Sir, with much respect and honour, I found it necessary to write to you at this crucial moment over the recent activities of APC in Kogi State of which if nothing is done may definitely have a negative effect on the success of APC in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
The fact the the good people of Kogi state have unanimously embraced the party as demonstrated by their performance in the last general election where APC virtually swept all the state and national assembly seats and deliver the presidential election for APC shows that they are indeed ready to repeat such in the next gubernatorial election using their PVC if only the party can afford the necessary preparations to attain that.
First and foremost, during the screening to select candidates for senatorial seats across the state, the party APC demonstrated it readiness to maintain the spirit of zero tolerance for corruption by screening out one Sam Aro, a candidate from Kogi west on the ground of allegation of corrupt practices even when he has not been indicted. The people of Kogi west senatorial district embraced this development and went ahead to vote for the candidate of APC (senator Dino Melaye) even when Sam Aro decamped to ACCORD party to contest the same election.
One was expecting that this transparent system should also be adopted when screening candidates for the gubernatorial election slated for November 21st. But what we saw was clearly a different scenario. A situation where one of the aspirants who also doubles as the leader of the party in the state (in person of Prince Abubakar Audu), a former governor of the state who is still standing trial as arraigned by EFCC for embezzling about 11 Billion Naira when he served as the state governor between 1999 to 2003was not only screened in for the primaries but also have been issued the returning ticket having emerged as the winner of APC primaries. This cannot only be seen as a selective treatment by the party leadership but also practice of impunity that we all thought is only associated with PDP. The party leadership couldn’t have claimed ignorance of his corruption charges and trial by EFCC but the reason why he was screened for the primaries by the zero tolerance for corruption party is still a mystery to the good people of Kogi state.
Secondly sir, while the emergence of an anti-graft suspect still remain a serious issue threatening the success of the party in the forthcoming election, the leadership of APC proceeds to import a member representing Lagos State in the national assembly as the running mate to the emperor. Even though he is an indigen of Kogi state, is the party saying that the grassroot politicians are not qualify enough to fill that position? A man who has served as a two term local government chairman in Lagos State before ascending to National assembly still to represent Lagos State probably have the popularity to converse for votes more than the grassroot politicians?
It might also interest you to note that from the inception of democratically elected government in Kogi state where Political party in power (PDP) do conduct gubernatorial primaries to elect their governorship candidates, the second runner up usually by virtue of their popularity, do have the mandate to nominate any candidate of their choice to fill the deputy governorship position on more than one occasion. Inline with this all inclusive practices, the former deputy governor of the state from 2003 – 2011, Dr. Phillips Salawu (Kogi central ) was nominated by the then senator A. T Ahmed of Kogi central (R. I. P) having emerged as the second runner up to former governor Ibrahim Idris (Kogi east) in 2003 PDP gubernatorial primaries. Also, the current deputy governor( chief Awoniyi from Kogi west ) was nominated by Kutepa also of Kogi west having emerged the second runner up to Governor Idris Ichala Wada (Kogi east) in 2011 PDP gubernatorial primaries.
This system even though was not written in the constitution of PDP, the party leadership by taking into consideration the political status of Kogi state, made it so to allow for peace and stability as well as maintaining a united house by making the most popular candidates stake holder in the election and by extension, the party.
In the just concluded primaries, a candidate from Kogi central ( Alh. Yahaya Bello) emerged the second runner up to the candidate from Kogi east (Prince Abubakar Audu). Going by the practice in Kogi state political events, one was expecting the deputy governorship candidate to be nominated by the second runner up or at list consulted on the nomination of the deputy governor. But what happened under APC, a party with the change mantra!!!
By going outside the state to select a candidate of Kogi west origin to fill that position when indeed the second, third (senator Abatemi Nurudeen) and even the fourth ( Alh. Sanusi Abubakar) were all of Kogi central origin is indeed a political innovation in the history of Kogi Politics.
In conclusion sir, having consider the points as raised, the questions the good people of Kogi state are asking are:
1). Is the zero tolerance of corruption by APC limited to certain citizen of Nigeria like Sam Aro while others like Prince Abubakar Audu remain an exception?
2) by going outside the state to pick a running mate for the party, are the candidates of APC from Kogi central that emerged second, third, and fourth in that primaries two weak to be consulted before that choice is made or they lack the intellectual capacity to nominate who pick that position from Kogi central having in mind
that democracy is a game of number?
3) Even when the party leadership resolves to pick the running mate from Kogi west, are the grassroot politicians from that zone that empty or weak that they cannot fill that position?
The people of Kogi state are hopeful that you will use ur wisdom to settle this anomalies in the spirit of equity, justice and fairness to salvage the prospect of All Progressive Congress in Kogi state.
Thank you sir.
By Pharm. Abdulkareem Asuku Jamiu FPANS, MPSN Lokoja.
