The search for quality candidates of Yagba extraction for the 2015 Kogi West Senatorial District election has been further boosted by the declaration of intent by Chief Tunde Olusunle, a journalist, author and one time Special Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In a contest which the question of “who from Yagba?” is commonplace and dragged to ignite fear of an unimaginable proportions, as if to dwarf and ‘steal’ the turn of Yagba Federal Constituency to produce the next Kogi West Senator, the arrival of an aspirant of Tunde Olusunle’s caliber is most refreshing.
Professor Tunde Adeniran, Nigerian Ambassador Extradinary to the Federal Rep of Germany in 2005 described Olusunle as as “a profound and gifted communicator”. Adeniran who wrote the foreword of Olusunle’s famous book “On The Trail of History-A Reporter’s Note Book On Olusegun Obasanjo” revealed that “It takes a writer of Olusunle’s calibre, his status as an insider from the begining [of OBJ’s Regime], his fortune as a permanent feature of the Obasanjo team, his versatilty and capacity, as well as his unfailing resourcefulness to produce this type of publication.”
“Tunde Olusunle is following the Distinguished and most fascinating journalistic tradition for which Herodotus,Thucydides, Marco Polo and Ernest Hemmingway were famous”.
The advantage here is not only the intellectual in Olusunle and his comunication skill, written & spoken, attested in high places and across borders, but that his several diplomatic shuttles enamored his well put togetheer observations and records of President Obasanjo’s encounters with different audiences and various circumstances across the lenght & breadth of Nigeria and 123 countries for 8 years, which have exposed him to the visita of how government works.
A BRIEF BIODATA
TUNDE Olusunle, born March 30, 1965. He hails from Isanlu, Yagba East Council, Kogi State; graduated from the University of Ilorin with an honours degree in English in 1985 at age 20. He earned his Master’s degree from the same institution in 1989. He served as Director of Information in Kogi State [1992-1993]; Member of the Editorial Board of Daily Times Nigeria [1993-1995]; Chief Press Secretary to two Military Administrators of Kogi State [1995-1997] and SA (Special Duties) to President Olusegun Obasanjo [1999-2007]. A poet, has written very well received volumes of poetry, including Fingermarks and Rhythm of the Mortar [Kraft Books].
Below is full text of Tunde Olusunle’s declaration statement 15/01/2014
Political observers in Kogi State in general and Kogi West senatorial zone in particular, will recall that I have always been a keen participant in the socio-politics of our people.
It was with the intention of offering informed, responsible, responsive and genuinely altruistic service to our people, that I took a shot at the senate between 2009 and 2011.
Some of us allowed a continuation of the convention which encourages each federal constituency in Kogi West to serve two terms of four years each in the upper house of the bicameral national parliament, so we can enthrone an enduring democratic culture in our senatorial zone.
As we approach the 2015 general election, the liberation of our people from deceitful, narcissistic, mandate-wasting, quasi-feudalistic parliamentarians, becomes imperative.
This is particularly so because our people have discovered that there is a conscious effort by some of these parliamentarians to alter the conventional goal-post mid-way through the game and dubiously transmogrify into eternal despots!
We have always maintained that Yagbaland is not in short supply of human capital for any type of political office.
By the grace of God and with all sense of humility I, Tunde Olusunle whose resume is probably well known by our people, is a potential candidate for the 2015 senatorial race. I do not intend to be a senator for the vain-gloriousness of it. My formal entry into the race will come courtesy of divine guidance and the collective wish of our people and our leaders.
