Kola Abiola: A son emerges

I have just heard that my friend and brother Kola Abiola has emerged as the presidential candidate for the PRP with over 2,000 votes eclipsing the second person who came in with about 800 votes.

Now, for me, this remains historic. Apart from replicating his late illustrious dad’s momentous achievement, I want to believe that this is the first father/son combo in our nation’s history.

What does Kola bring to the table, you may ask? My thinking is that his PRP is well-positioned to provide a strategic third leg in this race.

With socialists’ historical leanings, the PRP has always attracted what I want to call the retail mass followership in our polity and it is by no mistake that Mr Abiola is choosing this vehicle to actualise his vision for our country.

After playing very critical and strategic roles in the massive campaign that threw up the adjudged freest and fairest election ever, one will begin to see the deliberate adoption of some of the strategies deployed during those days.

A deliberate push towards the retail space was something his father did to devastating effect. Using philanthropy, great wit and leveraging on sectors of mass following like sports, entertainment and chieftaincy titles including polygamy he was able to move against the establishment and pull out mass followership that toppled the order of the day.

Kola, in a different style, is also going against the system and aiming directly at the masses.

He is using technology, a direct interface with the masses, and a platform that has historical ties to the people to achieve the same thing his father achieved in those heady days with less stress.

Not as colourful or as charismatic as his father, he, however, brings to the table certain energy that is deep and seriously engaging.

He aims for your intellect, pushing at your deep desire to make a sustainable change, and allows you to make up your mind by saying, just go get your PVC.

His message is clear; even if you do not want to vote for me, just go make a statement with your one vote.

It’s looking like his message has started resonating with this huge win at the primaries.

His campaign is beginning to look like a category five storm, which builds up very slowly. You see it coming, and at first, you ignore it, and then it keeps gathering strength, and before you realise it, it slams at you with the ferocity that you could never have imagined.

The consistency of his message, and the expert leveraging of technology to build a growing and solid base, continue to build confidence within his fold that a major impact would be made this time.

The downside to all these is his almost strict refusal to open up compressively on the issues of June 12. Pre and post, and this for me is a dark spot

Nigerians have adopted June 12 as a mantra. It was our war cry, and it continues to delineate our engagement with the polity, guiding discussion, and positions.

Kola was central and must tell us all if he wants to be taken seriously. His role has to be clearly and openly defined so that we can all truly see the true Kola.

Kola has come of age. He has grown in stature and has come round to deserve a seat on the national table for discussion.

He deserves it, has worked for it, and has suffered for it, and it’s looking like a large swath of youths truly feel that he should be given a chance to right things in our country.

I agree with them in a subtle endorsement of his goal but wait to see the ferocious aggression needed from his camp if he is to have a prayer.

I believe in him and do really think that Kola must be heard if we are to begin the long and arduous task of turning this country around.

We watch, lighting just might strike.