Veni Vidi Vici
These are the simplest phrases that best describe the Ighodalo/Ogie European Diaspora tour, recently concluded.
The town halls scheduled to host the political megastars were all sold out weeks in advance.
Everywhere he went, ecstatic Edos, in their shades of colour, followed. The rhythmic Edo women traditional dancers, the Esan Igbabonelimhin acrobatic masquerades, and the powerful Etsako cultural dance troupe in their extensively decorated regalia were all out to honor and welcome their highly valued incoming Governor, in defiance of their regular work routine.
They lined his route, displaying deep affection in reverent homage to the ‘man wey sabi’. This affectionate warmth showered on Dr. Ighodalo resonates with the people’s perception of his active altruistic concern for the well-being and betterment of the Edo people.
For the first time in the history of Midwest, Bendel, and Edo State gubernatorial campaign tours, the Ighodalo/Ogie campaign cruise made history and shattered the ceilings of campaign limitations by evolving and presenting their inclusive developmental promises to Edos in the diaspora.
The tour train glided through Italy’s Bologna and Milan, with a large concentration of Edolites, and then through Manchester. In Manchester, Chief Musa Amedu, a honoree of the Point of Light award, highlighted the beneficial functions of Consular Services and the food bank supplement for the less privileged.
London, the unwritten headquarters of diasporas and home to Mr. Ibosa Oshodin and other multifaceted Edolites, spared no effort in planning a rock star concert-style reception. Dr. Uwaibi heralded and introduced Dr. Ighodalo to the eagerly waiting, overjoyed, enthusiastic crowd, describing him as the most distinguished legal luminary, intrinsically woven in patterns of extreme intellectualism and chairman of many conglomerates, as the best man for the job of leading us as the next governor.
The occasion crescendoed with brilliant performances by Dr. Ighodalo, Barr. Ogie, accompanied by state commissioners Hon. I. Omo and Com. S. Idehenre, at the interactive question-and-answer section moderated with high professionalism by Keddi Aikhie and anchored by Barr. S. Obazee, Dr. D. Uyi, Mr Omede, Hon. H Edeko and Deacon Ray Okpebholo, spokesperson for the Dr. Ighodalo campaign. The PDP Director General Hon. M. Iduoriyekemen and Joe Okogie, the Campaign Director of Finance, were on hand to lend logistical support.
The tours compelled Dr. Ighodalo to present his developmental promises in Hamburg and Nuremberg, both in Germany, where he was warmly welcomed by a mammoth presence of Edolites, coordinated by Larry Irabor, the coordinator of the Ighodalo Sons and Daughters Support Group in Germany.
The diaspora campaign tours strengthened the fundamental human working trust relationship between the government and its citizens in the diaspora. Dr. Ighodalo reaffirmed his commitment to his earlier promise to provide every diasporan the opportunity to build their own homes in Benin and elsewhere in the state, devoid of the frightening experiences associated with fraudulent embezzlement of funds meant for property development by family and friends back home.
Dr. Peter Uwaibi, a diaspora leader, consented to the notion that success must be driven, exhibited, and bolstered on the premise of good governance designed to provide economic stability and create much-needed ground for socio-cultural interaction in the face of linguistic diversity.
It is our fervent belief that the new Edo people are awakened to the M.E.G.A. exceptional creative optimization initiative that Ighodalo/Ogie will bring.
*VOTE PDP*
*VOTE IGHODALO/OGIE*
*WITH GOD, WE WILL WIN*
Dr Uwaibi a member of the PDP Asue/Ogie Diaspora Media Directorate, writes from London, United Kingdom