By Steve Oni, Ilorin
A Kwara state-born female Presidential Aspirant, Professor Mercy Olufunmilayo Adesanya-Davies, is to contest the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Professor of Language and Communication Arts at the Rivers State University of Education, who made this known in a statement she personally signed and made available to journalists in Ilorin, Kwara state capital, posited that good leadership with sacrificial mind and great concern for the future is what is lacking in the country.
While noting that leadership is an influence relationship between the leaders and the followers determined to achieve shared objectives rather than control and affluence, Adesanya- Davies said leaders should demonstrate certain level of intelligence, discretion, maturity and civility. To her, focus, consistency, loyalty and tenacity should be the watchword and pride of all without selfishness and greed.
She advised the electorate to concentrate on the background, personality, integrity and credibility of the individual contestants or candidates rather than money-politics, ethnicity, religion, gender or even the platform as they choose their candidates.
She disclosed that aside her vision and passion to governance and to building Nigeria, “the decision of the federal government to make all positions open for women aspirants also boosted her interest in the race.”
She added: “I am aspiring to be the next president of Nigeria. I am out to put laughter and joy on the faces of all Nigerians. The tension is getting too much. The agenda is almost fully mapped out. Moreover, we have paid the price in Kwara state as the “State of Harmony” and it is going to happen from the North Central by the grace and mercy of the Almighty God.”
“Nigeria has constitutionally given the opportunity to the Nigerian woman, so all women should see themselves as rescuers of their children and the entire nation. They should be encouraged, bold, courageous to register, come out en-mass to vote and be voted for. Let all women who fear God and know their responsibilities come out to serve the nation. If all women and even our men vote for the women folks, we all know the result. This vision will be achievable!
“Our thanks, first goes to the nation – Nigeria that says the ladies could pick our forms free politically at every level; because Nigeria is confident that the current challenges in the country can only be tackled by the women.
“My plan is an “Advanced Agenda” to restructure Nigeria when given the chance, with the teeming population of youths on my mind and the future of the upcoming and unborn generations of Nigerians.
“Restructuring has become a must in the current Nigeria and the fillers are rife and obvious with security challenges like the various communal clashes, ethnic cleansing, religious intolerance, etc. bedeviling the country and all sorts of agitations from different milieu.
“However, restructuring” is a complex, adventurous and highly intellectual-creative project for the academia, that needs the female’s ingenuity and creativity, we would agree. It then needs a visionary with in-depth clarity of purpose and mind to drive the process. This is where I come in, and what l stand for.
“So ready I am, to give back to the society that produced and made me, I speak as a Nigerian – Northerner from the Middle-belt, of the Yoruba descent who had spent over three decades of my life working in the South-south. I had obtained B.A degree at OAU Ife, M.A at Unilorin and Ph.D at Uniport. I am a Nigerian product and a proof of her ability.
“On the deteriorating state of our economy- to transform the country, proper consultation and co-ordination toward industrialisation and diversification is the way forward for the country. We need to fix power to be at par with the oil. Nigeria a very blessed, rich and enviable country currently being a consuming economy would have to stop. Entrepreneurship mind-set skills to strengthen the youths and encourage skill acquisition for women with a view to empowering the nation, is vital. Again, when the woman, the mother is empowered and prospers, the whole nation prospers.
“Prof. Mercy Adesanya-Davies – “PMA Advanced Agenda” mission statement reads: “By CHOICE, to build a new Nigeria now and for posterity” and, “Our vision is to restructure and make Nigeria great by empowering Nigerians to live qualitative lives as in every developed country of the world and become a global model. ”
“Now, that party is no more “under close wraps” and thus announced through the press media”, we need your full support, the intent is to stay with the party where she has been functioning over the years and currently a card carrier, after due consultations with the family, youths, mothers and the children.” The Choice, “Choice, Choice!” Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies- as the first female president, should be the CHOICE of all and every Nigerian.
“We would recall Prof. Jerry Gana’s statement during the presentation of the Final Report of the PDP Strategy Review Committee where he said, “that the victory of the party in future elections depend on how women and youths are integrated into the party structure and carried along in its activities.” and that “women and youths constitute formidable groups in every political party, and as such well-articulated programmes that aim at mobilizing, organizing and integrating them within the PDP structures should be implemented.”
“I plead with the new national chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus on the need for candidates in the party primaries to emerge through free, fair and credible processes to allow for quality outcome; especially owing to the sacrifices made recently by our thoughtful fathers, so that PDP will not lose out but produce popular and credible Candidates in 2019 General elections for landslide victory”, she stated.