Senator Francis Alimikhena, The People’s Political Bride
The Oasis Reporters
October 13, 2022
By Benjamin Atu
Call Senator Francis Alimikhena the most – sought after political bride of Edo State, and you will definitely be correct.
His presence in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has brought a breath of fresh air into the Party in Edo North and in the State.
He has made himself the rallying point of all political activities with massive political realignment characterized with the daily defection of members of the APC in Edo North into the PDP due to the towering and acceptable nature of the Oracle of Development. Indeed, PDP has never had it so good and more are yet to come.
Unlike others who fall on a vertiginous sliding scale of human behavior, Senator Francis Alimikhena has portrayed himself as one of the most decent Nigerians. Not only is Senator Francis Alimikhena not like other Senators, he is not like anyone most of us have ever known since the inception of democracy in Nigeria. Hence, everyone who has been close to him, feels compelled to try to explain him in their own peculiar ways just like an elephant with many parts, which can only be explained by personal experience. He is more exposed than many other Senators in our district, but yet remains more humble.
Senator Francis Alimikhena, the beautiful political bride of Edo North with unusual developmental abilities not common among men. His magnetic personality has made powerful political leaders across various political parties to rove around him in their determination to ensure his return to the Senate. He that is good will surely become better.
The electoral worth and value of Senator Francis Alimikhena is such that he could even win an election without campaigning due to his heart of flesh as a father figure and his compassion for humanity.
Born with multiple geniuses with the fear of God and heart of benevolence, he has never traded away what belongs to the good people of Edo North.
An intelligent child should be encouraged to do more rather than seeking for an avenue to remove an intelligent child from school as a punishment for being intelligent. Developmental challenges that seem insurmountable to previous Senators have all bowed to the passion and efforts of Senator Alimikhena as a jinx breaker.
He demonstrated that he was a jinx breaker when he alone emerged as the only elected APC Senator in the entire South-South geo-political zone in the 2015 general election. His record-breaking victory has been the first of his kind in any ruling party since the inception of democracy in Nigeria. He went further to break another jinx by emerging as a second term Senator due to his record-breaking performance and legislative benchmark of his first tenure in office.
Again, he has broken another jinx as the Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election. He has brought his winning streak into the PDP to show the party the winning ways and consummate re-election as a record breaking Senator.
Since the inception of democracy in 1999, no other Senator in the history of Edo North has performed enough to secure the backing and support of the masses to seek re-election for a third term. This goes to show that the incumbent Senator has given value to the people and brought government closer to those that needed government the most, through his bottom up developmental approach.
Senator Francis Alimikhena has been firm and true to himself by pursuing patriotic cooperation across party lines in ensuring growth and development of Edo North. He has served all the people of Edo North irrespective of political affiliation and that is one thing working for him today.
So diligent has Senator Francis Alimikhena been in sowing good seeds, while others were sowing tares. That is among the reasons the people of Edo North are finding it difficult to find any space or ground and vacuum in Senatorial representation that require someone else to occupy.
The acts of Senator Francis Alimikhena in ameliorating the suffering of the downtrodden are evident in the daily conversation of residents of Edo North across the six local government areas. Just like water, whether it is the dew of heaven, or the springs of the earth, doth scatter itself in the ground, so has Senator Francis scattered his presence via human capital, infrastructural and other developmental projects across Edo North.
For if men judge that representation should be evaluated by performance, they judge righteously because Senator Francis Alimikhena has exceeded expectations. As a fruit-bearing tree which should not be pulled down, so also Senator Francis Alimikhena cannot be removed being a forest of one tree that has reproduced great leaders.
“If you will have a tree bear more fruits than it used to bear; the way to achieve it is not to kill the tree, but to fortify its roots and provide it with the necessary sinews to have the tree bear better fruits for the benefit of the beneficiaries.
Political leaders plant trees, which are usually watered by political supporters. However, the day a leader seems not to need the service of the waterers, all his efforts will yield no outcome. I wish Oshiomhole were reading.
There are endless portions of history which Senator Francis Alimikhena has made, which cannot be forgotten. He has demonstrated that he indeed got what it takes to make a great Senator. In Spite of the heap of praise, he has been steadfast. The applause of the masses has still not been able to mislead him unlike those whom the applause of the people have made to go mad.
Benjamin Atu is a Political Analyst. He writes from Benin-City.
