Afrigather -
How He Doesn’t Need One other EBIRA Man To Be Governor
If you happen to journey to Kogi State this very minute, the one topic on the lips of many Kogites is the approaching governorship election scheduled for November 11 this yr. The folks can’t wait to go to the polls to elect one other governor. Governor Yaya Bello’s tenure is sort of over, a brand new governor will probably be elected into workplace. And because the clock ticks nearer and nearer to D-day, the gladiators concerned within the election are sweating onerous to make sure they’ve put in place each little strategic element that may assure their emergence as the following governor of Kogi state.
No doubt, this will probably be presumably Kogi’s greatest governorship election showdown ever. It will be a two horse race between the PDP governorship candidate, former senator Dino Melaye and his APC counter half, the comparatively unknown political rookie, Usman Ododo. He, Ododo, is the person favoured by the outgoing governor of the state, Yahaya Bello. No person noticed his emergence coming. He was definitely not one of many huge boys on the APC card. However the very artful and wily Yahaya Bello performed his joker when he put ahead the final man nobody thought would ever emerge the APC governorship candidate.
From the end result of the governorship primaries held in April, this yr, the race has devolved into ethnic contest with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) producing Alhaji Usman Ododo, from Kogi Central Senatorial District, which has the Ebira, because the dominant ethnic group, whereas the Peoples Democratic Get together (PDP) ticket went to Senator Dino Melaye of Okun ethnic group of Kogi West Senatorial District.
The district additionally has a robust contender in Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), whose celebration clinched two of the three Federal Constituencies in Kogi West and a seat within the Kogi State Home of Meeting on the February/March polls. Additionally, in rivalry from Kogi West is the younger, vibrant entrepreneur, Olayinka Braimoh of the Motion Alliance (AA).
Though Alhaji Muri Ajaka, who represents the Social Democratic Get together (SDP), is among the seven candidates from Kogi East (Igala/Bassa), he’s broadly thought to be the ‘consensus’ candidate from the zone.
However right here is the half that has received many speaking. After eight years rule of his kinsman, Governor Yahaya Bello, Alhaji Usman Ododo, the APC candidate from Kogi Central, is treading the trail of a attainable extra eight years rule of the Ebira. And that’s one thing different tribes from the state have vowed to not enable occur. They contemplate it unfair and unacceptable if one other Ebira man is elected governor and allowed to rule for one more eight years. That can make a complete of sixteen years of Ebira rule and that’s one thing the PDP governorship candidate, Dino Melaye, has sworn he gained’t let occur!
However the Yaya Bello camp doesn’t seem bothered by the hue and cry coming from a bit of the state over the candidacy of Ododo because the flag bearer of the APC. He’s believed to be comfy in Kogi Central, his homestead, the place he’s the only real candidate. No different political celebration has fielded a candidate from that zone, which accounted for half of the successful votes for the APC within the 2019 election. Ododo may have the incumbency issue working in his favour, as he’s relying on the overwhelming assist of Governor Bello, political workplace holders and APC constructions throughout the three senatorial districts, in addition to the anticipated federal may.
On the final rely, his camp has gained extra converts from the primary opposition PDP, particularly from Kogi West. Some distinguished politicians, who used to name the pictures within the PDP, currently have been falling over themselves in broad endorsement of the APC candidate.
It was certainly a grasp stroke. Yahaya neither gave out an inkling of who his successor will probably be leaving others to guess, nor did he overtly present his hand till two days to the first when he anointed Ododo, the previous auditor basic accountable for the native authorities as his chosen successor.
By then, it was too late for any severe opposition or political realignment that would upset the apple cart.
Many observers consider that Bello’s endorsement of Ododo is virtually an try at self succession as each are from the identical village, the identical native authorities and the identical senatorial zone, opposite to the demand for rotation. He claims that his zone has solely carried out eight years and needs to be allowed to finish 16 years as Kogi Central, earlier than it goes to the west.
