By Prince Suleiman Adinoyi
We have learned from history that Kogi State was created in 1991, and the first mantle of leadership was handed over to our Igala brethren through a gentleman arrangement. Whether the later is true or not, it was an eye-saw that ever since, the fate of the other two senatorial districts, especially Kogi Central, never remained the same until 2015.
Governments upon governments have come and gone, but Kogi Central usually get one Yakubu-manage Commissioner and 1-2 Chahulized Special Advisers. And, to our sorry state and pitiable reminder which has become the modern day political strategy by those in power, our Igala brethren would have to come down to our elective positions and install whoever is loyal them, not minding whether the people actually wanted such person or not.
These problems we faced caused us serious setbacks, crises upon crises; political crises twisting into clannish ones and eventually into religious ones. Kogi Central became a case study of a terrorist zone. The Ebira, which translates to good character in its original trait, was defaced to bad characters simply because of political meandering.
During those years, many engaged in power shifts, and many souls aged, youths, younger ones, men and women died. As we fought and died, the only thing we could leverage on, even as they continued to decide for us, remained the Senate seat. I remember that when we were left with almost nothing, the only hot cake that looked anything close to a Governorship position before us was simply the Senate seat.
How tough this Senate scenario was! The battle remained between the Ebira gladiators, and at this point, the youth were hopeless. None could even think of aspiring for any position. Senate, Reps, Assembly and Chairmanship were all hot cakes seemingly left only for the political gladiators in Kogi Central.
Then came the emergence of Yahaya Bello in 2015, aspiring for the Governorship. To many political warlord and analysts in Kogi Central and the state at large, it was more like fiction. Some said, “He is a boy.” Some said, “He is a gambler.” Others said, “He is daydreaming.” Some even went as far as asking, “Who was his father in Kogi Central/Kogi?” And then came the famous conclusion from some: “He thinks governorship is SUG!”
However, beyond all of these, a good number of youths believed he was the answer. Thanks be to God, I was one of those youths. I am always proud to say that I was part of the history that broke the jinx, leading from the front on a power-shift and generational-shift platform, with Yahaya Bello as our sure bet!
Divinely, Yahaya Bello became Governor. His emergence created a lacuna in Nigeria’s political history and opened new knowledge and possibilities for Nigerians across walks of life. Yahaya Bello, like no one had ever done before, swallowed power as if swallowing poundy-ékási. So fitted with power; in talks, laughter, movement and virtually every action. He shines for eight years and eventually produced a worthy successor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo
Bello remained one of the most consequential politicians in the history of Kogi State.
Yahaya Bello’s leadership opened up hopes and possibilities for every Kogite, especially the youth. For Kogi Central, it opened an insight into political exploration and showed us possibilities we hardly knew existed. Everybody is now an Honourable. Everybody now contests. Everybody now shows muscles. Everybody now invents strategies far from the old practice of gunning one another down. This is Yahaya Bello’s Effect.
Yahaya Bello’s ways may have been divinely presented, but God has not told us that he is a Saint. Even prophets are not saints, let alone a common man. So, on a clear-cut assessment, Yahaya Bello may not have scored 100 percent in his leadership role, but he is surely on the radar of excellence.
Power or politics is such that those who lose continue to sink, while those who win continue to gain dominance. Now, I ask Kogi Central again: let us reflect on our status in 2015, or possibly our political penury from 1991 to 2015, and ask ourselves: What if there was no Yahaya Bello? What if our situation from 1991 till 2015 had remained the same?
What if our Igala brethren had continued to maintain power from that year until date? What would have been our fate? Would our 24-year fate/penury have stretched to 35 years? Would the youth of Kogi Central have found the courage to dream of political leadership? Would we have seen the level of political participation, confidence and competition we see today? Who would have tackled the then daylight robbery and insecurity in our land? Who would have constructed our roads, given Jobs and businesses even as some still insult him while benefitting in that jobs/businesses plus other opportunities?
These are questions we must answer for ourselves.
So, now tell me: How smart are you to think Yahaya Bello isn’t a Kogi Central hero?
And then tell me also: How smart are some of you comparing Yahaya Bello? With whom, and on what ground exactly?
Yahaya Bello has no equal. He is a class of his own!
– Prince Suleiman Adinoyi writes from Lokoja.
