By Christopher Okonkwo

As the road to 2023 gathers momentum, every patriot needs to lend a hand to who succeeds Hon. Obinna Chidoka is among the throng of aspirants who have so far declared their interest in the race across the three dominant political parties – the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Labour Party (LP)

Of all the contenders and pretenders who have so far declared, it’s pertinent to say without equivocation that Hon. Uche Harris Okonkwo, stands shoulders high, above every other aspirant in terms of the sterner stuff he is made up of, coupled with his illustrious pedigree and intimidating credentials.

Although there are more than one thousand reasons Okonkwo should be elected our representative for Idemili North and South, here are five of the foremost reasons in no particular order of importance.

He is highly cerebral:

At the risk of sounding immodest, it’s safe to say that Okonkwo remains the most cerebral of the aspirants jostling to succeed Chidoka

You may be wondering what being cerebral has to do with governance. Well, while about 25 per cent of governance is about the political will of the leader to perform, the rest 75 per cent of his actions or inactions are a product of his mental capacity.

For quite a while, Idemili has been yearning for a philosopher-king to take over the mantle of leadership of the federal constituency. Right here before our very eyes, nature, nurture and providence have catapulted Okonkwo to this realm for us to choose him as our next representative.

He is visionary

A nation without a national vision is dead or bound to wither off with time. It follows therefore that electing a visionary representative will automatically mean that he’ll map out a vision and mission for the constituency which will be executed with precision for the benefit of all.

Any representative with no vision of what he wants to do in office will leave behind a legacy of failure and woes as his parting gift to the constituency. Okonkwo is visionary and that vision will be translated into the collective good of the people of Idemili if elected as their representative come 2023.

His high power of articulation

Have you listened to hon. Okonkwo speak either prepared or impromptu? You will be amazed at his uber power of articulation which is a necessary skill in multi-levelled negotiations. It’s also a necessary tool for group persuasion, crowd control, and management. Every 21st century must aspire to have this skill which Hon. Uche Okonkwo has in abundance.

His undiluted integrity

Idemili cannot afford not to have a representative whose integrity is questionable. For Okonkwo, nothing is hidden about him. He’s an open book, available to be read by whoever is willing to do so. He is also a man of his word as his words are his bond. At a time when such a time-honoured value is missing among leaders, Idemili will be blessed to have a representative who is integrity-personified.

His agility

Although the job of the representative is not that of a roadside mechanic nor that of a boxer or a wrestler, it is nonetheless a highly demanding job that requires the person to be fit as a fiddle and mental alert 24/7. Those who are conversant with Uche Okonkwo say he is always turbo-charged and restless when it comes to providing leadership that’s critical to nation-building. Call on him by 2 a.m to discuss the ‘state of the constituency ’ with him, you’ll be shocked that he will pick and respond. Leave a letter behind for him, and a few minutes later, you’ll get a response. That’s the sort of character Idemili needs in 2023.

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