One other of his techniques, which many watchers of Kogi politics say he deploys so as to draw folks’s consideration away from his failing is in stirring up controversies. His newest motion could have unwittingly armed his opponents with the munition to problem him on the ballot to make sure he fails. Already there are talks of a floor swell of forces coming collectively to scuttle his self succession bid.
Quite a lot of controversies marked Bello’s tenure. These embrace electoral fraud, incitements to violence, and U.S visa ban, N20 billion hidden checking account, amongst others.
Recall that on 14 September 2020, Bello was amongst a listing of politicians positioned on visa ban by the US Division of State for undermining democracy in Nigeria. Whereas activists praised the choice and referred to as on different developed nations to impose comparable bans, Bello accused the US of partisanship and claimed the 2019 Kogi State gubernatorial election was principally peaceable and honest.
There isn’t a gainsaying the very fact Yaya Bello’s anointing and eventual emergence of Ododo has cut up the celebration within the state into many factions. All of them maintain completely different positions on the matter of Ododo holding the celebration’s governorship ticket with a few them already working at cross roads with the celebration. As it’s, it’s already clear that, except a reconciliation assembly is known as, a few of these aggrieved factions won’t work for Yahaya and his anointed successor, Usman Ododo. And this leaves the door broad open to Dino Melaye to stroll in and win the governorship election. Opposite to expectations of many, Kogi governorship election is probably not as keenly contested as projected. With division within the rank and file of the APC in Kogi State, the election might be a stroll within the park for the PDP robust man.
Many have additionally argued that, out of all the opposite contenders to the throne inside the APC rank, speaking about Edward Onoja, Abdulkareem Asuku, Jubril Momoh and Sensible Adeyemi, Usman Ododo is clearly the political light-weight of the bunch. He’s the rookie, the one with little or no political expertise and 0 followership. And you may belief that Dino Melaye will take full benefit of this. It is going to be a herculean process for Ododo to tackle a heavyweight akin to Dino Melaye. The largest political danger you possibly can take is to throw a Dino Melaye in within the ring with a rookie like Ododo. Political pundits say Dino will actually run over Usman Ododo on the battlefield. And like someone mentioned on nationwide tv, Dino is expectedly excited that he has been handed a gentleman like Ododo to deal with come this November 11 when Kogi will go to the polls to elect a brand new governor. Dino relishes the battle, he’s assured he’ll win and he has been telling people who there’s no method one other Ebira man will take over the Kogi governor’s workplace.
One other issue that retains bothering plenty of APC loyalists within the state, notably those that know Ododo carefully, is the very fact the gentleman doesn’t appear minimize out for the rugged and murky waters of politics. They are saying he’s an excessive amount of of a gentleman and in politics, the very last thing you need to be is a gentleman. Particularly not once you’re going up in opposition to one of the crucial rugged and fearless politicians to come back out of Kogi State, a person with out scruples within the mildew of a Dino Melaye. He’ll run you aground even earlier than the battle begins.
Some involved members have puzzled what a person like Ododo is doing in politics. They’re anxious that with Ododo within the fray, the competition is likely to be a stroll within the park for Dino Melaye except one thing drastic is finished and really shortly too.
One other issue that may even work for Dino Melaye is the truth that Ododo is seen or perceived as an extension of the Yahaya Bello administration within the state. It seems lots of people usually are not pleased with the governor’s efficiency within the final eight years. The civil servants within the state are mentioned to be particulary sad with him. There are talks he’s owing salaries and pension and seems the least bothered concerning the properly being of the civil servants. The opinion of many is that the persons are uninterested in the APC within the state and are yearning for a change, and the PDP, led by former Senator Dino Melaye, seems to be the change they need to embrace. They are not looking for something that will probably be a reminder of the Yaya Bello administration. All of those are what’s going to work for Dino Melaye.
And belief Dino Melaye, he has been screaming from the rooftops, making it very clear that, “there’s is not any sane individual in Kogi State that may vote for the APC in Kogi State.”
