Oscar Nkemdi
Unarguably, the nation’s electoral system will undergo another litmus test on its embattled credibility as the Kogi State gubernatorial election rolls around in November 2019.
It is given that since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released its guidelines for the election in the state; public attention has shifted to the state aptly referred to as a confluence state as a lot of incongruities seem to be in contention.
It is obvious that the incumbent governor of the state, Yahaya Bello, is battling to swim against the prevailing political current in the effort to remain the governor of the north-central state. After the usual celebration that follows election victory which Bello had in 2015, it is arguable if he has had any modicum of peace after.
Of course, Bello was up against history as no non-Igala has ever won the governorship position since the creation of the state in 1991. It is on record that in terms of population advantage, the Igala-dominated Kogi East Senatorial District which accounts for more than half of the state’s population. So, that Bello, an Ebira from Kogi Central is governor was termed an accident, occasioned by Abubakar Audu’s death.
It would be recalled that the period leading to his emergence as governor appeared to have enmeshed in a constitutional logjam, as the APC’s governorship candidate in the 2015 election, Abubakar Audu, who was poised to win in the election died before its governorship election was concluded.
Bello was then picked by the APC to replace him. Hon James Faleke who was Audu’s running mate objected to the party’s decision and approached the election tribunal in the state asking it to declare him governor-elect. But the party had persuaded Faleke to retain his running mate position, which he turned down.
Thus, Yahaya Bello made an unusual history as he was sworn in without a deputy. It was the first time in Nigeria’s political history that an elected governor would be inaugurated without a deputy.
Kogi people around the world had always dreamt of having a Governor who will launch the state on the national and international stages; a unifier who will collapse the walls of division; a patriotic leader who places service above elections; but going by the reports from the state, most stakeholders and political observers have strongly argued that governance has taken a leave from Kogi since Bello reputed as the youngest governor in Nigeria, took over the saddle of leadership.
Bello’s administration seems to be going down as the most unpopular in the state’s history. It had come under public scorn and severe media criticism as an administration with uncommon disdain for civil servants, one that loved to owe workers’ salaries with impunity and without any tangible performance in infrastructural development, despite the huge resources at its disposal.
Most Nigerians were aghast, on hearing that the Kogi State government has not paid salaries to civil servants in the state for 38 months out of the 39 months that Bello has spent in the office.
There are reports that increasing acute hunger, starvation, and helplessness being experienced by civil servants in the state have led to the death of many of the workers. For instance, at the state secretariat, the place is littered with obituary posters announcing the death of workers.
The situation reached an alarming dimension that compelled the Head of Service, Deborah Ogunmola, to issue a memo that posters of dead workers should no longer be pasted on the walls of the secretariat.
More worrisome is the revelation that at least one worker dies every week due to non-payment of salaries. In a rare show of unity both the Christian and Muslim faithful’s have been earnestly praying, seeking the face of God to intervene so that Bello will not secure a second term ticket.
The organised Labour in the state, though thoroughly bashed and battered by the Bello’s government, has continued to push for the welfare of the workers. At the 7th state congress of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the state Chairman, Comrade Onuh Edoka and his counterpart in Trade Union Congress, Comrade Ranti Ojo, looked straight into Bello’s eyes and told him the stark truth that their members were dying and still being owed between eight to 38 months’ salary arrears.
The general perception that seems to hold sway within and beyond the state is that governor Bello has enthroned a reign of notoriety that has brought shame to the much-touted inclusion of youths in governance. One commentator described Kogi state, a state proudly referred to as confluence state as “one that has become a confluence of absurdities” Bello said he only owes the state workers four months salaries.
Kingsley Fanwo, the spokesman of the governor, who debunked the claim during an encounter with journalists, insisted it was done out of mischief. Said Fanwo “As far as government is concerned, we have paid 38 months salaries starting from September 2015. We have been in office for just 39 months. But we still owe four months’ salaries.
