Tag: Lugard House

As the Kogi State governorship poll draws nearer, aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have started making preparations for the primaries. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN looks at the issues that will shape the contest and the chances of the two parties.

The Kogi governorship election, scheduled for November 21, will once again put to test the strength of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which suffered defeat in the hands of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the recent presidential and National Assembly elections. The poll will also afford the APC the opportunity to prove that its victory during the general elections was not a fluke.

Though there are about 19 political parties in the state, the contest will be a straight fight between the APC and the PDP, which has been in power in the state since 2003 when former Governor Ibrahim Idris defeated the Prince Abubakar Audu of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP).

To observers, the election would be a keenly contested one. They contend that the profound changes occurring in the political arena and the twist in the conscience of Kogi people will thwart the machinations of aspirants that rely on primordial factors for victory at the primaries and the election.

They are of the view that the election will be determined by many factors: the platform on which the candidates are contesting; the candidates and the parties’ antecedents and the process through which the candidates emerged. The results of the recent presidential and National Assembly elections in which incumbent Governor Idris Wada lost all seats in his local government suggest that he has lost grip and political relevance. What took place during the general elections in Kogi has clearly established that the power of incumbency may no longer remain relevant in future, especially in cases where the candidates being imposed on the people are unpopular.

However, observers have warned that the APC not to be carried away by its victory in the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state. The party has been enjoined to go for a saleable candidate. According to analysts, there were instances where voters support the presidential candidate of a party, yet they would not back the governorship candidate of the same party.

They recalled that, in 2011 general elections, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) had a sweeping victory in Kano State, but the party’s  governorship candidate  had a very poor outing; he lost to his PDP counterpart. The reason adduced was that, despite the fact that the CPC was adjudged to be a core and famous northern party, it lost its governorship bid in Kano because it dropped a popular candidate, who had emerged through the primaries, but was denied the ticket. Thus, protest votes gave the PDP victory.

Indeed, the impunity displayed by the leadership of the defunct CPC in Kano in 2011 governorship  is not different from what happened in Kogi State in 2011 where Jibrin Isa Echocho was dropped in favour of the incumbent Governor Wada. The only dissimilarity with Kogi is that despite the obvious undemocratic process which led to Wada’s emergence, the PDP was noted to have been able to manipulate the election to its favour.

However, the APC state chairman, Alhaji Haddi Amentur, is very optimistic that his party would emerge victorious in the coming governorship election. He said the party would repeat its performance during the presidential and National Assembly elections because the people are tired of the PDP’s bad governance.

He said: “The people are tired of the PDP and they desire change, which the APC represents. The PDP cannot boast of any achievement, despite being in power in the last 13 years. This is a plus for the APC. The people want development and not hopelessness. The people are yearning for change and that change will come through the APC. The people cannot afford to make another mistake during the next election because it would be another opportunity to ensure development of the state.

“When you look at the state, the only positive development that is visible is what the opposition did under former Governor Abubakar Audu. The PDP has spent 13 years with nothing to show for it. What will they use to campaign? Is it the bad roads that dot the capital city and other parts of the state?”

Also speaking on the chances of the APC, a chieftain of the party, Mr Yori Afolabi said he was confident that his party would win the election, if it presents a credible candidate and observe due process in the shadow election where the governorship candidate would emerge. Afolabi, the former Minority Leader in the State House of Assembly, said the chances of the opposition were very high, given the woeful performance of the PDP.

He reiterated that the personality and character of the person that the APC would present matters a lot in the crucial governorship election. “Nigerians are becoming wiser and politically enlightened. They don’t vote for party alone. They consider the candidates involved. People are tired of the PDP. They want change and they see that change in President Muhammadu Buhari,” he added.

But, a PDP stalwart, Mr John Ele, did not see it that way. He said the National Assembly elections should not be used as a yardstick to judge the outcome of the governorship election. According to him, the dynamism of state governorship election is quite different. He noted that despite the fact that the APC won the presidential and the National Assembly elections, the PDP won the highest number of seats in the House of Assembly. Given this scenario, Ele said the PDP would have the upper hand in the election scheduled to take place in November. He added: “All that we need to do is to put our house in order.”

Another factor that will affect the outcome of the governorship poll is the alleged marginalisation of certain areas in the state. Kogi West and Central Districts have teamed up to challenge the dominance of Kogi East District. Both zones have resolved to present a single governorship candidate for the election. They also vowed to disown anyone from their zones who accepts to be the running mate of any candidate from the East senatorial district.

Their grouse stems from what they describe as “unconscionable level of marginalisation and oppression of the people of the Central and Western districts.” Available statistics show that the two zones account for 55 per cent of the state population and about 85 per cent of the internally generated revenue, but in terms of appointments and recruitments into the civil service, as well as resource allocation, Kogi East district has continued to dominate. It has also been producing governors since the inception of the state.

