When he launched his intent of assuming the flagship of our ruling party, many, because of his age, dismissed the optimism of his innocent aspiration as a mere wishful thinking. Lack of experience, maturity and competence were some of the vague allusions enumerated to fend-off the Okadigbo project. The vicious resistance and the heightened machinations, casting shadows of escalating dreads could not dissuade his focus. Rather, he stood his grounds with extra ordinary resilience and trusted in Providence as his only beacon of hope and at last, the aspiration met unreserved accomplishment.
Under the approach he advocated, as the state party chairman of the biggest political party in Africa, our ruling party, at the state level, has been, progressively, nurtured in grace with reasonable development that has not escaped notice in the scale of critical evaluation. Immediately he assumed office, Alphonsus, swiftly, achieved remarkable success with milestones of historic proportion through his outstanding innovations: the PLUG doctrine has been such a marvel. With the PLUG doctrine, he demolished all enclaves of angry isolation in the party and reconciled many of the aggrieved to the broader fold. This has, fundamentally, altered the dynamics of party politics and set a new trajectory where incorporation of Peace, Love, Unity and Growth, have been, for the first time, adopted as a foundational principle of running a political party.
Alphonsus has remained steadfast and unswerving in his progressive achievements even in the face of varied hostilities: not even the recent ouster attempt had slued his determination of ascending the pinnacle of national relevance and prominence. We still remember what happened when all the State Party Chairmen of the All Progressives Congress met with the president and when it was time for him to speak, his flawless and captivating oratory left the presidency perplexed. This earned him the title, “the Chattered Orator of All Progressives Congress” by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria himself. Presidency just spotted a crossriverian who possesses, rare, but remarkable qualities of surpassing dimensions in the person of Alphonsus.
With his radicalized approach through bursting and sprawling political evangelism that was taken to all far reaches of our staggering landscape, he transformed a once moribund platform into a verdant political party, even when challenging limitations attempted to envelope his well intended endeavours. Those challenges, rather than distract him, rattled the very depth of his inspiration and provoked his dedication to purpose.
The progressive advancement of Alphonsus shows that attainment of greatness is not by occasion of happenstance, but a default process where opportunity provides a confluence where intelligence, capacity, wisdom, confidence and aptitudes converge to announce the verdict of successful attainment which, subsequently, simmers into greatness. When opportunity meets an individual who is lacking in these virtues, attainments are, usually, short-lived. It takes on these virtues for one to record progressive advancement in every sphere after the first rung of attainment is introduced by opportunity and sustain on it. We may, comfortably, dwell on this as a hypothesis.
It was by his sterling leadership qualities that he was nominated to the post of Secretary in the National forum of State Party Chairmen of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC). In the same vein, he became the Secretary of Ondo Gubernatorial Delegate Congress in April, 2024. Alphonsus has glorified the banner of our state at the national political scene and made us, as a people, a delight in the comity of states.
His sterling records in political stewardship reveals his matchless worth, the very reason he is begrudged by some ill-willed elites who, rather, perceive his attainment and progressive advancement in the light of rivalry. But Providence has never failed in exacting price of grave dimension on those who had ever attempted to fight him down.
With the efficiency in his political innovations, he has proven that every uncharted territory is subject to conquest and that there are no possibilities where determination reigns. His maturity, tact and wisdom are usually exhibited mostly in situations where begrudging elements are often strident in their unreasonable objections against his well-intended actions. Any decisions or programmes that will be of corporate benefit to all within his political domain is, usually, underscored as his most perceived priority.
Young Alphonsus has introduced a new dimension of civility in his public service: with his PLUG innovation, he has proven that civility is neither a tactic nor sentiment, but a preferred choice of trust over cynicism; he has proven that peace is not, merely, a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we attain it; that for the definition of civility to be perfect, Love, Unity and Growth must be integral part of its wordings. There is a wind of new awakening in party politics that is blowing from Cross River across the country, a reborn that is building new consensus across board at the instance of cerebral Alphonsus.
Alphonsus might be young, but he has become a political sage of both state and national reckoning.
By Eval Asikong
