Dear Kogites, be it at home or in the diaspora. I bring you warm solidarity greeting at this perilous point in time.
It is worthy to note that the 21 Local Government Areas in Kogi state will be deciding on who becomes the next Executive Governor of Kogi State on the 16th of November 2019, and except a miracle happens, the race is between the incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello of APC and the main challenger of the PDP Candidate, Engr. Musa Wada.
However, I want to appeal to the good people of Kogi State to see the forthcoming election as a hope for a new beginning considering the choice before us, and in tandem with the words of Dale Turner; “Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born.”
No doubt, we have not been so fortunate with good leadership since the creation of Kogi State, be it during the military era or the political system from 1999 till date, but nevertheless we can collectively speak with one voice and accord, to renew the dreams for a better, united and prosperous Kogi State since the dreams of the future is better than the history of the past.
There is absolutely nothing that can be done for the four years and 16 years of leadership failure of APC and PDP but lots can be done through visionary leadership, collaborative efforts with unity of purpose, accountability and transparency to correct the mistakes of the past locusts years that our political cankerworms had eaten, with the forthcoming election.
It is because of this that I am appealing to all the electorates in our dear State to make the forthcoming election an opportunity to correct the anomalies of the past. It is not enough to rant on social media without a valid voter’s card, followed by the mobilization for the candidate of your choice, then, vote and defend your vote on election day! That’s the power you have to decide the next Governor.
Let’s vote wisely!
Kogi State has what it takes, Men, Money, and Materials to be a model for other states. The next four years should be used to unleash the economic potentials of Kogi State through reinvention and rebranding with much focus on the security of lives, property, education and agriculture.
May I plead with all political gladiators to play the game by the rules. It is imperative to make the campaign issues driven and development focused! Above all, the need to ensure a violence-free, fair and credible election.
Though it is very worrisome that both parties are yet to make bold declarations of their manifestos for perusal. Hence, I advise both the PDP and APC candidates to begin to tell us without further delay what they will be doing differently to move our dear State forward if voted into power.
There is hope for a new beginning for our dear State if we increase the tempo of citizens’ participation and collaboration for good Governance. It is Time for our collective action and decision.
Do not sell your vote, the once sold in the time past has brought misery.
Together we can build a Confluence State full of opportunities for all that will outlive both Governor Yahaya Bello and Engr. Musa Wada.
I remain faithfully yours in the struggle for a better Kogi State,
– Comrade Oluwaloseyi Solomon Babaeko (OSB).
U.P.N candidate in the 2019 Kogi State House of Assembly elections.
