By Onono Onimisi
If Chief Edward David Onoja were a School of Political Studies, many aspiring politicians would line up to tap from his deep reservoir of strategy. His politics is not trial and error; it is calculation, loyalty, and the rare boldness to act while others are still buried in uncertainty.
But since he is not a school, he remains what he has always been ‘the strategic planner’ and one of the central forces shaping the politics of Kogi State. CEDO has demonstrated that politics is not about how loud you shout, but how wisely you read the terrain and how skillfully you play your cards.
This explains why, whenever the history of Kogi’s political direction is written, his name refuses to disappear from the page. His fingerprints are visible on alliances formed, The men he made from Zero to Hero, the students he sponsored, battles fought, and victories claimed. Even his silence often speaks louder than the noise of others, for silence is also a strategy in the game of politics.
At one point, when CEDO went quiet, worry swept through Kogi political circles. His critics thought it was his exit, while his allies whispered that it was a storm brewing beneath the surface. In truth, that silence unsettled both friends and foes alike, because everyone understood one thing: Edward Onoja does not keep quiet without a plan. For him, silence is not weakness, it is a weapon.
And indeed, the silence ended with a bang. After his period of calm withdrawal, Onoja re-emerged not in defeat, but with a national appointment that once again confirmed his relevance beyond the borders of Kogi State. It was a reminder that true political actors do not fade they only recalibrate for a bigger stage. To say, when next you notice his silence, be ready for what comes next.
Yet, Onoja is no saint. Like every leader carved in the realities of power, he has his lapses and he has made mistakes. But to reduce him to his flaws is to deliberately ignore the weight of his contributions. His strengths tower beyond his shortcomings, and his influence remains one of the loudest in the state’s political story.
He has shown that politics is not merely about occupying a position, but about shaping conversations, mobilizing people, and leaving behind footprints that others must acknowledge. In a political terrain where many burn out too quickly, Onoja has mastered the art of survival which is patience when others are restless, precision when others are careless, and endurance when others have given up.
History, no doubt, will remember him as more than just a participant. It will remember him as a mobilizer who could move hearts, a planner who thought ahead of his opponents, and a voice that no one could simply wash away. Where some leaders struggle to remain relevant, Onoja has already become a reference point proof that in politics, strategy is far louder than empty popularity.
The truth is, politics is war without guns. And like in every battle, it is not always the strongest who wins, but the one who understands the battlefield, the one who can bend without breaking, and the one who can wait for the right moment to strike. That has been Onoja’s style patience, precision, and power in silence.
As the African proverb says, “The hunter who knows how to wait will eat meat when the impatient ones are still chasing shadows.” Onoja has been that hunter. knowing when to roar, when to whisper, and when to act.
Love him or hate him, dismiss him or debate him, one fact stands firm: the political imprint of Edward David Onoja in Kogi State cannot, and will not, be swept under the carpet therefore, WATCH OUT FOR CEDO!
Onono writes from Prestigious Bayero University Kano and can be reached via onimisionono54@gmail.com
