It is far better to go to war with a single lion than being in the company of one hundred sheep. The structure of today’s Nigerian Senate is such that if care is not taken, the presence of men of accomplishment would intimidate any lily-livered man from uttering a single word at every plenary.
Talking about the structure of today’s Nigerian Senate, the first thing that comes to mind is that, it’s the haven for retired governors. Then you still remember that it houses so many past and expired political leaders and statesmen who have refused to relinquish power to the younger generation.
Unfortunately, so many young enterprising politicians who eventually made their way to the upper legislative chamber have found themselves so cowed by these ‘national luggage’ that their constituencies never get to benefit their due of the ‘national cake’.
Apart from being intimidated, the younger senators erroneously think that they can use the shoulders of their so called senior distinguished colleagues to rise to higher political ladder like becoming governors and so, they would never want to contest with them to get their share of anything in the senate.
But for a man like Edime who has helped install governors and other senior political leaders through unshakable loyalty and hard work predicated upon fearless assertion of his stance on truth by effective activism, Kogi East is sure to make a conspicuous presence this time at the national stage.
Although Kogi East has hitherto produced intelligent and well educated personalities in the Senate, but the dynamics of the contemporary politics demand more. Edime is a conglomeration of intelligence; exposure; youthful agility; organized and result-oriented activism; irresistible eloquence and effective communicator per excellence; a powerful negotiator; a presentable personality with noticeable physical domineering appearance that can command support during plenary sessions and anywhere; a natural lobbyist and strategist. All these rare hallmarks stand Edime out for the valuable senatorial representation from Kogi East at this politically competitive time of our national life.
Describing the suitability of Edime for the Senate, a politician of note states thus: “When we talk about driving home a point in an argument on floors like the Nigerian Senate, Senator Dino Melaye is a child where folks like Amade Edime are talking. He will make us walk with our shoulders high if given that platform.”
The only senatorial district that has benefited the most from the Federal government in Kogi State has been Kogi West. The only voice so loud has been that of the West as well. Whether you call it Dino or Smart Adeyemi, their voice has been the loudest so they take more. But this time, the bar will be raise higher with Edime’s presence.
The fact is that, if there is any politician today from Kogi East who can freely mingle with the young and the old at all levels, regardless of their social backgrounds, Edime fits into that classification perfectly. Are you also looking for a young man who can multi-task without complaining of being bugged by ‘poor people and their wahala’? Edime is a load-carrier who never gets tired.
If you have ever visited any politician in his office and he came out and walked past everyone in his waiting room wearing a long face, looking bothered that Igala people are always disturbing him, just know that that fellow does not have any business with holding public office. It’s not in the blood of some persons to do politics at all because they lack that empathy to attend to people.
Meanwhile, it gave men like the Late Chief John Urah and Dr Stephen Makoji Achema a great joy to carry the burdens of the masses on their heads. That is why they will forever remain political mentors to all genuine Igala young politicians whose propelling motivation is to see that the poor, the orphan, the widow, the sick and all the downtrodden have a reason to smile every waking morning.
Edime belongs to the school of thought of these two iconic Igala politicians and will undoubtedly bring the nostalgic memories of their style of politics to life in our own generation.
Enejoh Solomon writes from Abuja.
solenex2007@yahoo.com
