Once again, Kogites, the moniker by which people of Kogi State describe themselves, will file out to elect the successor to incumbent Yahaya Bello. OLAOLU OLADIPO in this piece analyses the build up to today’s poll.
As it is statutorily mandated, the tenure of Governor Yahaya Bello is expected to draw to a close in January, and gladiators across many political platforms have been jostling to succeed him as the chief tenant at the Lugard House, Lokoja. Today, the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the nation’s election management body, will be playing its moderating role of providing the logistical needs that would afford the people of the state the opportunity to elect a new governor for the North Central State.
Precisely on January 27, 2024, a new tenant that will preside over the affairs of the state is scheduled to be sworn in as the seventh chief executive of North Central state that prides itself as ‘Confluence State’ for another four years. According to INEC, no fewer than 18 candidates are in contention for the much coveted seat with three of them touted to be the leading contenders.
Contenders
Those being touted to win the election whose build-up has been largely fierce and tension-soaked include, Ahmed Ododo of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC); Senator Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and that of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr. Murtala Ajaka. Other candidates include Hon. Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a serving member of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Chairman of committee on Custom and Excise;
Olayinka Braimoh of the Action Alliance (AA); Hon. Hassan Baiwa of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Others are Kinsley Idoko Lona of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Rear Admiral Usman jibrin of the Accord Party (AP), amongst others.
A build up marred by violence
Developments leading to today’s poll in the state have been largely characterised by violence with claims and counter claims by gladiators against one another regarding the spate of violent attacks in the state. Electioneering in the state in recent times has been marked by violence with the recent one being the poll that returned the outgoing governor to office on November 16, 2019, which was mostly disrupted in many polling units in many parts of the state.
Thugs and other miscreants went amok across the nooks and crannies of the wielding rifles and other lethal weapons to cause mayhem that eventually disrupted the process. In the end, many residents were not only disenfranchised, also many voters were injured and some lost their lives during and after the elections. One notable casualty was the late Mrs. Acheju Abuh who was hacked down in her home and her body set ablaze by some political thugs. Until her death, she was the Women Leader of the governorship campaign organisation of the PDP.
The build-up this year has followed a similar pattern with many residents expressing fears despite assurances from heads of the various security agencies that have been deployed to make the process violent free. Two months ago, a yet to be identified woman who is said to be a member of the APC was reported dead with many others injured as supporters of both the SDP and the APC clashed when Ajaka toured Koton Karfe town for his campaigns.
It must however be noted that the two parties have continued to accuse each other of stoking violence with the spokesmen of the two campaign councils, Farouq Adejoh-Audu, SDP and Kingsley Fanwo trading blame for the incidents which threaten to mar the process. The situation came to a head when suspected thugs alleged to be members of the APC stormed the residence of the Director-General of SDP Campaign Council, Sheik Ibrahim Jibrin, in Anyigba, killing a policeman and four other persons.
Jubril’s assailants attacked his home about 6am on Tuesday carting away the corpse of a policeman attached to him known as Atabor and the other victims, who were security men believed to be on duty. As usual, Adejoh-Audu blamed the development on the APC, particularly on Governor Bello whom he accused of sponsoring what he termed a ‘rogue force’ ahead of today’s poll. The SDP also accused the Commissioner of Police in charge of the state, Mr. Bethrand Unuoha, of conniving with the ruling party.
Perhaps sensing the need to douse tension, statesmen such as a former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Cardinal John Onaiyekan, led other prominent Nigerians to commit the gladiators to ensure peace by signing of a peace pact in Lokoja, the state capital. The cleric who represented the Chairman of the National Peace Committee and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, urged INEC to match its words with actions by conducting a transparently free and fair election that would be acceptable to all.
