Esosa Iyawe, a 40-year-old graduate of Benson Idahosa University, who was elected as the member representing the Oredo Federal Constituency of Edo State in the House of Representatives during the February 25 National Assembly election, talks to ADEYINKA ADEDIPE about his recent achievement

How did you get into politics?
I have always had an interest in good leadership but I was put off because of the way Nigerian politicians conduct themselves. Before you can venture into politics, you must have a lot of cash or do a lot of things before you become a candidate. I have been patient. However, meeting a noble man like Mr Peter Obi several times in Abuja, I discovered that he is a man of integrity and impeccable character. So when he left the Peoples Democratic Party and became a major force in the Labour Party, I followed him and inquired about how to get a form, which I acquired with my little savings and I became a candidate
How much did the form cost?
It wasn’t expensive at all or as much as the other two big parties sold theirs. It was a form a civil servant could buy with their salary.

Apart from that leadership problem, what other factors made you go into politics?

In Nigeria, you find out that things don’t get better as you grow old. They degenerate more. I guess a lot of things worked better when I was younger and I have friends who kept relocating to other countries. I had a lot of people asking for assistance, families could not afford to feed and people who were qualified could not get jobs to at least earn the minimum wage. No sector works well in Nigeria; all the sectors are either down or near comatose. It is only the cabals who made life good for themselves, their family and their cronies.
What encouraged you to pick the nomination form of the Labour Party?

At one point, I even had plans of relocating to another country because the more one works, the less one gets as the naira loses value daily. The cost of living is high while inflation is also skyrocketing even though Nigeria is blessed with natural resources. A lot of countries don’t have one-10th of what we have but they are living well due to proper planning while we are still battling to make things work for several years and we remain underdeveloped. So, I decided to put my hat in the ring to ensure that if Obi became the president, I would assist in making and supporting bills that would enable him to function well as one of his disciples. I believe that we need laws based on common sense to make things work. As an engineer, I believe that I have the capacity to do things that will positively impact the people of Oredo. That was why I actually jumped into the race.

Did you think you would win when you picked the form?

I prayed to God for people in the constituency to see the good things I was doing during the campaign. I didn’t conduct my campaign the way others did. I went to see the common man who the leaders had been using over the years. I told them that they could not collect money for their votes and still expect to get power. Collecting money means you sell your right to question the leaders when things are not going well in the country. My slogan during the campaign was: ‘You either take power or money’. I let them know that taking power means a better future for our children. If I wasn’t a candidate, I would have been among the people at the forefront of campaigning against the old order.

Source and for details: https://punchng.com/i-planned-to-japa-before-winning-edo-reps-election-lawmaker-elect/

Peter obi effect

Thieffnubu issa FUL

Service to the people is all we ask from you. 💯

Welcome to the new Nigeria .
The new Nigeria is the OBEDIENT government.

The government where nobodies with no connection become somebody.

The new Nigeria we have been craving and praying for is beginning this year 2023.
Just be calm, PODATTI is getting their GOD given mandate.
No creature can stop it.

This is what politics is supposed to be!
You aspire to an office, sell your program to the people convincingly, and hope they buy into your project. No, not in Nigeria! If you don't have money and some kind of criminal background you can't even dare!

This is the hope and benefit that Peter Obi brought into our politics. That a so-called nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody!