AT THE POINT OF CONVERGENCE ALL TRUTHS ARE REVEALED
By Ahmad Sajoh
“The basis of reconciliation is truth”
–An African proverb
Now that the APC in Adamawa State is putting its house in order all the contending interests are converging at a central point. And at the point of convergence all truths are revealed. Those fanning the embers of discord are beginning to be exposed for the charlatans they are. These persons included political jobbers whose stock in trade is knocking heads together in order to put food on table. Others are political mercenaries who are soldiers for hire in every dispute situation whether real or imagined. While some are misguided loyalists who believe that they will lose their space if their masters widen their horizon to accommodate others no matter how expedient such expansion turned out to be. Hence they kept goading their masters to widen the gaps of conflict without thinking of the consequences. There are others who live off conflicts and media insults. An end to conflicts often closes avenues for self and family upkeep. For all of these intrigue is always the stock in trade. Unfortunately, intrigue has very short legs. It runs very fast but it is always easily caught up by the long legs and giant strides of truth.
Now this is where we are in Adamawa APC today. A party that is set to take back power in Adamawa State. All the contending interests are converging. Gaps created are closing. Fault lines are disappearing. The embers of conflicts are ebbing and the hot charcoal of crisis is being reduced to ashes. No embers to fan again. Our gubernatorial candidate Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani has made a bold statement that success is at our door steps. Not only her success as the governorship candidate but success for all APC candidates in the coming election circle. But success has many parents. It is a failure that is an orphan. Success is like a magnet and it attracts a lot of people. When the APC held a joint Presidential and Gubernatorial rally on the 9th of January, it was pretty obvious that the event was far beyond a political rally, it was a statement that the party is united, unified and ready for business. Those who claimed they had killed the party in the state suddenly woke up to the realization that what they claimed they killed is not only alive but much stronger than they expected. Their killer contractors have failed. Now it has dawned on them that the whole contract was a bad market for both contractors and clients.
Senator Binani has created a new reality. A reality that necessitates everyone coming together to focus on victory for the APC. In Abuja there was fear and apprehension that winning Adamawa State for our presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was an uphill task. But seeing the huge crowd at the rally and the people that lined up to receive President Buhari and Jagaban from the Airport to the Palace it was obvious to the visitors that Adamawa would deliver APC candidates at all levels. It therefore became expedient that all contending interests within the APC to converge in order to deliver on the mandates of the party from top to bottom. Definitely at the point of convergence, only truth matters. Now we are beginning to know those who have been deceiving others with falsehood. We now know the real beneficiaries of the whole crisis, those who believe that the entire crisis was a “general market” with one card giving one access to many choices. Gradually all is now coming to an end.
But for it to be enduring and valuable to us all, we must accept certain facts as important. It is impossible to think we can support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu without supporting Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani or the other way round. A support Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a support for all APC candidates. Ditto a support for Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani is a support for all APC candidates. That should be the spirit. A united and unified campaign is our best chance of winning elections in both the Presidential and Gubernatorial levels along with all the legislative candidates for each level. In order to achieve this, Communication is key. We need to communicate with each other much more, and communicate much more correctly. Suspicions, insinuations and negative interpretation of simple straightforward statements are all ingredients of conflict. We cannot hold onto them and expect that our conflicts and crises will be over. Let us say exactly what we mean and mean exactly what we say. This is even more applicable to leaders. Integrity is all about holding on to the rope of truth. As the Clergy will say in the worship centers, “tell the truth and the truth will set you free”. May the truth set us all free as we prepare to assuredly deliver Adamawa state to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and to take over the Adamawa State Government House as the residence of Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani.
A PIECE OF ADVICE TO DR UMAR ARDO.
My dear brother and Gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic party SDP, the last time I wrote a piece on the fear you clearly expressed, you replied with even greater fear and panic. You said if Binani wins her Local Government you will concede the contest. That was a little bit reckless and I am sure many people will hold on to it and flash it on your face after the election.
Next you went to Channels TV and said our culture does not permit the leadership of a woman. Nothing could be further from the truth. A state that has elected a female Senator in all the three Senatorial districts cannot be said to be culturally averse to the leadership of women. As the only state to have elected a woman as the state chairman of a major political party we cannot be said to culturally reject the leadership of women. I am even more surprised at your stand point. Coming from Ganye chiefdom you must be conversant with “Arnado Debbo” a community where only a woman serves as a traditional ruler. So to say we are culturally averse to the leadership of women is to stand truth on its head. By the way which culture or better still, whose culture are you talking about? Adamawa is diverse and multi-cultural.
Lastly I understand you got so reckless and emotional that you made some wild statements on radio recently. Statements that accused both APC and PDP of unsubstantiated wrong doings. Accusations whose broadcast in a media house had breached the Broadcast Code. These statements are not necessary or expedient as campaign messaging. Please put the breaks and avoid such wild statements. Just note that there is life after campaigns and elections.
Just a piece of brotherly advice.
