation is not in doubt. HK’s political trajectory is genetic; he inherited these rare traits from his late father and tenaciously studied the political architecture of his foster father, the late Dr. Stephen Omakoji Achema.
For the sake of clarity, Idris HK grew up under Achema’s guidance, protection and care. The young Idris Hussain Kashim was baked in that oven of political consciousness, selflessness and sacrifice, geared towards the betterment of the Igala nation. Achema was a fearless political soldier who fought for the growth of the Igala nation. He commanded a great level of political reverence because he was always on standby to bury his personal interests in favour of the communal agenda. These traits are invariably lucid in the political posture of Idris HK, the CEO of Crush Café, which is the engine room of his human capital development and community interventions. Kudos to the late ALAPA, who instilled discipline and sincerity of purpose in HK, one of his bona fide sons and students, who, in turn, studied the arithmetic of politics under Achema’s tutelage.
As a loyal son of his foster father, even in death, HK has remained on the path of undiluted loyalty to his political benefactor. Little wonder, he adopted the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as a platform to ride the horse as he coasts to victory. In the entire Igala/Bassa nation, it was the late Stephen Achema who introduced SDP to the people, and it was generally accepted with the chant of “Mè Gwù Ányádùga – Ókpólogidi”. The people are always on standby to respond to the charge of “SDP – Èwá Dè”. This literally translates as “SDP is our own”. It is now time to perfect the talk by doing the needful as we journey towards the polls in January 2027.
A man who has committed his personal resources to better the lives of our people deserves enormous accolades. Amid words of discouragement, lazy gossip sponsored by his detractors, undeserved backlash and endless tantrums, Idris HK remains focused. He is not distracted; zero tension. He illuminated your communities, controlled erosion in your villages and graded your roads. He empowered many businesses, paid school fees for your children and wards, promoted your brands and touched so many lives behind the cameras. The source of his income is known to all and sundry.
Now, this poses the bigger question: how many businessmen from Igala and Bassa communities can devote their hard-earned money to developing our land? Remember, Idris HK is not the richest Igala man living on the face of the earth, but he is unarguably the most generous Igala personality at the moment.
Abomi Igala!
It is time to reward the sincerity of purpose of a man who has contributed immensely to the betterment of our land. The Igala/Bassa people are not treacherously oriented. Our people are wise. They cannot be carried away by political gimmicks sponsored by seasonal dummies. Our people can think outside the box because they have eyes and can see beyond their noses.
To this end, when these new crops of accidental politicians come to you to sell fallacies, be bold enough to tell them the truth by seeking to know their political antecedents. How many of them can single-handedly point to one particular project they sponsored on the soil of Ane’Igala? Many of these political comedians are presently roaming around in vain, trying to initiate one or two elephant projects in Kogi East because election is only a few days from now. But our people cannot be cajoled.
In pursuit of goodwill, do not allow any political Messi to dribble you with their boring manifestos, haphazardly cooked with sugar-coated rhymes full of deceit. Any philanthropic gesture on the eve of an election must be studied. Greek gifts are not the solution to the undying needs of our people. When our people were suffering political neglect and abandonment, where were you? It is on this note that the various umbrella associations in Kogi East, such as Ukomu Igala, Ojuju Agbadufu and the Igala Youths Congress (Soldier Ayegba), need to embrace the task of coordinating our people in order to define the days ahead. Our votes must count. However, we need to study the political dynamics obtainable in contemporary politics by advancing the game plan and the gameplay.
Truth be told, politics is a game of numbers. If we are truly ready to win as a people, we should not go to the polls with divided ambitions. The highest political seat in Kogi East at the moment is the senatorial seat. If the Igala/Bassa nation is truly ready to succeed by choosing its own senator, it is time to unite forces by coordinating the people to enable us to speak with one voice at the polls. The forthcoming election is obviously between our people and the government in power at the state level. In other words, the Kogi East senatorial election is essentially a contest between the government’s anointed candidate and any candidate endorsed by the people of Kogi East. If our people are poised to make a stentorian impact by supporting a single candidate, then victory is ours because vox populi, vox Dei (the voice of the people is the voice of God). On the other side of the coin, if we want to lose the senatorial seat, then we should continue acting in error by fielding multiple candidates. The choice is ours!
It would amount to a greater demonstration of wisdom if Idris HK is adopted by our people to win this race. For a man who has paid his dues, this is not too much to give. If HK can utilize his hard-earned money to ameliorate the plight of our people, rest assured that he would not betray our trust, as government allocations would be judiciously expended. This is the stark reality we should all promote and understand.
Abomi Igala!
Let us unite behind a man who has written his name in gold. Let us support a philanthropist who has endeared himself to the hearts of our people. We should not allow our personal interests and political affiliations to affect the hopes of our land. A vote for HK is a vote for the prosperity of the Igala Kingdom.
Come, let’s win with HK!
Come, let’s win together!!
#Uja’Imeli 2027
– Ajogwu Black Lion writes from Omala.
