If there is one thing Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, one of the governorship candidates in the Kogi election should tell Nigerians at this moment, it is what qualified him to contest for the governorship of a state in Nigeria. This is because nothing is known about him beyond his reliance on fruitless propaganda since the beginning of this election season.
If he is not shouting that they want to assassinate him, he is defending well- established offenders in a state that has produced world acclaimed professionals across all fields. He and his managers have not, for once, tried to market what they have to offer the people of the state other than this ignoble dance around ethnic jingoism and character assassination without substance.
I was one of those that bought the wide misinformation in the past about Yahaya Bello, the Governor of the state, until I saw proof without being told, that he had actually achieved far more in the state, in terms of development, than had been achieved in over a decade before him. For a long time too, Kogi State has not been at the centre of political reckoning like it is today in the country.
So, somehow, this governor has just been vilified by haters for no just cause as far as I’m concerned. Reflecting further on everything out there, there are more positives and wins for the people than the negatives some people are just throwing about. In all of this, I doff my hat for Governor Bello’s media managers. They have been quite proactive.
With all the missiles coming from everywhere, they have maintained a remarkably strong share of voice in the media that I usually wonder how they navigate. Back to Ajaka, I watched his Channels TV interview with Seun Okinbaloye and I asked myself: Is this man trying to be the Governor of his Primary School Alumni Association?
No substance at all. He looked like someone under tension. First, I heard, “I didn’t lost out”, and my headache. Again, I heard “I symbolizes peace”, and I said whaaaat? What is this guy doing on TV? Where are his managers? He couldn’t, in all honesty, answer one single question intelligently, just trying to stick to this their propaganda of unfounded allegations.
And he couldn’t even do justice to that. Today again, he is crying about, saying one court has stopped security agents and Governor Bello from harassing him. Please, does this man think politics is just about playing the victim when your legs of atrocities are not covered? Does this man think that even if we would do an agenda in the East, our people would leave someone as respected and highly cerebral as the former Chief of Naval Staff, Usman Jibrin, to endorse a man with like this; someone who many have alleged did not go to school, and to worsen matters, someone who has nothing filled against career achievements in his INEC form except for being an errand boy to one governor and being a former member of their party’s NWC, made possible by the same Yahaya Bello that he is now accusing of all sorts?
Kogi East Elders, please tell this Yakubu to stop disgracing us everywhere. He is the least qualified of those contending and should start with the state House of Assembly in 2027. But wait a minute, if no one deceives him that he is an Excellency in waiting, how would people be able to “chop” his money? We are sick and tired of this fixation on Yahaya Bello.
Let him address issues and stop portraying Kogi as a state filled with uncivilised people. Every right thinking Kogite, across party lines, supports the governor on security. No one should whip up evil sentiments that can take us back to the ugly years of terror reign in Kogi.
– Ojochide Samuel, a banker, is from Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State.
