By Femi Cole (Egharevba)
As the no vote campaign starts, this is what i think
-Most of the people against the no vote stance and rant online about the stance are mostly not from Anambra
-IPOB have grassroot supporters of 90% of the entire vote in Anambra State
-IPOB has been busy with the grassroots, galvanizing them,gaining their trust and loyalty.
-IPOB grassroot supporters many may not even have phones and access to internet to read all the rantings online against the “No Election”
Am actually indifferent about the no vote stance of Ipob and all those who come online to rants as to people voting or not. The reality is, most of the people against the no vote stance and rant online about the stance are mostly not from Anambra and when they are from Anambra, most are not based in Anambra, and when there are based in Anambra, many may not have their voter card and when they have it, some will not vote and when they vote, they are in the minority.
IPOB’s fan base are the Okada riders, keke men/women, the traders,tailors, carpenters, mechanics, market women, fruit sellers, transporters, a sizable percent of civil servants and students etc. IPOB have been very smart in winning the heart of these people. While most people who think smart of themselves spend time ranting and abusing IPOB online, IPOB has been busy with the grassroots, galvanizing them,gaining their trust and loyalty.
This has been the tactics of some of the most grass-rooted politicians like fayose and aregbeshola. Their method may be different but the focal point has always been the grassroot because that is where you have the most support.
Unlike the wannabe sophisticated people who always want to form educated,polished and come online to show themselves(this i mean for all tribes including the igbos). These grassroot supporters dont have that time. Many may not even have phones and access to internet to read all the rantings.
Once IPOB are able to captured the grassroots, they can and will always determine the direction of ideology, vote(if in politics) and power struggle
so based on this, if you like scream and abuse Nnamdi kanu and IPOB, it wont change anything. They are more focus than we can assume and it will be to ones peril to underestimate them. the only thing now is to dialogue with him and make him see reasons or better still, import paid voters from other states like they do in the past. Thanks
