CENTUS NWEZE
Ibrahim Mohammed Ajia, former police officer, contesting for the House of Reps, Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency, Kwara State, under the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has stated that he was not born as a man of means that he is today but has had to struggle to be where he is.
Ajia made this emotional disclosure on Wednesday at the inauguration of his campaign under the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
“I grew up hawking hot amala (yam flower meal) in the hot sun in the streets of Ilorin.
“I know what it means not to be able to pay school fees as child,” he said.
Ajia recalls dropping out of university, the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria in his sophomore year because he couldn’t pay the fees however meager they were in those days.
“I suffered the indignity of traveling with animals like goats and cattle in a lorry to get to Zaria, Kaduna State but couldn’t complete my schooling,” he recalls.
The politician later got a reprieve with an admission to the police academy where served and meritoriously retired.
Ajia poured this emotional story about his growing up years into the ears of attentive journalists in Ilorin on Wednesday at the occasion of inaugurating his campaign ahead February 25 when the National Assembly election will hold.
The PDP candidate needs all the sympathy he can get from voters, considering the formidable opponent he will be facing at the polls.
He is up against Sheriff Shagaya, son of multi billionaire politician and philanthropist, Mueenat Shagaya of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
The Shagaya family is also said to be a close ally of the governor of the state, Abdulrahaman Abdulrazak, who is also of the APC.
But Ajia, though not as wealthy as the Shagaya has what observers call social capital, having been long in social service and giving back to the society.
That, however, Ajia still has the big task of persuading his voters to look beyond the blemish of his party, PDP, and ambivalent disposition people still have of Bukola Saraki, leader of the party in the state after he was upstaged in 2019.