By joshua OLUMOKO FOR REAL?
By Pastor Stanley Ajileye
Over the past few days, I have been preoccupied with matters concerning my primary constituency, the Church.
The National Assembly has reportedly passed legislation criminalizing a segment of evangelism, particularly preaching in public buses. This development deeply concerns me because, if it eventually becomes law and remains unchallenged, some of us may soon become regular visitors to police stations across the country, not as offenders, but to secure bail for believers whose only “offence” is proclaiming the Gospel.
While I was engaged in strategic meetings on these church-related issues, no fewer than twelve people forwarded to me a statement allegedly made by my younger brother, Hon. Funsho Olumoko, declaring his position on the 2027 Kogi State governorship election.
Let me state from the outset that Hon. Olumoko has every constitutional and democratic right to support any aspirant of his choice. That is the beauty of democracy.
However, what I find difficult to overlook is his apparent reference to “someone who has contested five times” attempting to stop another person from seeking a second term. Although I later learned that he claimed not to have mentioned anyone by name, no discerning listener is in doubt about the person he was referring to.
With due respect, there is no logical correlation between tenure in the National Assembly and eligibility to contest for the office of governor. They are entirely different offices, governed by different constitutional provisions and political realities.
More importantly, I am not aware of any statement credited to Hon. James Abiodun Faleke suggesting that he has asked anyone not to contest. Contesting an election is an inalienable democratic right. Every qualified citizen is free to aspire, just as every aspirant must be prepared either to win or to lose.
Therefore, even if Hon. Faleke decides to contest the governorship of Kogi State, it remains entirely within his constitutional right. Knowing him as I do, he has never been intimidated by opposition.
We all remember the 2015 governorship election when he entered the race in Kogi as a first-time deputy governorship candidate. He redefined the standard of political campaigns in the state and has remained a formidable political force ever since. Such a man cannot reasonably be accused of fearing competition. After all, the essence of an election is to present oneself before the electorate against other contestants.
What truly saddens me is that such an insinuation appears to have come from my own younger brother. Politics, they say, is a game of interests. That may be true. But interests should not always be viewed through the narrow prism of personal advantage. There are moments when communal interest must take precedence over individual ambition.
Hon. Olumoko himself acknowledged that the governorship has consistently eluded Kogi West. If that is so, should we not all recognise that our senatorial district is arguably closer to producing the next governor than at any other time in its history? That reality deserved greater emphasis than it received in his presentation at the palace of the Ohimegye Igu of Koton Karfe.
This is what makes his position even more surprising.
Both Hon. Faleke and Hon. Olumoko are proud sons of Ekinrin-Adde, a community renowned for selflessness, honour and sacrifice.
Permit me to draw an illustration.
During the first term of former Governor Yahaya Bello, Hon. Victor Ade Omofaiye, another illustrious son of Ekinrin-Adde, represented Ijumu Constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly. As his tenure drew to a close, I was reliably informed that the governor offered automatic return tickets to members of the Assembly. Hon. Omofaiye reportedly declined the offer because Ijumu Constituency operates a rotational arrangement for that office. He chose principle over personal ambition.
That is the character Ekinrin-Adde is known for.
It is against that background that Hon. Funsho Olumoko’s recent position appears strange and uncharacteristic. It is certainly not the Funsho I have known for over four decades.
The Funsho I know would never, under any circumstance, “call a cow his uncle simply because of his appetite for beef.” He would never sacrifice enduring values on the altar of transient political interests.
One cannot help but wonder whether he has carefully reflected on the possible implications of his recent position on the goodwill and credibility he has painstakingly built across Kogi West.
As an elder brother who sincerely wishes him well, I still believe there is room for reflection. I hope he will reconsider his position, retrace his steps, and once again align himself with the noble values for which Ekinrin-Adde sons and daughters have always been respected.
History is a patient judge. May we all strive to stand on the right side of it.