Alex4Senate is No Longer a Dream. It is a Reality. March 23, 2022

There is no Agbazilo Esan and there is no Okpebho Esan. There is only one strong indivisible Esan Tribal Region, and that is the region of my birth. I am NOT an Agbazilo Senatorial candidate. And I am not an Okpebho Senatorial candidate. I am a candidate for the Edo Central Senatorial District, representing the entire people of Esanland under the flagship of the Accord Party. And hereby respectfully seek your vote and support. We are one Esan tribe, irrespective of our distinctive dialects. And that is the Esanland that I represent. Not my village, and not my local government council.

We should in all honesty jettison the selfish political machinations that divide us along superficial ethnic boundaries and convoluted zoning mathematics that made it practically impossible for the competent and credible candidates among us to compete in our electoral process. It hasn't worked in our best interest. Today, bigotry and ethnic chauvinism are grinding Nigeria to a halt as a nation-state. Therefore, every divisive policy must be rejected in our beloved Esan homeland for us to experience real progress.

Our fundamental right to be active participants in the electoral process should not suffer inhibition because of our place of birth, barring any record of criminal activities or convictions. What, for instance, has zoning done for us lately? Nothing. It is a sophisticated perpetuation of the age-old marginalizing culture that made some Esan tribes more equal than others. It doesn't foster inclusiveness. We are one strong family; therefore, those who are qualified to compete should be free to take their message to the people. If we reject marginalization in Abuja, we should in a similar vein reject it in Esanland.

We're the solution to the changes we seek. If not now, when? If not us, who? I'm not in the race to make a name. I'm in it to win in the fulfillment of my God-given promise. In the words of Thomas Sankara: "We must choose either champagne for a few or safe drinking waters for all." And in response to Thomas Sankara's leadership ethos, which is consistent with the populist doctrine of Papa Awo that I espouse unrepentantly, I hereby make the following declarations as my cardinal program in the course of this leadership journey I set for myself.

(1) I Choose Safe Drinking Water for Esanland:

(2) I Choose Safety and Security:

(3) Rural Electrification Projects:

(4) Youth Engagement:

(5) Equal Access to Education

(6) Affordable Healthcare for all by Bridging Doctor-Patient Ratio Gaps:

(7) True Federalism, Decentralization of Power, and Resource Control

(8) And a Consistent Drive for World Bank and International Sponsored Projects in Esanland.

They said this is not the right time. They said the Nigerian electoral process is replete with cultism and voodoo-inclined. They said it is capital-intensive, and I don’t have the money to become competitive. What they have not asked me is: Are you Emotionally, Physically, and Mentally Prepared? Do you have a message? Are you at home with their concerns and expectations? And my answer is capital YES - I AM PREPARED.

Today, most competent Nigerians are avoiding the Nigerian political brand, because it is brutish and thuggish. Given that reality, one is forced to ask: Who is going to confront the ugliness and restore order and civility to it? Adding to that, if it is dirty and, therefore, untouchable, who is going to embrace it and clean it up? Finally, if it is expensive and fraudulently defined, it’s because the clean and credible guys are disinterested in the game. That's why I am involved, to carve a new paradigm for the evolution of a Nigerian dream at the behest of the best and brightest of the Nigerian intelligentsia.

There is no time more auspicious than this moment in our political history for the good men and women of Nigeria to get involved in our leadership struggle. Asking me to wait is not in the best interest of Esanland. Asking me to abstain or not to get involved because politics is a dirty game, is profoundly an escapist supposition. It will remain so, as long as the “clean and credible guys” remain spectacular spectators in the game that is pleading relentlessly, albeit unheard, for their participation. There is no one else, but us, who can save us and make Nigeria better. That's what makes your support in this struggle invaluable.

I have no doubt in my mind about the overwhelming influence of money in our campaign and electoral process, and how it has corrupted it. That’s where you come in – resist it. Say NO to the “money for hand and back for ground” culture that has succeeded in populating indolent and fraudulent characters in our corridors of power. This is not a game, I am ready. And I need your support.

“Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the dead are raised, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

I am not in this race to seek recognition or a national profile. I have a national profile waiting for exploitation. You have followed me stridently on my Blog and my Facebook wall since 2008, and you are privy to the numerous policy statements I have authored that even the best among the fortunate few at the National Assembly, can not enunciate.

For instance, a few weeks ago, following the disclosure of the massive fraud perpetrated by rogue Cop, Abba Kyari, I made a case for the promulgation of a Civil Assets Forfeiture Law. When I published the essay on my Facebook wall, not many people were able to grab the import of the case I made. However, about a week after the publication, NDLEA, sent a memo to the AG, asking for a grant of power of forfeiture. And that's just one of many. So, with a combination of advanced legal education and Public Administration at a graduate level of studies at a top university, I am better positioned as a teacher of legislative processes and public policy, than being its pupil at the Senate Chamber. That’s an advantage and one of the attributes I’m bringing to the National Assembly on behalf of my beloved people of Esanland.

It is time we say NO to the influence of money in our leadership struggle and reject the zoning wahala that perpetuates a culture of low expectations and discriminatory practices. The culture of waiting for the turn of my village or town to produce the next Senator to be able to experience Federal presence should be rejected. It mustn't be what is good for my village or town, but what is good for the entire Esanland. Let’s tow the path of righteousness by supporting credible candidates who have a good understanding of the rigor of decision-making, constitutional law, and legislative process, without regard to their town or place of birth in Esanland. We are one strong family.