Jide is a lecturer at the famed Pan African University, a famous Compere, a Printer and a very influential media personality
Jide is sophisticated, composed, and very clear.
He is young, engaging, cerebral and a down-to-earth surulere boy
Jide grew up at the famous Myoung Barracks in Yaba to a soldier father and attended the super brilliant Command Secondary School where the virtues of discipline, integrity and passion for country were beaten into him with the horse whips the soldiers wielded so eagerly.
Today, Jide wants to be the Chairman of Surulere Local Government
This is like going into the lion’s den in towels and peacock feathers as armour
Surulere is under the stranglehold of Femi Gbajabimila whose foot soldier Desmond Elliot roves around with saliva dribbling from his mouth, chewing and pushing down opposition
How will Jide stand a chance when all he has is a strong command of English, a pure sense of purpose and true love for his people
The currency of trade in Surulere is not those things.
The currency of understanding in that part and indeed in almost all of the country is more sinister and dark and in those areas, Desmond and his ragtag army remain kings.
Another challenge Jide will be facing is the seeming monarchical, pseudo-hereditary power structure that has sene power being consolidated thru biological means.
At first this started in trickles at the beginning of Tinubu’s first term as Governor but has now matured full-blown with sons and daughters of our emperors holding down almost all sensitive positions in the state
From father to son, wife to girlfriend, to cousin, Lagos is now facing a different kind of capture – Filial hegemony
Father is a Minister, son is a Commissioner. Father is a Party Executive, daughter is the Local Government chairman.
Father is the official Musician to the President, daughter is SSA.
How will Jide, a son of a late soldier with all his capacity even stand a chance and nowhere else but in Surulere the core of the power base after Lagos Island
A cursory drive around Surulere and you will see that the place is dead.
The movement of the Federal Capital out of Lagos more than hit it.
Infractural decay now became its lot. The National Stadium is the perfect example.
The place is a ghost town. Leveraging itself to beer parlours, mobile brothels and an excercise grounds for fitness enthusiasts
The macro economic malaise has also left the companies that used to flock the Iganmu /Babs Animashaun axis desolate limiting their powerful intervention capacities
A lot have folded up, throwing up unemployment, crime and youth lethargy
The huge malls now look like a scene from Michael Jackson thriller, the beautiful Adeniran Ogunsanya boulevared is now littered with business operating at less dn 20% capacity
Gbaja is the only force of economic intervention one can see very clearly as all you see as you saunter thru surulere are giant billboards with his face and scraggy beards announcing one bore hole or excercise book distribution initiative or the other.
It is safe to say that Gbaja is the only economic force in Surulere with his micro economic engagements.
He is closely followed by the Redeemed Church and their food sharing and medical outreach
Local governance is all but invicible with people not feeling the effect as manpower leadership at that level is more of patronising reward schemes of party men with loyalty being the main criteria of choice rather than competence
It is in these turbulence, gentleman Jide Benson has thrown his towel using the PDP platform.
What are his chances – next to zero if i am going to be a true friend.
He doesn’t understand the use of violence as political strategy, he doesn’t understand the complex gang nature nor the influence of frail old men nor the ‘juju’ or secret oaths needed
He will just be walking like a pretty duckling in a carefree manner across a mine field
But tarry, Ducks have walked across minefields and have emerged safely on the other side
Peter Obis Labour Party did it in the last Presidential elections.
Michael Otedola won elections in this same Lagos and politics have recorded upsets world over
Jide will rely on a miracle and not the Liquid metal variant but the type that Jesus used two fishes to feed 5,000.
In fact with the way Gbaja and his people have tied down surulere and the level of desolation and zombifying of the people, Jide would need a miracle the magnitude of Jesus waking from the dead to even have a prayer.
Here is me wishing him the very best in prayers as he attempts a Tsunami that would, if he succeeds bring down the Goliath that controls the soul of Lagos
Jide after it all, let’s come and eat Afang and wash it down with palm wine and be happy that you stood as a man unlije the rest if us who remain cowardly commentators.
God is with you my brother
God speed my brother
Duke of Shomolu