2023: Harvest Of Endorsement For Shagaya

By Yusuf Mutiu Olaitan

Every political season comes with an endorsement from different kinds of individuals, groups, people, organizations, associations, sects, and movements. No political era or season will be completed without various endorsements from different outfits. Obviously, every endorsement comes with its reason(s), some, for monetary incentive, some, for party allegiance, many, for bandwagons, and a lot, for political correctness, while very few, for the prosperous of the constituency, state, or country as the case may be.

A look around will tell you how many political candidates are getting endorsed by people of worthy character, and of course, people of tarnished and battered image. As they say, all is needed in politics. It's now an onus as a people to assess all those who are endorsing each candidate and do to ourselves a great deal of scrutinizing the personalities of the "Endorsees" and "Endorsers". Are the people endorsing candidates worth their mettles? Are the candidates they are endorsing worthy of our support? These are the genuine questions we should ask while selecting the people to represent our constituency, state, and/or state.

Sometimes around January 2020, one of the greatest Basketball players, the late Kobe Bryant spoke about how two-time world Footballer of the year and former World cup winner, Ronaldinho recommended Lionel Messi to him, "Ronaldinho, who was a good friend, I was talking with him and he told me, ‘Kobe, look I’m going to introduce you to the guy who is going to be the greatest player of all time.’“I said, ‘You what? You are the best.’“But he said, ‘No, no. This kid right here is going to be the best.’“And that guy was Lionel Messi, who was only 17.”  

Kobe Bryant recalled how Ronaldinho endorsed Lionel Messi who went on to become one of the greatest footballers in the history of the game to him. This narration is the exact situation of what the good people of Ilorin West/Asa are currently experiencing with the candidature of Mallam Muktar Tolani Shagaya of the APC. 

Over the past months, people of impeccable character have endorsed Mallam Muktar Tolani Shagaya as that person who's worthy to represent the good people of Ilorin West and Asa at the Green Chamber in Abuja. Notable amongst those people are Senator Kashim Shettima who's the Vice Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, the Former Governor of the CBN, and the 14th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Now, you take a look at these two people out of many brilliant individuals who have endorsed the candidature of Mallam Shagaya, and you find out that Muktar is the deal and the way. A practical illustration of what to expect from any project that has the touch of Senator Kashim Shettima is what the people of Borno are enjoying in Prof. Babagana Zulum. Professor Zulum is one of the best Governors Nigeria has ever had, and for posterity's sake, his ascension to the seat of orders can't ever be taken away from Senator Shettima who identified his deftness, endorsed his candidature and gave him a proper support.

Talk of brilliance, sound ideas, perfect submissions, and provision of solutions to the seeming problems of our country, there are very few Nigerians who can compete with the 14th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; and if a candidate in Nigeria's political circus is openly supported by such an enigma, obviously, such person is worthy of every support he can get from the populace.

The endorsement from outside the constituency Mallam Muktar Tolani Shagaya wants to represent is overwhelming and that didn't stop the members of his constituency from supporting one of their own. Someone who the constituents see as their own image; and that's why all the fifty-two (52) All Progressives Congress Zonal Chairmen of Magaji Ngeri ward of Ilorin West passed to him oodles of confidence as the candidate for the masses. 

As a proud local and homeboy, Mallam Muktar Tolani Shagaya himself walked up to our Royal fathers in Ilorin West to seek their blessings, and Baloguns Alanamu,  Ajikobi, and Magaji Ajia Saka Saka embraced him with prayers, while they assured him of their support as he's a man of honor, respect, development, and heritage.

In Kwara state and Nigeria as a whole, there are groups or associations who are driving force in their own circles. Notable amongst them are the Music Advertisement Association of Nigeria (MAAN) Kwara State Chaper, Bread Bakers of Nigeria, Kwara State Chapter and the host of numerous others. May I tell you Mallam Muktar Shagaya has enjoyed another endorsement from these associations. 

As a constituent, you now look at Mallam Muktar Tolani Shagaya and imagine to yourself if he's coming in to represent the whole of Nigeria and not just the people of Ilorin West and Asa Federal constituency; and I said to you, yes! You're correct. Mallam Muktar Shagaya is for the whole of the country. He's a youth with the qualities of hundreds of men; you speak of his adjudicating prowess; coherent and oratory skills; innovative thinking; integrity personified; academically savvy; internationally exposed; and of course, digitally inclined.  A candidate should not be blessed with all of these and not have his deserved endorsement from the people. I trust the people of Ilorin West and Asa Federal constituency, they only endorsed people as qualified as Mallam Muktar Tolani Shagaya, and I, as a bonafide Ilorin West boy, am seizing this auspicious moment to endorse Mallam Muktar Tolani Shagaya as the next representative of my constituency. 

As "Omo ogbon" that you all are, are you not going to join me to endorse the man to fix our constituency?!