Responding to Onaiyekan, INEC’s National Commissioner representing Kogi, Nasarawa, and Kwara states, Alhaji Sanni Mohammed Adam, expressed the resolve of the commission to conduct free, fair, transparent and credible elections. The Deputy Inspector-General in charge of Technical Intelligence Unit, Mr. A.H Sanni, who represented the Inspector General of Police assured that the election will be peaceful as all machinery has been put in place. All the 18 governorship candidates of various political parties signed the accord to avert acts capable of breeding violence before, during, and after the November 11 governorship polls.
Factors at play
As stated earlier, though there are 18 contenders, three of them are said to be in the forefront. Many pundits highlight the various factors that could either tilt the balance for or against any of them as the people of the state go out to vote today. For Ododo of the APC, three major factors are said to be working in his favour with many observers say- ing these factors include incumbency, structure and resources. Being the party in power, Ododo is expected to fall back on the structure that cuts across all 21 local governments of the state.
The membership of the APC has been bolstered by a series of endorsements by critical segments of the state. These (endorsements) are also being helped by spate of defections from the PDP and other prominent opposition parties in the state into the APC to further help Ododo clinch the governor- ship. Coupled with these facts is the huge financial war chest that has been put at the disposal of the campaign efforts of the APC by the government and party.
One likely major drawback for Odo- do is the issue of zoning which is being played up by his opponents ahead of today’s poll. Like the outgoing Bello, Ododo is from the Central District of the state with many saying it might not be right for someone from that zone to succeed Bello in a state where political gladiators are sensitive to the issue of zoning.
For Ajaka, the Igala-born politician who until recently was a national executive committee member of the APC, one major advantage that is seriously working in his favour is the fact that he enjoys the support of his kith and kin in the East Senatorial District who are clamouring for power to shift to their area. For the records, Kogi East Senatorial District is the largest of the three senatorial districts in the state with nine local governments and 51 per cent of total voting population.
If this is properly harnessed, Ajaka might spring surprises as bulk vote from his base and pockets of votes from other zones could swing it. However, one major problem would be the near lack of required structure and acceptance of the SDP by residents who have not fully accepted it and this could be a herculean task for him and his supporters to surmount. Like the APC, the main opposition PDP is well rooted in the state with the party (PDP) maintaining its presence across the nooks and crannies of the state.
The candidate of the party, Senator Melaye, is well known and seems to be quite acceptable to youths who see him as part of them. The former Federal lawmaker is leveraging on his popular appeal among youths as well as the spread of the PDP across the state to sway the pendulum to his side. Melaye’s campaign efforts were recently bolstered by the Court of Appeal judgement which sacked Engineer Abubakar Ohere of the APC as the member representing Kogi Central District at the senate, replacing him with Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the PDP.
The implication of this judgement is that Melaye through that judicial vic- tory has succeeded in planting a foot in the senatorial zone considering the fact that the new federal lawmaker enjoys an almost cult-like following in the area. Akpoti-Uduaghan recently introduced Melaye to the people of Ebiraland at a well-attended campaign that took place last Saturday in Okene, the political headquarters of the Ebira nation.
This notwithstanding, Melaye will need to secure his home front of Okun- land to be able to make things happen and possibly create an upset today but regrettably, there are other notable contestants from that zone who might throw spanner in the works to prevent him from garnering the right figures. One of such gladiators is Abejide who is well loved in his Yagba area of Okunland thus leaving Melaye to get the right support in his Ojumu enclave.
Added to this is the presence of some APC gladiators who are his traditional opponents and political traducers in the West Senatorial District. Personalities such as Smart Adeyemi and incumbent Sunday Karimi are the leaders APC chieftains are relying on to deliver for the party. Even within the PDP, many stakeholders within and outside the zone still harbour some form of misgivings with regards to the process that threw him (Melaye) up as the candidate’s party.
One of such prominent personalities is a former Deputy Governor of the state, Chief Yomi Awoniyi. Wherever the pendulum swings af- ter today’s poll, the people of the state would have at the end done justice, hopefully, to the electoral process by electing their governor in a fierce and tense atmosphere that has generated so much attention and frenzy.
