WITH A HEART OF GRATITUDE

My People 

I am delighted to once again, appreciate you deeply for your support, during my campaign for the just concluded Sénatorial election. May Almighty God who saw the roles you played individually in the secret, reward you openly abundantly in Jesus mighty name.

For several years, I was unresponsive to the inner prompting to step forward and help get Ogun State, most especially Ogun East fixed because I believed politics is dirty. It was in 2001 that I finally lost the strength of refusal and said YES to the call of Political Apostleship. I humbly assure you therefore that I didn't run for Senate in Ogun East just as an ambition but a burning desire to be part of Change Process. 

The level of underdevelopment and poor leadership in Ogun State is abysmal and my wealth of knowledge, state of heart, sense of purpose and deep understanding of the problems and the solutions tormented me to step forward and lead the way in addressing these issues. The primary reason I ran was to be the difference that will inspire other Nigerians to be the difference our country so badly needs, in the area of leadership and good governance. 

This particular election expanded my understanding why our country continues to grapple with the same problems for over 62 years. People's consciences were up for sale for as little as a packet of plantain crisps and a bottle of coke. Some were comfortable with N200 as a reward for their votes.

I saw from a vantage position, as a contestant that good people may never win elections in Nigeria because the sentiments that rule deeply in the hearts and minds of most Nigerians may successfully obstruct their emergence.  As human beings, many times, the connection between us and our sentiments make us take decisions that are not in the best interest of community and national development. Decisions that we may later regret in our quiet moments. 

My exposure as a key actor in the 2023 elections  affords me the opportunity to experience betrayal as never before. Your closest friends, families, colleagues and neighbours may only pay lip service support to you and may infact vote against you at the polls because their allegiance is more to their "temporary stomach infrastructure" which I premised on intellectual poverty and myopic political exposure. The need for the emergence of a candidate that is most suitable to drive community, state or national redemption and transformation takes a backstage. 

I saw clearly that this character or behaviour flows from the low level of political education and social intelligence of most Nigerians. 

It also becames clearer to me that if Nigeria will ever become a great nation, all well meaning Nigerians must work hard to help Nigeria turn these weaknesses of low political education and feeble social intelligence to positive strength before 2027. Failure to do that will elongate the sojourn of our great country in the mire of poor leadership and underdevelopment. 

Though we didn't win the election for Senate in Ogun East and will therefore not be able to launch the YESSS AGENDA Project that owed the ace to Ogun East rapid advancement, however, my commitment to promoting development in Ogun State and Nigeria is unwavering. I will double my efforts as a private citizen to serve my nation better through my many community development involvements by the grace of God.

I look forward to the opportunity to continue to connect with you to serve our nation and make her better.  

God bless you. God bless Ogun State. God redeem Nigeria.

Engr. Adewale Adenaike PhD

SDP Senatorial Candidate, Ogun East 2023