The PDP governorship candidate hinged his confidence on his conviction that the folks of the state have suffered unjustly on account of the outgoing “maladministration” of the Bello-led APC administration.
Now we have suffered a lot in Kogi State, we’re within the den of the evil forest in Kogi State.
Melaye mentioned, “As I communicate, Kogi is the one state the place a serving everlasting secretary is taking Okada to the workplace, in Kogi a degree 16 officer is taking 16 thousand wage. There’s a state of decadence, poverty, corruption in Kogi State, these are folks with households.
“The current administration undertook a useless civil service train, retrenched, sacked and stored some folks hanging. Some others died for touring from far locations to the state capital for screening and accident occurred.
“Within the historical past of the state, we have now the biggest variety of lacking individuals in Nigeria, even the PDP Chairman of Okene native authorities space for 4 years we’re nonetheless on the lookout for him.
“You may solely think about the variety of lacking individuals in Kogi State, to not discuss of these murdered in broad daylight. Two months in the past 27 folks had been killed in Ejule in someday.
“These exhibits that we have now a variety of work to do as a result of the state has been fully bastardized, economic system in shambles, hospitals are mere consulting clinics, no roads, the nice water works carried out by former governor Ibrahim Idris, immediately it’s eleven months, no water in lokoja the state capital.
“That’s the kind of state we’re going to inherit.”
Talking about his degree of preparedness for the duty of governance, Melaye mentioned, “Amongst all of the candidates and events collaborating within the governorship election in Kogi State, solely the PDP is engaged on a coverage doc.
“We promised after we received the mandate of the people who we’re going to do issues in a different way.
“What we’re doing right here is to announce to Nigerians that the incoming authorities in Kogi State, by the grace of God will do issues in a different way.
“No every other celebration is speaking about coverage doc other than the PDP and by the point i’ve checked out this doc, I’ve learn it, it’s not solely sturdy, however an answer guide.”
In line with him, the PDP coverage doc was a product of a scientific analysis on the sections of the state economic system requiring pressing consideration so as to revive the economic system and set the state on the trail of development.
On his plans to ameliorate the sufferings of the folks of the state particularly civil servants, the PDP candidate mentioned, “The civil service in Kogi State will probably be reformed and we pays salaries twenty fifth of each month and will probably be full wage.
“At this time in Kogi there isn’t a center class, it is just the wealthy and the poor and immediately these in authorities are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.
“ Two billion was launched to Kogi State Authorities as palliatives by the federal authorities, however immediately not one individual in Kogi has benefited from that cash. As an alternative they sat down and appropriated it and mentioned others could be used for street development.
“By the grace of God, native authorities cash will probably be native authorities cash beneath the incoming PDP authorities. Fifteen, ten years in the past, native authorities areas in Kogi State had been doing initiatives, rural roads, immediately no native authorities in Kogi can dig a properly.
“Native authorities don’t have any autos, salaries weren’t paid, some LG secretariats are beneath lock and key. However we’re saying {that a} new day is coming.
“Kogi is just too blessed to be poor, i introduced folks from exterior Nigeria who did a scientific analysis and gave me the mineral sources in Kogi State.
“Now we have 52 mineral sources in Kogi State out of which just one has been tapped, limestone.
“The remaining are simply there, we have now Uranium, we have now the biggest deposit of Uranium in Nigeria in Kogi State. But we aren’t collaborating on this market. Now we have others in business amount.”
Going by studies out there to Metropolis Individuals, plenty of Kogi persons are excited by the prospects of getting a Dino Melaye emerge governor of Kogi State due to the issues he tells them every time he will get the chance to talk to the folks. He has proven immense guarantees and a profound need to show the state round. If he would be capable of make good his guarantees stays to be seen. However first, there’s the November 11 hurdle to cross first. Until then, all that the folks of Kogi and different Nigerians within the Kogi governorship race can do is hold their fingers crossed and watch how issues pan out.
– WALE LAWAL
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