By Igbotako Nowinta
Today, in Kogi we see images of anger, rage and bitterness being raked up against Yahaya Bello, who is using power as license to visit harm and destruction on innocent people, especially the civil servants; salaries are piling up, workers are dying of hunger, any opposition to his bad leadership is being met with Bello’ political sledge hammer. Really, the controversial party Governorship primary of the APC in Kogi State on Thursday August 29, that threw Bello up, and which was held at the Confluence Stadium in Lokoja, via indirect method, against popular demands from other aspirants, is proving to be a disastrously miscalculated gamble by the APC. Like the soldier of fortune, called Lord Frederick Lugard, who pursued a personal economic agenda to the tilt on behalf of the British colonial masters, without any iota of concern for the people of Nigeria, Governor Yahaya Bello is pursuing his parochial economic agenda to the detriment of the mass of the people in Kogi today, using the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
Come November 16 2019, the various governorship contenders jostling to occupy the State House in Kogi State will know their fate.
Before l will go ahead to take a critical appraisal of the key characters warming up to win the hearts of the electorate in Kogi State, it is not out of place to take a brief ride into memory lane to educate our readers about how the Kogi State Government House was named ‘Lugard’s House.’
On January 1 1900, the British colonial masters took a brazen and bold decision by creating the Southern Nigerian Protectorate and the Northern Nigerian Protectorate. Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State once served as the capital of the Northern Protectorate during the British colonial rule.
Lord Frederick Lugard, the empire dreamer who on January 1,1914, as the Governor of both the Northern Nigerian Protectorate and the colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria signed a document that merged the two colonies and Protectorates of Nigeria.
That historical exercise was performed in Lokoja. Then in 1999, when democracy birthed in Nigeria for the third time, the then State Government under Prince Abubakar Audu converted the first residence and office of Lord Lugard in Lokoja to Lugard House.
The Prince Abubakar Audu-led civilian government retained the original structure and did some minor renovations, while the white building with columns and rocks that served as Lugard’s power base became the official seat of modern day government in Kogi State.
Now coming back to the race to Lugard House, the incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello, who emerged as Governor by sheer arrangement of providence is aiming at getting a second term in office using the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Musa Wada, an engineer by profession is pushing very hard to dislodge Yahaya Bello from Lugard’s House, using the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Natasha Akpoti a lawyer, enjoying a wave of strong supporters that included the Ebira women is a social activist adorning the attire of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and she is moving at a fast speed to spring a surprise come November 16, 2019.
From the practical campaign indices available in the confluence state today, it is clear that the duo of Yahaya Bello and Musa Wada are favored to breast the tape leading to the imposing Lugard House in Lokoja.
Now, let’s examine what Musa Wada have to his advantage to outpace Yahaya Bello to the finishing line on Saturday November 16t, 2019. Musa Wada is from the majority Igala ethnic group, that boasts of the chunk of the voting population in Kogi State.
Wada is not only a younger brother to former Governor ldris Wada in Kogi State, but a son-in-law to Ibrahim Idris, who is equally a former Governor of Kogi State. Musa Wada hails from Dekina the most populous of all the twenty one local governments in the state.
In spite of grandiose efforts being floated by the campaign managers of the All Progressives Congress in Kogi State, to demonize Musa Wada to incapacitate or cripple his chances, he has gigantic political assets to outpace his arch rival, Yahaya Bello come November 16th.
Yahaya Bello, whose current tenure expires on January 26, 2020, is from the minority Ibira ethnic group; he was divinely chosen as Governor of Kogi State when he inherited the mandate of late Prince Abubakar Audu, ahead of James Fakeke, who ran with Prince Audu.
Though, he was the runners up during the primary that produced late Prince Audu, but because of his ravenous quest for power, he was swept into the zenith of political power in Kogi State by powerful forces, who chose to favor him.
Despite desperate efforts being galvanized by the APC in Kogi state, to iconize a political demon like Yahaya Bello, a corollary of his executive rascality will certainly work against him on November 16th.
Today, in Kogi we see images of anger, rage and bitterness being raked up against Yahaya Bello, who is using power as license to visit harm and destruction on innocent people, especially the civil servants; salaries are piling up, workers are dying of hunger, any opposition to his bad leadership is being met with Bello’ political sledge hammer.
Really, the controversial party Governorship primary of the APC in Kogi State on Thursday August 29, that threw Bello up, and which was held at the Confluence Stadium in Lokoja, via indirect method, against popular demands from other aspirants, is proving to be a disastrously miscalculated gamble by the APC.
Like the soldier of fortune, called Lord Frederick Lugard, who pursued a personal economic agenda to the tilt on behalf of the British colonial masters, without any iota of concern for the people of Nigeria, Governor Yahaya Bello is pursuing his parochial economic agenda to the detriment of the mass of the people in Kogi today, using the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
For me Yahaya Bello is a minus for democratic dividends in Kogi since he has been in the ultimate saddle of power; he is controversial, petty, vindictive and inconsiderate about the wishes and feelings of the electorate, in whom supreme power resides.
I wonder how he will push aside the hot challenge being thrown by Musa Wada. Perhaps, because he has never stood to be elected as Governor democratically, he feels he can sway the people’s anger on November 16.
How long would Yahaya Bello entertain the electorate with naked lies, half-truth and propaganda; for the people are being grinded by Bello’s machine of pervasive poverty and maladministration.
Take it from me, sentiments aside, in a genuinely free and fair election on November 16, 2019, Yahaya Bello’s political machine will be smashed to pieces.
The wheel of the rescue mission by APC for Governor Yahaya Bello is rickety, as the election is a referendum on the colossal failure which the government of Yahaya Bello has become.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is hereby called upon to be on the side of equity and fairness. The genuine wish and aspirations of the electorate in Kogi State must never be twisted in favor of any character who has not shown any respect for the impoverished mass of the people.
It is my candid view that in a decent democratic setting, a character like Yahaya Bello would never be considered for a second term in office given his atrocities.
Nowinta wrote: Where We Are, a call for democratic revolution in Nigeria.
