As elections draw closer and campaign activities intensifies across Bende, Dr Chimaobi Anyaso’s emergence as the most popular candidate with an unbeatable grassroots acceptance and reach has clearly set him on a much higher pedestal than the other contenders.
For those who have closely monitored Dr Anyaso’s campaign activities, it is apparent that he has won the confidence and support of all Bende people. From Ikwuisii to Umunna, Dr Chimaobi Desmond Anyaso attracts a large crowd of supporters anywhere and everywhere he shows up. This overwhelming grassroots acceptance can only be explained by revisiting the historic events that took place on November 26th 2018.
On this significant day, being the day the council of traditional rulers in Bende comprising of all traditional rulers of all the autonomous communities that make up Bende gathered And endorsed and also adopted Dr Anyaso as their chosen candidate for Bende Federal constituency. Also conferring on him the traditional chieftaincy title of Obi Bende. The significance of this endorsement by the supreme traditional council of Bende is that it reflects the will of the people of Bende. These traditional rulers of both Ikwuisii and Umunna were united and spoke in one voice saying that having adopted Dr Chimaobi Desmond Anyaso for Bende Federal Constituency, they will not support any other candidate for that same position in Bende.
As soon as the traditional rulers adopted him as their sole candidate, the women equally assembled and adopted him as well. While praying for him, the women asked God to give them Dr Anyaso as compensation for all their years of suffering. Expressing confidence that Chima Anyaso will not abandon them when he is elected.
While the women were still praying for him, youths besieged the venue requesting to hear from Dr Chima Anyaso and soon after, he came out to address the youths.
His brief talk with the youths of both Ikwuisii and Umunna earned him their unanimous endorsement and adoption as well. Most significantly, all of these activities took place in the heart of Bende Community which is an Ikwuisii community and the venue is only a stone throw from the home of Mr Benjamin Kalu the APC candidate vying for the same position
Never before have we witnessed such unanimous endorsement of any political candidate in Bende as we witnessed on that day. Never before have we seen both Ikwuisii and Umunna unanimously adopt a candidate as we saw on that day. Dr Anyaso has emerged as a uniting figure between Ikwuisii and Umunna just by showing capacity, competence and preparedness to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of Bende. While his opponents are playing politics of sentiments and division Dr Anyaso has dedicated his time and resources to building unity, friendship and common cause mentality amongst the people of Bende and from the successes so far recorded by his campaign organization, it is clear that the people of Bende have chosen unity over divisive politics and development over greed and pursuit of personal agenda.
