By Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado Ekiti
The love of the people of Igbemo Ekiti and indeed the entire constituents of Irepodun/Ifelodun of Ekiti State for Hakeem dated back to his childhood days.
This was evidenced in the interesting story about Hakeem of how women were struggling to carry him as a baby, because of his chubby and handsome look.
It was no surprise, that this is seen as a reflection of his adulthood as for his being loved and supported by the people of Irepodun/Ifelodun especially, the women.
Also, there were testimonies by his friends, colleagues and admirers alluding to the soaring popularity and the overwhelming support which this quiet, cool headed and brilliant man enjoy from his Kinsmen.
The journalist turned politician, popularly known as Honourable kimooo is currently the House of Assembly candidate for Irepodun/ Ifelodun constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate come 2019 general elections in Ekiti State.
His recent visit to Afao-Ekiti, Are-Ekiti, Iworoko-Ekiti, Esure-Ekiti, Eyio-Ekiti, Awo-Ekiti and
Iropora-Ekiti with APC leaders from his Igbemo Ekiti country home attested to his acceptability by the people who came out in their numbers to expressed their gratitude to the party members for unanimously picking him as the consensus candidate for the parliamentary election.
This informed the kind of reception he received and encomiums poured on him by his people, mostly the women both young and old.
The reason behind his being loved by the people might not be unconnected with the belief by elders, that anyone acceptable and loved by women is someone that God has answered his prayers, meaning that. such a person will be acceptable everywhere and whatever he lays his hands upon will surely succeed.
It is suffice to say that, Jamiu, who is a former Senior Special Assistant on Research and Documentation to the Governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, got the backing of the people during his thank-you/campaign visits to all communities in the local government, because the women are still carrying him till today even as an adult.
During one of the outings, an elderly woman walked up to him in the company of other elderly women while he was in the midst of other party
leaders and asked him if he knew her and he said yes because he knew she is
a relation.
It was then, the woman revealed to him that she used to carry him on her back when he was a child and anytime he was crying and refused to sleep, there was a particular song she used to sing for him to lull him to sleep then.
She said further that everybody loved to carry Hakeem that time to the extent that the women struggled among themselves to carry and play with him, thus the woman starting singing the song and dancing at the same time,
and highly elated Jamiu joined her in the dance with everyone with him singing and dancing to the song with him, as the song goes thus: Hakeemu bamubamu, Hakeemu bamumu, Opo eniyan mperi iwo nikan, Hakeemu bamubamu.
So, after he was adopted and carried by his people, the people of Irepodun Ifelodun, one can now ask, why won`t they carry him, even with an evidence given recently by a Professor and the Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Rasaki Ojo Bakare, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Prof. Rasaki Ojo-Bakare, who was Hakeem's class mate at A.U.D. Primary school Oke Ola in Ado Ekiti years back, thus:
"Hakeem Jamiu has remained one of the most reliable persons I know. An extremely single minded fellow, Hakeem would tell you what he wants to do, how he would do it and you will find just that. If he has a reason to change his mind, he will renegotiate the agreement he had with you.
"This is one quality that is lacking in most of our Politicians with the attendant consequences on transparency and accountability. Hakeem has this quality and that makes him a dream politician, an Ambassador of our generation". Bakare stated.
No doubt Jamiu, could simply be described as a man who is loved by his people from birth, while growing up and has been known to be a good man who never disappoint his people as this has continue to earn him respect from them.
With all attributes associated to a man loved by the people of his constituency, it is therefore no longer surprising why women have been struggling to carry him as a child and still love him, endorsed and carry him as an adult.
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