Politics:
Bello, Wada In Titanic Battle

A big battle is on the card between APC and PDP governorship candidates for the Kogi November 16 polls


For the people of Kogi State in North Central Nigeria, another opportunity for them to choose the leader that will govern them for the next four years is here. November 16 is the date when the incumbent governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Party, APC, will slug it out with his main challenger, Engr. Musa Wada of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, a former staff of the Nigerian Ports Authority for the plume position.

The emergence of the incumbent, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello as the flag bearer of APC and Engr. Musa Wada as the torch bearer of PDP has once more brought to prominence the rivalry between the two political parties. PDP which had control of the state was defeated in the last election by APC after 13 years in power and this was made possible because of the immense popularity of Prince Abubakar Audu, who was heading for victory at the polls, before his death at his residence at Ogbonicha in Ofu LGA.

Alhaji Yahaya Bello who came on board is a child of necessity, having inherited the late Audu’s votes by virtue of the fact that he came second in the party’s primary held several months earlier. While Bello wants Kogites to give him a second chance to consolidate on his achievements, with a promise “to do better if returned to power,” has picked his loyalist and Chief of Staff, Edward Onoja, as his deputy. The Ebira people is hoping that Onoja would bring his experience to bear to get him the swing votes of Igalas from the East. Engr. Wada, on the other hand has picked Otunba Saamuel Aro a former House of Representatives member as his running mate. He is from Ijumu, the Yoruba speaking part of the state. Wada’s team believes the votes of his deputy’s kins will augment those of the Igala essentially o give him the ticket. In all, Engr. Wada has promised to work assiduously on the payment of workers’ salaries and pension for retirees; most of who claimed were owed many months, his priority.

In all, the November 16 clash of the titans is throwing up some interesting scenarios. It is the first time two “green horns” in politics will battle for who between them will administer the state from the Lugard House, as the Government House Lokoja is known. The place where the office is located today used to be the administrative headquarters of Nigeria, where Lord Lugard, the Governor-General of northern and southern protectorates governed what is known today as the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

For Governor Yahaya Bello he did not actually contest the last election of 2015. It was his party man, Abubakar Audu that stood on his party’s flag, but died while coasting him to victory, and Bello who came second in the APC primary held earlier inherited his votes and was declared winner of the election, and subsequently sworn in as governor of the state. The development paved the way for a non-Igala to become the governor of the state for the first time, barely 25 years of its creation. This election would have been no contest for the incumbent but for the believe in some quarters that his rating has gone low with the people of the state, especially on his failure to pay civil servants which have become so controversial in the state.

Unlike the previous election where the two main parties produced Igala men as party flag bearers, the November 16 will present a different scenario. Bello, an Ebira and minority in the state is facing Wada, an Igala that had dominated politics and governance of the state over time. Musa Wada is the younger brother of Idris Wada, who was governor of the state, before losing the last election to late Audu. He wants to make history as the first man to administer the state after his brother in the state, and by extension possibly the entire Nigeria. He is contesting at a time the desire of his people to wrestle power from the present APC-led government is very strong as they have complained that most key positions in Bello’s government and APC at the Federal Level have been skewed against them: From the only minister produced by the state, Minister of State for the FCT to the State’s head of judiciary, to the Secretary to the government and even the acting Head of Service recently appointed by President Buhari.

For the upcoming election, the incumbent, despite his rating is still favourite to win the election for a number of factors. According to political observers, Bello will rely more on the determination of his Ebira kinsmen ensuring his victory, the power of incumbency and the support of the federal might to win the election. Political pundits hold strongly to the view that with APC losing some of its strongholds in Zamfara, Oyo, and Adamawa to the main opposition, the PDP, it will do everything within its power to ensure that a strategic state like Kogi is not allowed to slip off its hands at the polls.

Bello also has advantage of structure. He will rely heavily on the two APC Senators, seven House of Representatives members, 25 members of the state House of Assembly against none from PDP; and his 21 Local Government appointees to win the contest. Again he has the financial muscle to finance the election. On the other hand, the harrowing experience of state and local government workers, who alleged that their salaries have not been paid for months, will count against the governor.

If Wada could reconcile the various groups within the PDP, the younger Wada will be in the position to realise his dream of governing the state. The coast will be clear for him to excel if he reconciles with the big wigs in his party, including his elder brother, Idris Wada, who was also a contestant at the primaries, as well as with his in law Alhaji, Ibrahim Idris, who is his father-in-law and former governor of the state. Their experience will help him greatly to prevail in the murky waters of Kogi politics. Wada junior, in addition stands to enjoy the strength of the majority of his kinsmen, the Igalas of the eastern flank of the state who have more than half of the registered voters of the state and are also the single largest ethnic group in the state with about 54% of the state’s population. The people are maintaining that the opportunity has come for them to fight back and reclaim the seat of power as they have been relegated to the background in the scheme of things under the administration of Yahaya Bello.

Meanwhile concerns are being expressed over possible violence in the coming election. Kogi has been notorious for political violence and the coming one may not be an exception. It is therefore not surprising that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Prof. James Apam, recently enjoined security agents to increase the number of personnel in the state to monitor the governorship poll.Prof. Apam made the call at a three-day training programme for security personnel ahead of the forthcoming election in the state.

He said although the duty of security personnel during election was limited to providing security for electorate and election materials, they also have a duty to protect INEC staff. He explained that there have been cases where even adhoc staff like NYSC personnel have been attacked and in some have even lost their lives in the process. He said the need to beef up security in a volatile state like Kogi cannot therefore be overstressed .