Austin Agada, Benue APC Chairmanship race and the prize of humility, loyalty

Comrade Austin Agada, Benue APC Chairmanship Race and the Prize of Humility and Loyalty; Just before the Protest… Part 1

I have said it many times that, according to the tracking logarithm of nature and its inhabitants, the humankind, any man who wishes to live a legendary life cannot be one thing to everybody; while to some, he’s crafty, cruel and selfish, to others, he’s flexible, compassionate and selfless. This is because everyone is in the struggle to find the ‘X-factor’ since surviving is the first rule nature handed humankind. However, in politics, like every other serious undertaking, prices are paid for anyone to be endeared to the heart and minds of the his people, his constituency, especially those of us who struggle to build this hydra-headed career from the scratch. And Comrade Austin Agada falls under the later.
I understand already that Comrade Austin Agada means so many things to many people. But I also understand that there are two things that no one can take away from the calm-talking Comrade: one, humility; two, loyalty. These priceless virtues, according to the ordinance of moral principle, are the guide that spurs the thoughts and actions of Comrade Agada that may start paying him big sooner than later.

On a personal note, I’ve known Comrade Agada for many years. We are not just brothers from the same kindred, but friends and like-minds. Hence, we have slept together on the same bed, ate from the same plate, and have done many other things together, including political outings and other conventional racecourses.

Leadership is not smooth sailing or cherry-picking; leadership is about learning the curves without bending, and encouraging your followers that a bend on the road is not the end of the road. In this vain, pessimists who see the end of the road can equally be encouraged to create a path from where the road seemingly ends in their minds.

From the experiences I had of Comrade Austin Agada, there’s no doubt that he’s calm, straightforward, loyal and prolific, and also amiable. And has been the bridge, not just between the elders and the youths, but between the two major ethnic bloodlines that make up the state that prides itself as the “food basket of the nation.”

Just like it is said that every glory is preceded by a sad story at least, Comrade Agada has been in politics for almost two decades even as young as he is. In 2015, he contested for a seat in the Benue State House of Assembly (Ogbadibo Local Government Constituency), sadly, he lost to his brother, Hon. Joseph Ojobo. In 2019, he contested for the same position under the APC; unfortunately, he was ousted out off the way after winning the primary election. During this tempting period, most of us, who were parts of his inner caucus and think-tank, asked him to switch to another political party in order to actualize his aspiration. Conversely, the calm-talking Comrade declined, claiming on one side that he has a godfather in the party whom he looked up to, and who had not done him any wrong. And, on the other side, claimed he had to endure whatever heartache predestination brought his way while awaiting God’s unflinching times in his political endeavours.

Now, it seems the “God’s unflinching times” have drawn nearer than expected as he is earmarked to take over as Benue APC’s next henchman by the same hands that he practically and literally refused to dump even in the face of nefarious provocation during the electioneering campaign period of the last general election.

Speaking on behalf of my family and friends, we, the Benue youths, in solidarity with one of one own, Austin Agada, have taken to the streets and to the social media to support him not just as one of our own, but as a youth with swith capacity and capability to pull the string. His nomination forms for the race have been paid for by us, and the idea that the youths be given the opportunity to rewrite the wrong political history of the nation has begun just in earnest.

However, it is no longer news that immediately the good news about Comrade Agada’s next agenda filtered the air, forces within the APC who felt his emergence as the next Benue APC State Chairman would block or threaten their egocentric chances, started putting up modalities to scuttle the worthy arrangements. Nevertheless, thanks to the few youths who were contacted and offered juicy amounts to take to the streets to protest against Austin. Their refusal to mount any form of blockade against Agada is a further pronunciation that Comrade Agada’s times have come according to divine ordination.
We, the youths, must let the elders understand that we are not out to halt their chances in their careers, but rather to rewrite any wrong political history of our land and/or edit the existing storylines to fit into contemporary realities for posterity to reckon with in elated manners.

One thing I know for sure is that, in Benue, seeking Comrade Austin Agada’s head with a few dollars bill would meet the rocks; this is because he is loved even by those who are supposed to carry out such a heinous sin.

Every politician from Benue State understands what it means for Comrade Agada to take over the leadership ladder of the Benue APC. We talk about zoning only to buttress the fact that we despise competence. But those of us who were in the middle of the party’s politics during the 2019 general elections understood that poor leadership was the major reason why the party failed ‘woefully’ in the election. And this ignoble posture cum outing in 2019, plus other internal wrangling bedeviling the party are at Comrade Agada’s fingertips to address peradventure he emerges Chairman of the APC in Benue State. As the bridge, as he is fondly referred, his taking over the Benue APC chairmanship position will birth true reconciliation that would send the sad experiences of the past packing out of the hearts and minds of the APC folks.

If the Benue APC knows what is good for her, Comrade Agada should be allowed to take over the position unopposed as the support for him in this venture would be the beginning of such a beautiful undertaking for the broom party.
Thank you for reading.

Comrade King Apeh Peterhot writes from Ugbugbu Ejorgwu, Ipolè Owukpa, Benue State.