As we await the hearing of Justice Taiwo Taiwo in the suit challenging the planned adoption of indirect primary mode by the Kogi State All Progressives Congress (APC) in six days time, the Prince Mustapha Mona Audu’s camp is at peace and assured of victory at the primary election, irrespective of the outcome of the legal tussle.
Recall that Justice Taiwo Taiwo gave an order on Friday restraining APC from taking any step inline with planned indirect primaries while ruling on an ex-parte motion filed in the suit by some members of the Haddy Ametuo-led faction of the party – the Ex-officio, Destiny Eneojoh Aromeh; Organising Secretary, Isah Abubakar; Zonal Youth Leader, Noah Aku, and Zonal Women Leader, Mrs. Joy Onu.
Ostensibly, Prince Mona is confident ahead of the primary election scheduled for 29th of this month as he remains the only APC candidate capable of retaining the goodwill of Kogites for the party since the incumbent governor has performed far bellow expectations.
Recall that the APC through the influence of Late Prince Audu Abubakar was able to capture Kogi in a pyrrhic victory against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the then ruling party before the 2015 election. With the poor performance of Yahaha Bello who emerged as the governor, not through the people’s votes but sheer luck, the APC have to provide a replica of Late Prince Audu to be able to win the heart of Kogites again. This is coupled with the fact that the PDP is also coming up with big names in Kogi political space who are already leveraging on the failure of Bello and are promising to fix the state.
Bello who is obviously not comfortable with direct primary mode knows he will be voted out if the the party eventually strike out the planned indirect primaries. Several indicators have shown that the Kogites are not ready to face further years of hardship as experienced in Bello’s administration. Hence, the people might dump the APC if it fails to adopt Prince Mona as her flagbearer in the November election.
The APC is said to be in a critical need to adopt Prince Mustapha Mona Audu, the son of Late Prince Audu Abubakar in order to retain Kogi State.
– Onoja Johnson Baba
