Idahosa, like his APC party, is intolerant

I have been inundated with calls of recent with information that the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the September 21 election, Hon Dennis Idahosa, has taken me to court for libel. 

Whereas I haven't even seen the so-called court papers anywhere online nor have I been served, I would like to send a message to him to bring it on because, as they say in this part of the world, " him never see anything because him go sue people taya ". 

So, APC dey see how the thing dey pain (forgive my pidgin again). When they told all kinds of lies insulting President Goodluck Jonathan and reducing the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to nothingness in the name of politics and campaign, they didn't think that it was defamation? 

Even now there are several of their agents and media guys who continue to hurl insults and call Governor Godwin Obaseki all manners of derogatory names and yet the governor has not one day taken anyone to court for libel. 

Clearly Hon Dennis Idahosa is an intolerant politician because politics is for grave and mature people who realize that as long you occupy public office you must be prepared for both praises and insults. You can't pick or choose which one you want. You must be ready for public scrutiny. And if you can't endure the heat, get the hell out of the kitchen. 

It was Lord Dennis (incidentally a namesake of his) that said, " To aspire to leadership, you must pay the price of calumny and castigation; for if you refuse not to pay the price, your chances of becoming a leader are slim and if you become a leader without paying the price of calumny and castigation I put it to you that you have become a leader fraudulently ". 

Maybe he should learn love and tolerance from the Great Arch-bishop Benson Idahosa (another namesake of his), who unarguably was the most vilified clergy of all time. Arch Bishop Idahosa was called a fraud, a cocaine pusher, fake prophet and so on and yet not one case of verbal retort "amawe" litigation. 

Leadership is for men (not in age but in maturity) and not for boys. Men who can overlook, men who can love their political enemies and not take anything personal or getting easily irritated and provoked. Men who understand that like the Arch Bishop Idahosa said "if they say that you are a thief don't mind them, just make sure that you are not stealing". 

What is even my own self, if a man can take his party to court without even attempting to pursue the internal mechanisms of resolution in the name of wanting to be the candidate of the party, that same man can sue everyone if he ever has executive powers. 

So, what happens if people criticize your government or even negatively talk about you if you ever win (God forbids) to become the deputy governor? Na him be say na wortor wortor we go dey collect from your boys for street if you ever hear pim. 

Anyway, in case the plan is to intimidate, harass, suppress or oppress me, then someone should please tell Hon Dennis Idahosa that at twenty-four ( 24) when he was still a teenager that I was declared wanted in this state by the Nigerian police as Student's Union President of the then great Edo State University now Ambrose Alli University. 

Someone should please tell him that there is nothing a former Students' Leader and Civil Rights Activist has suffered that I have not suffered. I have been arrested several times by the police and beaten several other times by soldiers. I was disqualified as a student, suspended, almost stopped from going for NYSC and even rusticated, yet I remained undaunted and steadfast in my struggles for a just and egalitarian society.

Paul the Apostle said in 1 Corinthians 15:32 (KJV) "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die. (KJV)" . 

We thrive in controversies and strive in the face of oppression. 

On Aburi we stand

(in the words of the late Biafran Warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegu Ojukwu) 

Rev Olu Martins, 

Deputy Director General, 

Media and Publicity Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council.