By Pamela Ogbeide
From boardroom tables to contesting in the political arena, Dr Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) candidate for the upcoming Edo State gubernatorial election slated for September this year, has some outstanding leadership qualities one cannot but appreciate. From what I have observed so far in him, his leadership qualities are exemplary. I have taken my time to study these leadership traits, style and his engagements. They are superlative and exceptional, I must emphatically confess. It has therefore become necessary, for the purpose of public consumption, to distill out the very essence of his qualitative and sterling leadership elements.
Ighodalo, has always been conscious of his station in life when you hear him speak about his upbringing. From a tender age, it seemed he realized on time, his potentials, which propelled him to greater heights. Today, he is not only a leader, he has become a statesman and a major economic stakeholder in Edo State and Nigeria.
First, he is a visionary. He is uncommonly and incurable visionary and deeply aware of his sense of mission to humanity. This is why he is offering himself to serve the good people of Edo State.
Asue is also throughly organized. He is a stickler for minute details. As a boardroom leader, he knows the place of effective planning and organization towards actualization of his visions. Come to his campaign office in Benin to see how well organized the office is. So also is his office in Lagos.
He is courageous and fearless. He is a fearless chronic-risk taker, a hallmark of the greatest leaders that have ever lived.
He is convincingly influential and can persevere. This traits has been able to help him get his message across Edo State during his consultation period and after. His dogged spirit of perseverance has helped in no small measure to sustain his business ideals, which he wish to translate to the political ideals. With this, he remains an undiluted inspiration to millions of youth in the state and beyond.
Asue exhibits confidence. He is a leader who will remain unruffled in the face of provocation and harsh criticism. No wonder he has always admonished fellow contestants to be issue-based in this ongoing campaigns. He is very confident he can handle issues as they come.
One other very important leadership quality of his is generosity. He is a gentle philantropist. Without going public, he donates parts of his income to charities and the needy. He is also generous with his time and resources, deploying it to bring succour to those in need. He has an open-door policy.
Asue is an unwavering self-believer. He believes in himself, his visions, his dreams, his aspirations, potentials and how to explore and deploy such an endowment for the collective benefits of the Edo State citizens.
One quality you cannot wrestle with Asue is his deep sense of commitment to whatever cause he is pursuing. He shows gratitude and never fails to pay back debt of gratitude.
From what I know, Dr Asue Ighodalo is the best candidate, and I am sure when elected, e go do am.
Pamela Ogbiede is a member of the PDP, she lives in Benin City.