I admit from the outset that I can no longer recall who the author of the undated quote I am about to paraphrase here for the sake of this important intervention for the people of Okitipupa Constituency One in Ondo State.
Nevertheless, the paraphrased quote is quite critical to the essence of this essay as it encapsulates, without saying, the very subject matter of the intervention -Christoper Odunayo Ayebusiwa -on his ambition to represent the good people of Okitipupa Constituency One on the platform of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in 2023.
With my plead for intellectual right imitation over, I proceed with the saying which goes thus: to serve the people, you must live with them, eat with them, sleep with them, empathize with them and have a pulse of what they feel all the time for this is the best way to know what the issues and challenges confronting them are and the possible solutions that could be provided to ameliorate the problems so identified.
Except for outsiders and mischievous cynics, no one in the Constituency does not know that Chris, among the coterie of candidates jostling to be elected the lawmaker to represent the zone in 2023, is the one who essentially typifies the aforementioned quote. And this is because he is the most conversant with the problems of the Constituency and what can be done through impactful legislation and lobbying to remediate the problems and set the constituency on the path of sustainable development, which has long been missing due to pitiable leadership over the years.
His emergence, against all odds, which were quite formidable and intimidating, as the candidate of the APC ahead of the state assembly election in 2023 speaks to the constituency-wide popularity he enjoys among the locals among whom were the delegates in the just concluded APC primaries coupled with the acceptance of his aspiration by the majority of the leadership of the party save for some minor dissent which is expected where interests are concerned.
The fact that Chris is a community-oriented upwardly mobile politician is never in doubt. It is also never in doubt that he understands the functions and responsibilities of a lawmaker within the complexity of power structure hence why he has thrown his hat into the ring. He also has extensive networks within and outside government that he will leverage to attract meaningful projects to the constituency if elected in 2023.
But then, Chris did not just happen to us. He has a noble heritage and an ennobling ancestry which qualify him to be described fittingly as a son of the soil.
The man of the moment was born on December 26, 1979, to the noble family of Dr Joseph ‘Tayo Ayebusiwa and Mrs Mabel Olayinka Ayebusiwa (both deceased) in Igo-Aduwo quarters, Ilutitun, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State and was christened from birth as Christopher Odunayo Ayebusiwa.
Just as it is an immutable tradition in the family that everyone must be reasonably educated as the patriarch of the family inculcated in his kids that education is the pathway to success which is the headway to power and influence, Chris, too, never deviated from this time-honoured tradition.
After his elementary education, Chris proceeded to the Lagos State University where he bagged a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration. Like the eponymous character of Charles Dicken’s popular novel, Oliver Twist, who will always ask for more, Chris’ quest for elevated education will in no distant time culminate in him having a postgraduate degree in addition to his Bsc.
Unlike in the past where some came into political leadership either by appointment or election without commensurate experience, Chris has over a decade of administrative work experience and is currently into construction, information technology(IT) and large-scale farming within the private sector business ecosystem of the country.
If you see Chris as a people person, affable and non-discriminatory, look no farther. They are traits he picked up early in life growing up in a relatively large family his late father had, from where he smartly cultivated comradeship, sociability and effective leadership traits. This rich background has therefore rubbed off significantly on his outlook on life.
For Chris, effective leadership is a creed that is very key to achieving improved status in all of life’s facets, even in political circles, a value that he holds firmly onto as a seasoned and practical democrat, and which underlines his popularity with constituents, particularly the youth.
He is an incurable community lover, leader and believer who is particularly driven by his penchant for youth empowerment, support for the women and aged, and of course, the general well-being of his constituency. He has never been distant from the constituency and has to a large extent never shied away from meeting the needs of some of the constituents even as a private sector person to the best of his abilities.
Needless to say that the man we are about to send to the Ondo State House of Assembly is a fantastic family man with a blissful marriage and wonderful children who enjoys travelling, gardening and athletic activities.
The foregoing is just a brief synopsis of who the APC candidate is. Going forward, in the coming days, weeks and months, there will be proper distilling of his manifestos, policy statements and whatnots for the constituents to have a proper understanding of what he will do if elected and the imperativeness of electing him because he has the requisite capacity and pedigree to meet the expectations of the constituency and even surpass them within a given time frame if given the mandate.
Torbah Ben, a good governance advocate, lives in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.