With the emergence of Governor Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Abubakar Audu of All Progressives Congress (APC) as the governorship candidates of their parties, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports that the November 21 governorship election in Kogi State will be an epic. He takes a close look at the strengths and weaknesses of the two candidates in the election
Although Governor Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Abubakar Audu of All Progressives Congress (APC) are not the only candidates in the November 21, 2015 governorship election in Kogi State, their presence in the race, according to some observers, promises to transform the election to something in the realm of an epic.
This is partly because of their prolonged political rivalry in the state. It would be recalled that four years ago, the two contested for the same seat in Kogi.
In that well- fought election, Wada, who was backed by the then incumbent governor, Ibrahim Idris, defeated Audu, the first executive govenor of the state. While Wada won the election then on the ticket of PDP, Abubakar Audu ran under the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP).
So, the two political arch-rivals, who hail from Kogi-East, know themselves very well and are well known by the electorates. Their zone, according to earlier reports, has the majority 54 percent of the population of the state. Although some say the population advantage they would have enjoyed may have been neutralized since they may split it, an insider, a top government official told The Nation that in event of any of the two suffering outright rejection by the people from the zone, the other candidate will likely ride on the majority population to victory.
This speculation is based on the fact that they have both governed the state and could be objectively judged by the electorates, who are now being asked to chose from two well known leaders.
So, as the political parties, especially the PDP and the APC flag off the final phase of their preparations for the governorship election, featuring these two rivals, informed analysts say any of the two can win the election given the advantages they enjoy and the recent challenges likely to pose as major problems.
For example, there is today the fear that Wada’s PDP, though the ruling party in the state, is not certain to win the election, partly because of the kind of intrigues that trailed the organisation of its primary election and the emergence of Wada notwithstanding the deep disagreement amongst powerful stakeholders over his candidature.
Following the humbling defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suffered in the state under Governor Idris Wada’s leadership during March 28, 2015 presidential election, insiders said some leaders of PDP swore he would not be allowed to fly the flag of the party in the November 21 governorship election if the party hopes to retain the state. It would be recalled that during the presidential election, Wada lost his ward and local government to APC.
So, as the party prepared for the governorship primaries, insiders said the earlier opposition of Wada’s candidacy by some members of the National Working Committee and some elders of PDP in the state was primarily because of the failure in the presidential election and the fear that the governor may have lost substantial support both from many electorates in the state and from top PDP members at the federal level and within the state.
But in the PDP primary election, supervised by Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, which held last Monday at the Lokoja Stadium, Wada reportedly garnered 709 votes to defeat Jubril Isa Echoho, earlier reported as a more favoured apirant, who scored 139 votes.
Since INEC’s regulations suggest that no party can replace a candidate by Tuesday, 15th September, 2015, it means Wada is at last, the PDP candidate for the Kogi’s November 21, 2015 governorship election.
So, now that it has become certain that Nigerians are being served a repeat contest between these two rivals who may still have some political scores to settle, observers are keen to see the outcome.
Our investigation shows that the deep interest in the outcome of the forthcoming governorship election in Kogi is not only because of the age-long rivalry of the two top candidates but also because of the alleged baggage Wada of PDP is carrying to the electoral battle.
The intrigues that trailed his emergence may have not only created a mortal crack in his platform and a division he may not successfully resolve within the short period before the election but has also weakened his candidacy. As the incumbent governor, who has made some claims to deliverance of dividends of democracy to the people, one expects him to be the candidate to beat. But some close observers and his opponents say his bitterest challenge in the coming election may be from his party.
The depth of the crisis within the PDP was glaringly exposed during the first attempt to conduct the primary election that would produce the governorship candidate. The Nation had captured the confusion and the absurd drama enacted by the ruling party in the state before canceling and postponing the first primary election.
As The Nation puts it in the earlier report: “The delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were already at Lokoja for the much-anticipated governorship primary. The aspirants were busy canvassing for votes, trying to win over delegates to their camps.
“Election materials were on the way just as many of the electoral officials were also on standby. Everything appeared set until the National Working Committee (NWC) announced the postponement of the exercise.
“Many party chieftains and delegates were caught unawares. They never saw the postponement coming. But members of the NWC, according to investigations, were simply working towards a pre-determined end. It took only a terse statement from the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, to explain the postponement was to address logistical challenges.”
Sources who claimed the confusion could be traced to Wada’s alleged frosty relationship with powerful members of the party’s National Working Committee had said then that it was all a grand plot to stop Wada.
They cited the July 1 report on how the worried Kogi State governor stormed the PDP national secretariat in Abuja for a meeting with NWC members. According to the report in The Nation, Wada “was kept waiting for hours, a development many attributed to the members’ reluctance to have a parley with him. The governor had sought for the meeting to seek explanations on why the PDP’s leadership cancelled the ad hoc delegates ward congress in the state.
