Politics Should Not Be Left To The Older People, Says Dr. Okundaye

…As Oredo Ward 6 Of Labour Party Open Secretariat

By Simeon OSAJIE

Edo State Labour Party leader, Dr. Kingsley Oghogho Okundaye has enjoined Oredo Ward 6 members of Labour Party (LP) to wake up to their responsibility by ensuring that the young generation take their rightful place in the governance and should not allow older people dominate the political leadership of the country.

Dr. Okundaye gave the advised at the newly  Oredo LGA. Ward 6 secretariat of the Labour Party (LP), Benin City, Edo State capital which he was instrumental in acquiring for the party.

Happy with the enthusiastic crowd who were on ground to received him, the Labour Party chieftain eulogized the leadership quality of  Ward 6, Chairman and other members of the executive and enjoined them to keep up the spirit so as to change the much needed narratives in Nigeria politics.

According to Dr. Okundaye, “When  I look at the leadership we have in Oredo Ward 6 of Labour Party, I see the feature of Nigeria, I see the future of the state, and when people talks about changing the narratives, here is what I considered changing the narratives, doing things differently from the way it was done in the past.

“Politics should not be led by  the older people. I have taken special interest in politics of late as I abandoned politics for many years for some personal reasons, but when I saw the movement – the Obidient Movement; when I saw the vibrant movement, and when I saw the interest that was generated by the Obidient Movement, I felt that there is need to be a part of that movement. 

“I was first a Obidient person before I became a member of the Labour Party. I am one of the people who started the Obidient Movement globally. That movement went on to support the presidential race, the senate race in some state including our state – Edo, and I personally supported some of the senatorial as well as house of representatives and house of assembly  candidates. Some of the candidates were successful and some were not successful, But even the level of successes we have achieved, it thus be the case that we have something to build upon. 

“When I look around and see someone like the Ward 6 Chairman who is young and vibrant, it gives me hope that indeed what I cherished more, which is to identify with the dream and the aspiration of the people can  be achieved in not too long distance.

“I came here today to know you better, to know you more, I came here today so that we can form an association; form a relationship, because in real sense, you have showed kindness in terms of what I read in your Whatsapp platform – you people have identified with the things I have developed interest in, and so today, I decided to come in here to say thank you for all the warm greetings that I have received. Thank you for all the reception that I have received, thank you for all the identification of that which we can build upon together.”

Going further, Dr. Kingsley Oghogho Okundaye opined that the party has some success during the last elections, and the future is still far from where it ought to be, but the work start now.

“We cannot relent, we cannot waste any more time, and we must begin to build on that which we have achieved. And to sustain that, it will take what I call ‘identify with an ideology, a philosophy’,  that will tell everyone that we can do better. Things don’t have to be the way they are. When you look around  you see strength, when you look around, you see enthusiasm to do better. We must now harness those enthusiasm, we must now harness those individuals’ skills and talents and come to bear that collective goal of making Nigeria and Edo state specifically a better place.

“If you must succeed in politics, you must have a base, and your base must be local. So, I am identifying with what has worked in the past, I am identifying with what I know would work.  This is my base, I came to identify with my base, and most of the things that I have done in the past has always been to empower the base, because with the base we can build the party up. The emphasis has to always be and should continue to be, building up the party, fund the base up, and that is what we are doing, and that is what is going to ensure the success of Labour Party in this state and national,” he concluded.

Speaking earlier, Chairman of Oredo Ward 6 of Labour Party, Mr. Festus Ehizogie thanked the great contribution Dr. Kingsley Oghogho Okundaye has rendered to Ward 6 of the party in particular and Edo State in general and pray to God Almighty to continue to gives him the enablement so as to continue to which is good for the party.

According to Ehizogie, “With the immense contributions from Dr. Okundaye to  Labour Party, we were able to produce a senator from Edo South Senatorial District as well as a member in the incoming Edo State House of Assembly.”