News analysis… Kogi: Between the devil and deep blue sea

News analysis… Kogi: Between the devil and deep blue sea

The Kogi State governorship election is fast approaching and the stakes are getting high by the day. Political activities and its attendant intrigues are at an all time high.

Accusations of thuggery and intent to disrupt and compromise the election are flying all over the place, with the All Progressives Congress, APC, Candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, a former governor of the state, accusing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of engaging thugs with the purpose of attacking his properties before the election.

The PDP, which denied the allegation, had also through the state governor, Captain Idris Wada, accused people he referred to as “bad people” of deliberately frustrating his administrations efforts at assessing the N51 billion bailout fund approved for the state by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

Truth is that there may not be an end to the current intrigues and accusations, but in all, the people of the state are somewhat in a precarious situation, as the November 21 election draws near.

Precarious situation because the electorate in the state are saddled with a situation akin to choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea. A situation that has left the people with a ‘choiceless’ choice as feelers from the state suggest that they would have desired choices far different from what they are currently saddled with.

Though there are three other candidates vying under lesser known parties in the state, they present no alternative choice for the people.

The candidatures of Enezi Emmanuel Ozigi of Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, Phillip Salawu of the Labour Party, LP and the Kowa Party candidate, if for anything, had further decimated whatever alternative choice that may be available.

To start with, PPA, LP and Kowa are all strange parties that do not have roots in the state. Equally, the candidates, except for Philip Salawu, a former deputy governor in the state under former Governor Ibrahim Idris, do not have any political structure, root or influence of any kind in the state.

Another factor that may have effectively put them off as an alternative is the fact that the three are Ebiras from Central Senatorial district. This has destroyed whatever block votes the Ebiras may have wanted to give any of their own, as the Central district has always agitated for a power shift.

So technically, their ambitions to rule the state on the platform of their various parties are dead on arrival, leaving Kogites with no choice but to choose between the incumbent Wada and former Governor Audu.

Going by current agitation in the state, especially by youths, who daily bombard social media platforms to express their anger against the incumbent governor over what they say is non performance in his fast winding up first term and the alleged arrogance and pending corruption case hanging on Audu, it is clear that the people of Kogi would have preferred they had better alternatives.

Truth be told, Kogi is a sham! It is an eyesore and urgently needs redemption. It has remained a source of shame to many Kogites and many actually feel reluctant to admit they are from the state.

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The state, under successive administrations have been held under gross underdevelopment, infrastructural decay and poverty. A drive round the state capital reveals a pathetic sight that has remained the shame of its people.

Captain Wada no doubt went to sleep immediately he was inaugurated as governor of the state. Nothing seem to be working under him, except claims of regular payment of salaries of state government workers. But then, local government workers remained grossly impoverished due to lack of salaries.

For Abubarka Audu, despite attempts by his supporters to paint a perfect picture of him as the only man who can rescue the state, fact is that he too may not be the perfect choice for Kogites. Aside his baggage of corruption charges still hanging on his head, tales abound of his alleged arrogance while he governed the state.

His contempt for people of the state, especially those who are not from his Igala speaking part of the state is said to be legendary. It was reported that he once referred to the Bassa people of the state as inconsequential, saying if they pack them inside a pick up vehicle, they cannot fill it.

He also was reported as speaking about the Yagba people in the West Senatorial district in an equally derogative manner, saying he knows how to handle them. According to him, if you throw money to a Yagba man, he will fall in line.

These two men are certainly not what the state needs at the moment but Kogites may just have to bear the burden of having one of them as governor for another four years in a suffering and smiling manner!

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