Many aspirants have indicated their interest to run for the governorship election. The APC has the highest with over 10 aspirants jostling for its ticket. So far, only two aspirants have shown interest in the PDP ticket.

Idris Wada

Although Governor Wada has not publicly declared his interest for a second term, his body language suggests that he is the candidate to beat. He emerged the PDP governorship candidate in 2011 in a rescheduled primary skewed in his favour, following the cancellation of the earlier exercise that produced Echocho as party flag bearer. Wada polled 300,372 votes to emerge winner of governorship election, while his closest rival, Prince Abubakar Audu of the defunct ACN polled 159,913 votes.

Things will not be as rosy as it was for Wada in 2011 this time around because of certain developments. First, the people of Kogi are not impressed by his performance; his four years in office has not witnessed any significant development. Secondly, Kogi elders who were instrumental to his victory in 2011 are divided over his re-election bid. Many of them have withdrawn their support for him. Thirdly, the support of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) for Wada’s re-election bid is in doubt. The NWC had cancelled the delegates election held on June 27. According to party sources, the result favoured Wada’s camp which would have made it easy for him to emerge as party’s governorship candidate at the primary. Fourthly, even if he wins the primary, he will have to go the extra mile to win the governorship election. According to observers, this is because a lot of disenchanted leaders of the PDP in Kogi have dumped the party for the APC, with their teeming supporters.

Abubakar Audu

Audu is a foundation member of the APC. It was by virtue of this fact that he became the party leader in Kogi State. He was elected governor in 1999 on the platform of the ANPP. Since he was defeated in 2003 by the PDP’s Ibrahim Idris, all attempts to return to Lugard House, Lokoja, the seat of power, have been unsuccessful. Audu believes this is his finest hour in Kogi’s politics, as he led the party to electoral success in the last general elections. Hence, he has expressed his aspiration to contest the November 21 governorship election.

Some APC leaders have challenged Audu’s leadership. A group known as the All Progressives Elders Vanguard alleged that Audu has hijacked the party machinery to his benefit, warning that the APC would lose the goodwill it enjoyed during the presidential election, if Audu was not called to order. In the same vein, another group, Kogi Renewal Group, has kicked against Audu’s quest to get the APC governorship ticket. The group leader, Dr Abubakar Yakubu, said the return of Audu to Lugard House is not the change the state needs.

However, a group loyal to Audu, Confluence for Change insists that the former governor is the leader of the APC in the state and that he remains the rallying point for the APC not only in Kogi, but in the Northcentral zone. On the rationale of Audu’s bid to return to power, it said since the former governor left office in 2003, the state had collapsed socially and economically, adding that they wanted him to come and save the state from bad leadership.

James Ocholi

A legal practitioner, James Ocholi (SAN) is a leading aspirant on the platform of the APC. A Lokoja-based group, the Network for Change and Good Governance, said Ocholi stands tall among other aspirants. They noted that though he is not a moneybag politician, he is credible, dependable, honest and of high integrity.

Ocholi was a member of the CPC, one of the legacy parties that merged to form the APC.

Yahaya Bello

Bello is one of the aspirants contesting for the APC ticket. The youths, under the aegis of Kogi APC Youths Arise Movement, are rooting for him. The group leader, Mr. Edward Onoja, said Bello stands out as the most pro-masses and youth friendly. He said: “As youths of Kogi State, we see Yahaya Bello as the carrier of our hopes and aspirations. His blueprint is pro-youths and it addresses the germane issues that concern our demographic needs.”

Jibrin Isa Echocho

Echocho won the PDP ticket for the 2011 election, at a primary conducted by the party in 2010. But, he was dropped in favour of the incumbent Governor Wada. The fallout of this development has not been addressed by the party. So far, it has resulted in mass defection of its members. This deliberate mistake of the PDP has not only weakened the electoral capacity of the party, it has also grossly contributed to strengthening the APC. Echocho worked for the APC’s success at the recent polls. He is hoping to realise his governorship ambition on the platform of the party.

Yakubu Mohammed

Veteran journalist Yakubu Muhammed was former editor of the defunct National Concord. He was co-founder of the rested Newswatch magazine. He vied for the PDP ticket in 2009, but lost. He is of the Igala ethnic nationality, the dominant tribe in the east senatorial zone. He believes his integrity will make up for what he lacks in financial wherewithal.

There are other aspirants from the APC that have declared their intention publicly. They are Suleiman Ali, Habib Yekeen and Zakari Jiya.

Mohammed Ali

Ali is the former Chairman of Dekina Local Government. He is the only aspirant that has come out to slug it out with Wada at the PDP primary. His posters bearing the PDP logo have flooded major towns in the state. The under-40 aspirant represents generational shift and effective management of the state’s largely untapped resources. Observers see him as the bridge between the new and the old order in the state. They are of the view that almost all persons that have worked with him in the past are supporting his aspiration to become governor speaks volume of his character and leadership quality.