THE mystique of change is that it is mostly imperceptible, until it is upon us. Change has also crept upon the Edo State PDP in its characteristic way. Few months ago Edo State PDP was the butt of cruel jokes by the opposition, who spared no fusillade to deride the PDP and mocked its alleged tattered condition. Some more idle members of the opposition even went as far as listing out about six factions of the PDP under different imaginary leaders and jeered at how such a shredded umbrella could cover any thing at all, let alone provide shelter for a group? It was a field day for the opposition, who after jeering, went to bed, assured that the PDP was truly imploded in the State; as it pleased their lazy imagination to think. PDP members themselves had no answers to the opposition then. Some actually went about with self conscious diffidence. They talked in muffled tones, not sure if the first person to challenge them in public wasn’t going to be their own PDP brother in Legacy or New PDP as IT THEN WAS. As the reality of 2024 drew nearer and talk of election grew louder, Edo PDP members were in bafflement about the kind of situation they have found themselves in. A situation they were largely not responsible for, but found thrust on them by unsolicited fate. There was palpable concerns for certain reasons. Again, the opposition was gleefully waiting for epic battles within the kingdom of the PDP after aspirants have started to indicate their interest. They just couldn’t wait to watch the PDP factional movies! And sure enough, they don’t have to wait long. One young antelope, who has never been high on IQ and has now shown even lesser promise on emotional intelligence, bit the bait and went to town to exhibit his naive and imprudent aspiration with usual bad manners; fighting himself. Anyway, he has only succeeded to quixotically ruin his political career. Hard luck!
But painstaking PDP members kept wondering: which way to go? It was getting too close for comfort! This was the state of affairs more or less, before a gangling Edoid personality showed up on the political firmament of the PDP in the State
Down to earth, urbane, infectiously charismatic, genuinely warm, credible and ‘ Sabi’, Dr Asue Ighodalo announced himself to Edo PDP with the confidence of an accustomed winner; who believes that with God all things are possible! He set about his ambition, nay, Mission with a single minded focus. He started by talking. And my! Can he talk!? Well, he was talking to leaders and ‘ laity’: preaching peace, offering hope, demystifying puzzles and pointing forward, ‘Ighodaloly!’ It was not long before the PDP started to notice, and then started to listen. The Chief listener and observer was no less than the Chief himself, the National Vice Chairman, South South; an astute and discerning politician that he was, he was soon to declare: ‘Asue Ighodalo is the fastest learning politician Edo State has ever produced’. He didn’t need to say more. Every one knew what he was talking about. Asue Ighodalo has come to stay. He has been weighed in the balances of PDP and NOT found wanting. Every PDP member in the State, whoever came across Asue Ighodalo thought so too and then proceeded to shake hands across the divide. In Asue Ighodalo PDP meet. PDP is ONE! Opposition are confused and desperate! They are now hanging on the empty words of an itinerant leader, who God will soon teach that No Man is God!
The good story is continuing. ASUELIMEN, the fortuitous name given to him by father or mother or grands, I haven’t found out yet. However, the name is fast making its ascent towards the crescendo of its prophetic significance! Anywhere you now turn in Edo State, people are just ‘sueli’ Asue Ighodalo. The Crescendo will peak in September month of this year. In the meantime, Asue Ighodalo is still talking. He is talking in wards, he is talking in units. He is talking in LGAs. He is talking at Party Secretariat. He is at leaders’ homes, and on grass fields with the grassroots. Leaders travel with him. Members wait to the welcome him. He is stretching hands to shake some, strapping some around the neck and sharing to some to meet their needs. PDP is excited. Members are delighted. Supporters are motivated.PDP have forgotten their differences, they have forgotten their detractors. They are all looking in one direction. In Asue Ighodalo, PDP have found each other again!
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