The entire claim is born out of mischief.” Arguably, Bello is top on the list of governors swimming in a sea of unanimous disgust and disdain. He is believed to have driven the quality of governance many rungs down the ladder. Perhaps, this is the only meaningful convergence of opinion.
On this one thing, there is an overwhelming agreement; Bello must be shown the exit door in the November poll. There are reports claiming that Bello is jittery that he may not be the choice of the party as he is planning to join the Accord Party (AP).
Also, there has been growing report from yet to be confirmed sources indicating that Bello may have even steeper obstacles to surmount against the upcoming gubernatorial election. This is as the President’s wife, Aisha Buhari, is said to have recently rebuffed Bello’s appeal to assist him to reach out to President Buhari concerning his endangered situation with the party.
Bello, in the past, is said to be a frequent guest of the President and his wife and had boasted severally that the President considers him his son – and will not allow anything ‘bad’ befall him under his watch. But Bello’s hopes on lobbying Buhari through his wife has been dashed in unequivocal terms as the source shows that Buhari’s wife along with the President has resolved to toe the same line as the national party chairman.
The APC’s body language in the past weeks seem to suggested to Bello in a very clear manner that the party will not offer him the ticket to contest for the gubernatorial elections.
It is also being rumored the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, in a private discussion, pointed to the dwindled popularity of the Kogi Governor as the major reason for declining to put Bello forward for the gubernatorial exercise. The verdict according to Oshiomhole is that “APC will lose”.
Oshiomhole, in his calculation, as disclosed, believes that Bello had performed terribly below expectation as governor and that the people of the State have since turned their backs against him. Particularly, it was revealed that the monarch of the community where Bello hails from had told the governor publicly that he may not be able to successfully convince his community to cast votes for him.
Also, beyond Oshiomhole, the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu is believed to have his opposition against the continued stay of Yahaya Bello as the Governor. The Jagaban Borgu, as sources indicate, has his special candidate – and is willing to go ‘any length’ to impose his choice candidate.
Tinubu also believes that “APC will lose” if the gubernatorial ticket is given to Bello. A reliable source who pleaded anonymity told our reporter that “Bello is fighting different people in the state from all fronts and there is this impression that he is not popular among the Kogi indigenes, both the young and old, particularly the civil servants that constitute the majority of the people in the state”.
There were reports that Bello is even being rejected by the APC leadership in his state. The party insisted that evidence has shown everyone that Bello lacks leadership abilities and can’t fight for the rights and privileges of Kogi people. He has recently been accused of temporarily abandoning governance while relocating to Abuja to salvage his pathetic situation.
They have vowed that nothing can save him as they say they will use all legitimate means, particularly the people’s power to throw him out of office. In his reaction, Onogwu Mohammed, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, has denied the allegations, saying that Bello has remained in the state and even canceled a trip with President Buhari to Jordan in order to attend to security issues in the state.
According to Onogwu “that is a lie from the pit of hell concocted by the imagination of those who are only interested in spreading falsehood. The governor was billed to travel with Mr. President to Jordan alongside with Governors Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo and Badaru of Jigawa state.
“The governor has been on the ground in the state since last week and has not traveled to Abuja. He had to cancel that trip to Jordan with President Buhari because from the security reports he gathered, there was a plot to threaten the peace of the people of Omala local government Area.
“Yahaya Bello is not after the second term in office. He is not desperate about getting himself a second term ticket by relocating to Abuja. He is assuring himself of a second term ticket by giving the people of Kogi state good governance”.
Kogi government under Bello has published paid adverts showcasing not less than 124 achievements in all sectors. For most Kogi indigenes and political observers, such exercise is mere political propaganda as there is nothing much on the ground to show for the claim.
Bello has also said he is not leaving the APC for another party.. Though Bello’s APC won the majority of seats in the state House of Assembly election, the PDP had a good showing in the National Assembly elections, indicating that the impending governorship election in the state is open for a tough duel.
There seems to be fire on the mountain in Kogi state as different stakeholders strategize and battle for the soul of the state in the November, governorship election.
