What is an agenda of a people? Is it not about the people’s interest? Has Okun not been clamoring for opportunity to provide Kogi governor? Okun youth have always complained that there are competent people in Okun land to do the job. But it seems Okun elders don’t believe Okun has anyone who can do the job. We are always the first to go and beg for deputy governor from Igala.
A new dimension has entered it now.
Okun is now screening governorship candidate even for Kogi East. For the first time in history, the current crop of Okun leaders are openly endorsing the East by screening candidates from the East to find which one they want for Okun land? Are they Kogi elders or Kogi West leaders? What we have seen before is each area screening their own candidates to find the best and be strong in the election.
Every election year, Okun leaders come together to screen Okun aspirants to try and beg them to step down for the best among them so that Okun can have better chances. But Hon. Faleke from Lagos had brought new style and some Okun leaders have keyed into it. They are now to screen for the entire people of Kogi who is the best candidate. They call it Okun agenda but it is not to look for a good Okun candidate to support. Dino Melaye an Okun man is already in the race, but their business is to go and find someone else as if they are the custodians of the whole Kogi state.
In 2015 Okun had 5 candidates in APC primaries. Most of them are still in APC. Olumoroti scored the highest votes of the aspirants. But our Okun elders will not support our own that has declared or encourage our own that should declare. The same elders who when they want a Kabiyesi will reject one looking for it and go to even the abroad to go look for their “son” who is the best person for the throne. But now, they will rather sell our birthright.
I remember a story online in 2015 that some Okun elders went to Asiwaju Tinubu to go and beg him that “our son” Faleke who is with him in Lagos is badly needed at home in Kogi to come and salvage and serve us to come and contest. That Faleke who came from Lagos then to gather those elders is now gathering them again to go to the East for aspirant.
Now the people of Kogi East have started to pour insult on us in Kogi West, they are asking where the temerity to screen Igala candidates in the West came from. They want to know how it is our business. Their own screening committee did not invite anyone from anywhere else so what is our business with them? They gave their own a level playing field by not endorsing one candidate but we want to go and endorse for them. They are describing the screening as an insult and sham.
We must be careful before we become a national laughing stock. The Faleke that was fighting Okun agenda when Audu died before he returned to Lagos is now fighting Igala agenda. Why is that happening? that is the food for thought. Okun ronu…
– Margaret Adeniyi (Mrs) wrote from Lokoja.
