From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Sen Smart Adeyemi has been called upon to first redeem his image with his mother Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) before aspiring to lead Kogi people as Governor in 2023
Mr Tims Ejigah, former NUJ Vice President, Zone D, made the declaration on Saturday in a chat with journalists at the NUJ secretariat in Lokoja,
Ejigah has described Adeyemi, the lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, as a politician with a “character baggage”, who might not easily win election for any political party.
The Former VP, who was one of Adeyemi’s closest allies during his days as NUJ President and all through the time he began his journey into national politics, disclosed that the Senator had the habit of using and dumping those who assist him to rise to fame.
“If you check round you will descover that the senator has no positive records with the NUJ that he served as President for two terms.
“Some of us are very surprised that Adeyemi had joined the Kogi Governorship race because if elections were to be conducted today, and only journalists were to vote, over 80 per cent would vote against the senator.
“This is more reason why I’m admonishing him to retrace his steps and ensure that he starts by redeeming his image within his NUJ family before thinking of governing Kogi.
“The most unfortunate thing about Smart Adeyemi is that he uses, dumps helpers and he can’t win election for any party,” he said.
The veteran journalist, who asked Adeyemi to mend his ways before aspiring for governorship, regretted that he (Adeyemi) was in the habit of drinking palm wine and breaking the keg without any remose.
According to him, the senator would only be wasting the ticket of any political party that makes the mistake of making him their candidate.
“Whichever party he is struggling to get their ticket, he would be wasting that ticket if he emerges candidate. I am not God, but I say this based on his antecedents of use and dump tactics.
“Coming to our profession, if Smart Adeyemi wants journalists, serving, retired or veterans as we call ourselves, to vote for him for anything, he cannot have majority of votes.
“Every Journalist in the country knows my loyalty and support for him. I want to say without any fear of contradiction that our former president (Adeyemi) is not the type that keeps relationships.
“You would remember the various campaigns of calumny by Smart Adeyemi against Audu in the very eyes of the man before he died, calling him emperor and all. How would you do a thing like that for someone that you benefitted from very well.
“You would also recall how the current administration of (Governor) Yahaya Bello of APC recruited him from the PDP and gave him a third term in the Senate. Are they still singing Hosanna?”
“Narrowing down to the media profession, the veteran journalist noted, “He (Adeyemi) has no signature in our secretariat.
“I remember anytime he wants to do anything, he runs here to mobilise our colleagues and when I watch you, I laugh. Point blank, I expected that what Mohammed Garba has done in Kano, he should have been the first person to do it.
“Mohammed Garba, former President of NUJ, two terms like himself, has a plaza to the glory of Kano NUJ. This man (Adeyemi) has no kitchenette here. I don’t think NUJ members in Kogi State, practising or retired, would give him support in what he is looking for. Charity, they say, begins at home.
“Everywhere you go, you see the signatures of past presidents in their local councils. You would see a state assembly legislator’s project in the Oyo State Secretariat and so on. Where is that of our former president? An illustrious son of Kogi State?”
“If per adventure, he gets the ticket of APC, it would be an exercise in futility. I’m not God,” he reiterated.