The NWC had explained the congress was cancelled because it was conducted by what it described as “unknown local organising committee.”
Given that Wada’s men recorded great victory at the cancelled poll, some analyst said the members of the NWC of the party were out to stop Wada in preference for Jubrin Isa Echocho. Wada’s men however won the rescheduled congresses on July 14, 2015.
Commenting on this first victory, Wada had said: “We have to reinvigorate and strengthen the party to meet the current challenges.
“You can’t enter a governorship election without putting in place the executive council members. With the successful election of the executive officers of the party, we are determined to retain the state.
“The new leadership is hungry to make a mark and to put their footprints on the sand of history, and there is a renewed spirit among the members who have put behind them the incidence of presidential and National Assembly elections.”
Since then, especially since it became obvious he would go for a reelection, Wada has faced enormous challenges as opponents within his party and some ordinary Kogi electorates have been quoted as suggesting he should quit in the interest of the party in the state. But his supporters said he has performed very well and that his opponents were only employing blackmail tactics against his reelection bid.
Idris Wada
When Governor Idris Wada defeated former Governor Abubakar Audu in the governorship election four years ago, results of some researches showed that his platform was well positioned to win people’s votes.
His political party, the PDP, was the ruling party then both at the federal and in the state. It was said to be very popular in the state. So, not many were surprised when he won the governorship election and his party won 20 of the 25 House of Assembly seats. It also had the three senatorial seats and seven, out of the nine House of Representatives seats.
Besides, the incumbent governor then, Ibrahim Idris, gave him ample support calculated at defeating Audu, who the two perceived as a common political enemy.
With the changing political realities, it remains to be seen how far Wada can go in his bid to remain at the Government House.
There is no doubt that he has the incumbency advantage which he seems experienced and determined enough to utilize optimally, notwithstanding attacks from within and outside.
However, with the emergence of APC as the ruling party at the centre, the political climate has changed significantly. Investigations show that many electorates in Kogi State have already caught the bug of change, which is APC’s catch word. Added to this is the fact that many important politicians, who wielded so much influence in Kogi PDP had since dumped the party for APC.
Wada’s worries here would be deepened by the sharp division in Kogi PDP as aggrieved Jubril Isa Echocho’s supporters, some fear, may work against Wada’s victory at the polls. There remains the allegation from that camp that the primary election that produced Wada instead of Echocho was a sham. As it stands, it seems unless and until Wada truly reconciles with Echocho’s supporters, PDP would only go to the November governorship election as a divided house.
Besides this grim prospect is Audu’s presence. Sources claimed Wada would have preferred any other candidate in the rival APC than the first executive governor of the state who still enjoys ample support and followership.
Born on August 26, 1950 in Dekina, Kogi State, Wada is the third civilian Governor of Kogi State as he took over office from former Governor Ibrahim Idris. A pilot and business man, he joined the Nigerian Civil Aviation Training Centre, Zaria and worked as Flight Instructor. He joined the Nigeria Airways Ltd as a pilot and worked there from 1978 to 1983. He was employed by United Air Services as a Chief Pilot and General Manager. By 1995, Wada had become the Executive Chairman of Afroconsult Ltd.
Available records show that he joined active politics in 2011. As the incumbent governor, he has the war chest, and a well oiled political structure in the state but his major concerns include the crack in his party at the state level, the sweeping influence of APC’s change slogan in his zone and in the country and the Audu factor which the APC has used as part of its game plans to unseat him. How he would overcome these still needs to be seen.
Abubakar Audu
Former Governor Abubakar Audu, the governorship candidate of APC, is entering the race with great hopes. This is because of the favorable political climate in Nigeria of today. Unlike four years ago, when his party, the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), was just one of the numerous opposition parties fighting against the then political Octapus, the PDP, the tide has changed in his favour. His party, the APC, is now the ruling party at the centre and with its message of change receiving positive response in Kogi, Audu’s men say all they need is a free and fair election for them to dislodge Wada.
They said Kogi indigenes are eager to join other states in the geo- political zone to wave the broom as they embrace change. “We can’t afford to be the odd men out. No! Kogi people are wiser than that. All we need is a free and fair election, come November 21 and you will see Wada out of that Government House,” boasted Ozigi Ahmed, a confessed supporter of Audu.
Born on October 27, 1947 to a royal family in Igala land, Prince Audu was the First Executive Governor of Kogi State. A banker of repute before entering politics, he has served as governor of Kogi State twice, from January 1992 to November 1993 and from May 1999 to May 2003.
Those who know him well said he is entering this year’s race fully prepared and with enough muscle not only to match the incumbent governor but to win the race. The expectations are high!
