Every astute politician and political party know the importance of goodwill to get votes from of the electorate.
Goodwill is the established reputation of an entity. It is regarded as a quantifiable asset and calculated as part of the value of said entity.
Money can’t buy goodwill. It is earned through good character, excellent performance or service delivery over a period of time.
No political party can win any election by just the votes of its party members, without attracting the goodwill of strategic constituencies within the electorate.
The goodwill of the working class, pensioners, students, religious circles, the diaspora community, business constituencies amongst others, are a must to seek.
These constituencies are very discerning of the true state of the affairs of the State because they are directly or indirectly impacted by the policies and performance of the government.
The All Progressives Congress (A. P. C.) may not understand, or may be in denial concerning the fact that their actions at the Oba’s palace last Saturday have further dwindled the amount of goodwill of the electorate towards them for the September 19 elections?
The said event at the Oba’s palace was a People’s Democratic Party’s event. The A. P. C. had no business in the palace but chose to gate crash a lawful event of the P. D. P, at such sacred grounds.
While Pastor Ize Iyamu and Adams Oshomole were on their knees pleading for support from the company of the Enogies of the Benin kingdom, their over zealous supporters were undoing their work by gate crashing the palace of our esteemed Oba.
Should the boldness of Pastor Ize Iyamu’s supporters to act in such a crazy manner not be placed on his shoulders?
One would have thought that as a Pastor, his entry into the political arena would have raised the bar.
In a game that is played in a dirty way, we need more people with integrity and a different approach to clean the arena that has been dominated by politicasters; pretenders to what politics truly is.
Pastor Ize Iyamu as a man of God must shine the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ to sanctify the way politics is done, but so far he has not lived up to what is expected of him as a man of God.
Pastor Ize Iyamu has never publicly rebuked his supporters who rain abuses on His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The bible says those in authority are ministers of God. For Pastor Ize Iyamu to allow his supporters to insult the seating Governor of his home state on a regular basis is, to say the least, shameful and brings the name of the Lord into disrepute. The silence of Pastor Ize Iyamu to the unruly behavior of his supporters and their disrespect to constituted authority in Edo state is reminiscent of the days when agberos reined lawlessly on the people of Edo State. Does Pastor Ize Iyamu want to take us backwards when he should be leading by example as a man of God in promoting peace and harmony in the political arena?
I am forced to ask, is Pastor Ize Iyamu willing to do politics at the expense of his soul? What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Is it worth it?
Pastor Ize Iyamu’s supporters are intimidating people who don’t support him and this is not good for his reputation as a Pastor.
Another shocking thing that beats the imagination of all onlookers is the way the Pastors that support Pastor Ize Iyamu dismiss and abuse other pastors who are not supporting their friend.
The Lord Himself respects the free will He gave to men. Why do Pastor Ize Iyamu’s pastoral supporters not respect the choice of other pastors to support Governor Godwin Obaseki?
The real loser from the unnecessary provocation at the Oba’s palace by A. P. C. Was Pastor Ize Iyamu’s candidacy .
The goodwill the Pastor desperately needs at the polls was further diminished because it was clear to everyone that his supporters have resorted to violence to prove a point because they are not being restrained by their leader.
In a video currently trending on social media, Pastor Ize Iyamu is seen in the company of some men who were introduced to him by Tony Kabaka as lions and tigers from various local government areas of Edo state.
One of the men who spoke on behalf of the group told the audience how they must go from polling station to polling Station during the election. Are you not supposed to vote at only one polling station? Is it not only accredited INEC officials whi ought to go from station to station un order to observe the fairness of the process?
One may be forgiven for assuming that this came across as a planning meeting to rig the elections. If so , it is troubling that Pastor Ize Iyamu was physically present at the meeting.
Do such videos inspire the confidence of the Edo people to vote for Pastor Ize Iyamu in the September 19th elections?
Are these people seen with Pastor Ize Iyamu not hell bent on fermenting trouble for this coming elections?
Is the ambition of Pastor Ize Iyamu worth the blood and death of the Edo people?
A believer in Christ or a Pastor for that matter should be an agent of law and order and not an agent of disorder.
Another critical question one may ask is, does the presence of Adams Oshomole add real value to the goodwill of Pastor Ize Iyamu’s campaign?
Adams Oshomole’s presence with Pastor Ize Iyamu on the campaign trail is a minus to the capital of goodwill because the former National chairman has lost the good will he once enjoyed from the people of Edo State.
Apart from members of the A.P.C. Who are supporters of Pastor Ize Iyamu, are there any right thinking people in Edo state who will listen to the chameleon, Adams Oshomole? He can kneel from street to street across Edo state, it will only continue to be regarded as a mockery of a man who thought he could play god in this election.
Pastor Ize Iyamu should remember that the Lord God resists the proud and the man leading the campaign for him, Adams Oshomole is the epitome of pride.
The arrogance of the former national chairman of the A. P. C. was such that he once said the now dissolved National Working Committee of the A. P. C. was the Supreme Court and did as he pleased but he was shamed out of office even before he could clock two years as A.P.C National Chair.
Only God knows tomorrow. Should it please God in another time and season to allow Pastor Ize Iyamu to take a true shot at the office of the Governor, would he not have damaged his brand so much with the kinds of people he surrounds himself with coupled with the actions of his supporters today so that he will not be able to get the goodwill of the people of Edo State.
Pastor Ize Iyamu should rethink his approach to the political world; its not a do or die affair.
Will the real Pastor Ize Iyamu please stand up or should we wait for another who will come in the name of the Lord with the values of godliness and fruits of righteousness to advance the frontiers of the kingdom of God on the political mountain?
This piece was written by John Osa,
Executive Director,
The Rebirth of Africa House
On Twitter
@therealjohnosa
