Date: 2018-06-16

Oniyangi, the emerging dark horse in Kwara politics It was Maria Isabel Aldinhas Ferreira who wrote on the role played by the 'street' as the ultimate locus of political expression and interaction when political institutions fail to respond to the community's incorporated beliefs and deep expectations.

The emphasis in this thought is on the shift of the 'locus' from the 'cabinet room' to the 'street', when cabinet room outcomes no longer have positive impacts on the common man, when policy statements become attempts to placate the citizens than a move to serve them, when propaganda becomes the hallmark by color-coating system failures, and when share greed takes the order of the day at the cabinet room resulting in excruciating pains inflicted on the citizenry.

What is the street? It is the arena, a place of the electorate, where matters of the state come under the lenses and intense and vexatious scrutiny of the common man.

The usual integrity, etiquette and meritocracy that are customary to political leadership and the seat of power in the state are totally missing, and the age-long Pride of Kwara is long foregone on the platter of mediocrity. The seat of power has been desecrated and what we have in its place is a total shamble, where cultists and political touts share bounties of political offices and in other instances, out rightly occupy the seat of power.

These have become critical matters of concern across the state among those whose voices can be heard, and those whose opinions must remain silent for reasons of concerns for personal safety and need to avoid calling for the wrath of the government on the constituencies, which those voices represent. 2019 therefore offers the much-awaited time for the common man on the street to deploy the PVC by issuing a red card to halt the much-celebrated slogans like 'Continuity' or 'Change'.

The 'Street' is however worried at the calibre of those presenting themselves for office. Alas, they are the 'old faithful's', the 'yes men' that the 'street' already knows like the palm of the arm. They are the same cronies of the cabal that destroyed our common patrimony.

Theirs is a political sophistry that ensures that the people remain in total bondage and the current class of office holders remains in total control of state's structure and resources for the sole benefit of the class.

However, the 'Street' shall soon shout for joy all glory to God Almighty, who has heard the cry of His people and has provided a Dark Horse in the person of Abdulazeez Yinka Oniyangi for the Office of Governor of Kwara State. He is indeed a Dark Horse because he is a silent and humble achiever with record achievements that are worthy of emulation. Mr. Oniyangi is a man with amiable pedigree that cuts across several human endeavours, and no doubt, he is the exact Character that fits into the desire of the people on the street. He comes from a home with exemplary qualities, a home with very amiable historical background of exceptional service to the public and humanity, and a home blessed with many 'incorruptible' national figures and statesmen.

Aside his good family upbringing, Abdulazeez Yinka Oniyangi is not only a son of the soil, but grew up here in Ilorin among his friends and peers who hails from across nooks and crannies of Kwara State, and across all classes and social strata. His family paid its dues like other families of old civil servants and traders across the state in contributing to the building of the common patrimony of Kwara state.

Yinka's emergence coincides with a timeline when Kwarans needs direction as regard finding a leader that is trustworthy, a leader that will not be 'one of them', a leader who is not corrupt, and a leader who will not be sectional. These qualities, Kwarans have a consensus, is sacrosanct for a right choice of leadership come 2019.

As such Kwarans can say uhuru because Abdulazeez Yinka Oniyangi is not alone in this call to service. The movement that AbdulAzeez leads is also full of technocrat and political actors of like-minds with impeccable pedigree in terms of their broad knowledge of Kwara's political and policy dictates and demographics. The movement has since set to work and is surely emerging with a sophisticated Master plan to move Kwara State to the front seat of development drive in Nigeria.

He is a man ready to bring to bear his impeccable experience from public and private sectors to the service of the state. He has never mingled with the corrupt and will never mingle with them. Abdulazeez Yinka Oniyangi is a man with widespread international link, a gift bestowed by God, and which he intends to deploy for the benefit of Kwara State when elected to occupy the Ahmadu Bello Way Government House come 2019.

Yinka's Slogan 'Omituntun 2019', which connote an era of refreshing, is a reflection of the innate passion that Yinka carries on the inside, to usher in a time of refreshing for Kwarans God willing come 2019.

Yinka's platform, the New Progressive Movement (NPM) is an emblem of newness in every ramification. It is made up select progressives, whose ideology is devoid of craze for wealth that has pervaded the political process.

No doubt, the emergence of Mr. Abdulazeez Yinka Oniyangi in the 2019 polls will mark the beginning of refreshing times for Kwara State.

As he celebrates his birthday we wish him God's guidance in his endeavors and look forward to a Kwara under his watch.

Bankole wrote this piece from Ilorin, Kwara State