By Obeten Godfrey
For reasons that are just inexplicable, the ambition of Chief Okoi Ofem Obono-Obla to represent the good people of the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State is one that I have strong believe, passion and conviction in.
In a time where quality leadership and sincerity of purpose is seemingly lacking in our political space, the way and manner our amiable Chief communicates his ideas and vision for his people, tells you how ready he is for the business and what governance for him is all about.
As a people, we ought to be driven by integrity, and this critical moment of our political history, calls for somone who has the character, pedigree and humanitarian finnesss to change the narrative and fine-tune the political and economic fortunes of our people.
Politics they say is local for a reason, and this race will be localized, and it will come down to the aspirant’s connections to the people at the grassroots level in our locality and cross the senatorial district.
Haven performed optimally in several national assignments and delivered beyond expectations, one will only wish that Chief Obla becomes the standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next month’s primaries, either by consensus or any means the party chooses to elect its candidate.
It is no doubt that his emergence as candidate of the APC will not only propel the ruling party to win the elections, but will also spice up the living standards of his people, and engender dividends of democracy in the Senatorial District, if he eventually emerges victorious at the general elections. I have no doubt that he will win from beginning to end.
In the interest of all in APC and for the purpose of producing the best choice capable, we need a candidate who possess the aura as well as the interpersonal capacity to connect with the people. We need a candidate with deep experience in leadership.
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We need a candidate with great exposure on our democratic setting, as well as a candidate with national contacts, which is necessary to bring about legislative success and collaboration in the Senate. We need a candidate who lives in the streets, a candidate who connects effortlessly with the people.
We need someone who has sympathy for humanity, across political divide, one who can beat any presentable candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Senate in the Central Zone; and can lure votes from the opposition parties and others.
To the best of my knowledge within the shortest time of my political follow up in my region, there is no candidate irrespective of the political platform of his/her domain that is suitable for that position other than Chief Barrister Okoi Obono Obla.
At this point we need a man with the technical know-how that encapsulates political bearings of our people, a voiced personality, a man with vision and mission for his people, a brave man, an audible speaker, a political intellectual heavyweight, a pedagogical super star, a world spinner with a magnitude of the fear of God. All these attributes are not far traced to Chief Obla.
The emotional and intellectual competence of Chief, he will be bringing to the table if given the opportunity to fly the APC’s flag and eventually elected Senator, will be unprecedented, we cannot afford to miss this wonderful, but once in a lifetime opportunity. No we can’t.
His humility, accessibility, street credibility and relationship with the low, high and mighty sets him apart from others. We cannot ignore this great material for any sentiment if we want the best face for our people.
It takes a street boy to connect with the streets. It takes a local to connect with the locals. It takes a ‘grassrooter’ to understand the plight and challenges of the grassroot.
Obla is a local boy, he fits into the fabric, he understands the language of the common man.
We must all join our hands and make this opportunity ours by giving this clarion call to Chief Obono-Obla to represent Cross River Central st the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
There is no better time for one to stand with the truth and a leader of immense capacity than now. We need Obla more than he needs us, let’s send him on this errand.
• Obeten Godfrey Jr, a writer, social commentator, and development enthusiast, writes from Abuja, Nigeria.
