Kogi guber: The gathering storm against Wada

As the people of Kogi State go the polls tomorrow to elect a new governor, the exercise may just be another mass movement of different forces to effect what they call change.
The election, believed by many to be a straight fight between incumbent governor, Captain Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Governor Audu Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may however turn out to be a surprising one.
Wada, with his incumbency and the believe that the state has always been a PDP one, has always been expected to carry the day and once again thrash his opponent, Audu, who he defeated in 2011, but the reality on ground in the state points to something different.
Ripples gathered that there is a mass movement of people, especially those in his party, against him.
Findings reveal that prominent members of the PDP are leading the battle against the governor’s reelection. The decision of these PDP members are said not to be unconnected to the growing discontent with the almost four-year rule of Wada.
A prominent member of the party in the state, who spoke to Ripples Nigeria under the condition of anonymity, said many of the party members, especially from the West and Central senatorial districts of the state, are not happy with the Wada administration and they have resolved to work against him in Saturday’s election.
“We are not supporting Wada’s reelection. He has failed us and we cannot afford to have him in office for another four years. This is not about party membership now, it’s about what is good for our party. The movement that is going on at the moment transcends party affiliation”, one of them said.
According to the party chieftain, the administration of Captain Wada has been a source of embarrassment to them and they would quietly work for the emergence of the Audu/Faleke ticket.
Ripples findings also reveal that the emergence of Hon. Abiodun Faleke, a two term member of the House of Representatives, was another game changer, as his candidature swayed the mood of the people of Kogi West in the direction of Audu and the APC.

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Speaking on the development, an arrow head in the caucus of a former federal legislator said they are all working for the emergence of Abiodun Faleke as the deputy governor, believing that the Kogi West zone and the state in general will be in a good stead under him as the number two man in the state.
“Faleke worked under former Governor Babatunde Fashola as a local government chairman in Lagos and is at the moment still representing Ikeja Federal Constituency of Lagos. We believe he will be able to interact more with the Minister of Works and attract projects to the state, especially the eye sore called Obajana-Kabba-Ilorin road. If that is the only thing he can achieve, he would have done a great job and people will forever appreciate him for that. So we are working for Audu/Faleke and nothing will stop their emergence”, he said.
However, the PDP camp of Governor Wada is working round the clock to try and appeal to aggrieved party chieftains and their followers to have a change of heart. Different meetings were held till late in the night on Thursday and others scheduled for today, Friday.
Despite the peace moves, many of the aggrieved PDP chieftains are tactically staying away from the meetings citing one excuse or the other, heightening uncertainty of just who they would work for on the election day.

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