"I don't know what's going to happen on the 11th of March, 2023. But what I do know is that we can begin a movement today that would positively change the course of things, irrespective of the outcome of the elections".

That statement was made by me some days ago in a political meeting. The 11th of March, 2023, is the gubernatorial election in most states in my country. It would be coupled with the House of Assembly elections where my friend, Comrade Emem Ette-essien Eduok, is vying for a seat.

He's about my age grade. If you're familiar with the political scene in my country, Nigeria, you'll know that he's quite young. The odds are against us, but we are willing to do everything, even if it's beyond our power, to ensure that we chart a new course beyond 2023.

It's a movement. We've begun. Join us. I will share our campaign handles in a subsequent post for you to follow.

Here is a speech I drafted for him.

DECLARATION SPEECH

I have a mandate that is solely anchored on God, whose word happens to be my greatest source of inspiration. It is on that premise that I learned the quality of a good leader. A good leader must be one who can identify with and relate to the plight of his people. A leader must be a person who has felt the kind of pain felt by the average person.

Over the years, we've lacked such leadership in the land of Ibesikpo Asutan. Carefully examine our present leaders and the candidates presented to you by the popular political parties to represent you in the Akwa-Ibom State House of Assembly come 2023; who among them is a layman whose strength is only in God and the goodwill of his people?

If you are to be honest with yourself, you would say "none." That is because they all have godfathers and political jaggernauts they rely on. Those people are not interested in you. They lack the capacity and ability to show empathy. How can they be empathetic when they do not understand our struggles? Only the person who wears the shoes knows where the shoes pinch.

Today, I present myself to you as a man who is in no respect different from an average son or daughter of Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area. You are free to scan me in and out. Is there any disparity between you and me? Am I different from your next-door neighbor?

Between a man who shares your characteristics and the one who is above you by all indexes, tell me, who understands your plight better? Who is more relatable?

The truth can not be hidden. Choose the truth and free yourself from age-long slavery.

Over the years, Ibesikpo Asutan has run a government that only benefits a few elites, while crumbs are left for a small number of commoners. Most of us don't even see crumbs.
What have you benefited from the person representing you in the Akwa-Ibom state House of Assembly? 99.9% of us have nothing to show for having a representative.

That is strange because a document I culled from the official websites of both the Akwa-Ibom state government and the Akwa-Ibom state House of Assembly confirms that an average of 10 billion naira is budgeted for the Akwa-Ibom State House of Assembly annually. A big chunk of that money does end up in the hands of your representative. Part of it is for your well-being. It is, however, sad that we cannot point to any project or innovation initiated by either our past or present House members.

Today we have a choice: to either remain in our gloomy and doomy state or to change the narrative.

I, Comrade Emem Ette-essien Eduok (CEE), have decided to put myself forward and run for a seat in the Akwa-Ibom State House of Assembly come 2023 on the platform of the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP). You have the choice to make your voice heard through me.

In the words of Charles de Gaulle, "Politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians." We cannot afford to leave politics in the hands of those who know nothing about our problems.

My project is tagged "Ubokabasi." It is solely hinged on God and the goodwill of my people. I invite you to join me and build what is lacking in our political sector. My creed is accountability, inclusiveness, and transparency (AIT). If you want a government you will be a part of, then this is your project.

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MY MANIFESTO

My manifesto is anchored on three factors—education, skills, and wealth creation.

Education

I will provide scholarships and learning aids to at least 100,000 youth in the Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area.

Skill Development

• I will partner with top-rated tech firms to equip youths with high-demand skills that are relevant in the global market.

• I will mine local talents in sports through organizing sports events, with the intent of giving them global recognition.

The creation of wealth

• I will partner with financial institutions to give grants and soft loans to business owners.

• I will make laws that would cause small and medium-scale businesses to thrive in the community.

(The nitty-gritty of the manifesto would be published in another document and made available to the public.)

To assure you that this is not one of those false promises, by December this year, I will host the Comrade Ette-Essien Eduok football competition (CEE competition).

This is not about me; this is about us. This is about the young. This is about the old. This is about the commoners. This is about the children. This is about all the sons and daughters of Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area. This is about our collective interest.

𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ?

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PS:All the images are pictures of the said friend who's contesting election, and was taken by another friend of mine, @emoz pix.

I'm using using it with their permission