The federal lawmaker said the Coalition he represents is an amalgamation of various political parties including the ruling APC, intelligentsia, entrepreneurs, youths and women organizations who have come under one umbrella to ensure that someone from the West is elected governor.
THE battle for Lugard House has stirred a political storm in Kogi State. There is a rat race of sorts among a horde of aspirants from the various political parties to succeed Governor Yahaya Bello whose second term will officially terminate on January 27, 2024.
So far, no fewer than 30 aspirants have signified their interest to succeed Bello.
Although the aspirants cut across four political parties, only three parties seem to be serious about the contest. The parties are the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC; the main opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and the emergent African Democratic Congress, ADC.
In the PDP, 10 aspirants have been screened to compete for the ticket, while the APC has 18 aspirants following the decision of James Faleke to pull out of the race. The ADC and Action Alliance so far have one aspirant each.
Agitation
Two issues have been on the front burner in the political atmosphere. One is the issue of power shift to the Western Senatorial axis, and the second is the agitation by Christian youths to produce the next governor of the state.
While the Igala-dominated Kogi East has governed the state for 17 years, the Ebira-dominated Central district will be serving eight years by the end of Bello’s tenure in 2024.
The Western Senatorial district has not produced a governor and all the civilian governors since creation of the state in 1991 have all been Muslims.
10 jostle for PDP ticket
The 10 aspirants cleared by PDP for its primary include Sen. Dino Melaye; Engr. Musa Wada, Senator Atai Aidoko Ali; Mohammed Kabiru Haruna; Abayomi Awoniyi; Bolufemi Olarotimi; Abdullahi Haruna ( SAN); Gideon Ojata; Reuben Atabo; and Idoko Kingsley Ilonah.
Three of the aspirants (Dino, Awoniyi and Bolufemi) are from the Western Senatorial district while the other seven are from the Eastern flank.
Political pundits said Melaye and Musa Wada are favoured to get the ticket but Idoko Kingsley Ilonah from Idaho LGA may spring surprise.
Some political watchers who earlier considered former Deputy Governor of the State, Yomi Awoniyi, as the favourite for the PDP now see Dino and Wada (younger brother of former governor Idris Wada) who belong to the Atiku camps as more favoured to clinch the ticket, as many members of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party are still in tune with the PDP presidential candidate.
On Monday, some members of the party protested at the National Secretariat in Abuja claiming that Dino Melaye had hijacked the delegate list. It’s been rumoured that 60 percent of the delegates were submitted by Dino to Senator Ningi who came to conduct the delegates’ election.
Dino and Yomi Awoniyi are, however, favoured by the power shift agitation only if the delegates base their judgment on it.
Scramble for APC ticket
The APC parades the highest number of aspirants.
Those who were cleared for the party’s direct primary include: Deputy Governor of the state, Edward David Onoja; current Senator representing Kogi West and former National President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Senator Smart Adeyemi; and Abdulkareem Asuku, the chief of staff to Governor Yahaya Bello.
Others jostling for the Kogi APC ticket are Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Muritala Yakubu Ajaka; son of the former Governor Abubakar Audu, Prince Shauibu Abubakar Audu; Sanusi Ohiare; former Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Salami Momodu O. Deedat; and Usman Ododo, Auditor General, Local oneGovernment.
Also cleared is the Chairman Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Crime, Senator Oseni Yakubu; Halima l. Alfa; Momoh Jibrin, the state Accountant general; and two other commissioners- Alhaji Yusuf Yakubu Okala; and the Finance Commissioner, Asiru Idris.
Others are former Minister of State, Prof. Stephen Ikani Ocheni; a reputable Insurance Broker and Banker, David Adebanji Jimoh; Abubakar Yahaya Achimugu; and Governor Bello’s alleged most favoured contractor, Idachaba Friday Abdullahi.
Secretary to the APC Presidential Campaign Council James Faleke, whose N50 million form was obtained on his behalf by the Kogi Elders Forum did not show up for the screening, and had opted out of the race.
Among these aspirants, Muritala Ajaka, who is the national deputy publicity secretary, is the most vilified. A cold war between him and the governor has snowballed into the open with his APC ward members suspending him last month. Not only that, he has been barred by a court from contesting the primary. His sin(s) was that he was using his influence as a member of the NWC to push for direct primary against the governor’s position of conducting the primaries through indirect mode.
Bello names preferred candidate as Dep. Gov, 7 others withdraw
Meanwhile few hours to the APC primary, which was held , yesterday, the Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja, and the Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello, Pharmacist Mohammed Abdulkareem Asuku, withdrew from the race.
This was announced at the stakeholders meeting of the party held on Thursday in Lokoja at the party’s secretariat.
The parley was hosted by Governor Bello, who unveiled his preferred candidate as the Auditor General of the state, Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Onoja and Asuku announced their withdrawal from the governorship race via their respective verified Facebook pages shortly after the meeting.
The deputy governor, who many had thought will naturally succeed Governor Bello before now, posted a cryptic message on Facebook, which reads: “To God be the glory for life and divine health. My appreciation to my leader, HE Alhaji Yahaya Bello and all my supporters for your love and prayers. Let love, patience and perseverance lead. I am forever grateful.”
On his part, Asuku, who was also seen as a frontrunner because of his closeness to the governor, posted: “Alhamdulillah! Alhamdulillah !!Alhamdulillah !!!