Inside the house is the fight that erupted again in Kogi between the perceived Faleke men and the loyalists of the government in power. Hence, the reported accusation of Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, member representing Ikeja Federal Constituency in Lagos state and a Kogi state born politician and a former State House of Assembly member, Barrister Alfred Bello, now Commissioner for Training in the State House of Assembly.
The good thing is that, it is an inside house fight and not yet a cross political party war, which is likely looming in Kogi State and most of the states over APC NASS primaries, while that of Kogi still added 2027 November stand alone Governorship election. This is despite humble Faleke’s directive to his followers to work with the incumbent, Governor Ododo.
The State wants this and that person, which is against the interest of this or that man. So the Hullabaloo! In this case, it is that of brothers from the same axis called Kogi West, where the incumbent is embattled as a sitting Senator – some want Distinguish Senator Sunday Stephen Karimi thrown out, some want him retained.
In all these, what I have discovered is that Faleke’s supporters are shutting doors to those who want to access Faleke, unknown to them that someone who can rise to be a member of GAC in Lagos is not a small fry, it seem Faleke himself is not helping matters as he is not open also to those reaching out to be a part of him. The truth is, no one wants to be shut out, this is Kogi.
It is only logical, though but old fashioned and very unpolitical to shut doors against those who want to join your master, it has since moved from shelve to market. If the supporters mean well for Faleke, they wont shut the door against those willing to come in and Faleke himself won’t turn deaf ears to those reaching out to him, else it would be “pride and overconfidence”, which sadly backfires.
There is one thing, I will point out at this juncture, Kogi state politics is peculiar because, no one worships you, once they noticed they are not welcome they go to where they are appreciated and of course against you they go, it’s a game of recognition, it’s almost certain they can tell you to your face “to go to hell” when all is clear they can’t wait any longer. No baba say in Kogi o.
Head or tail, trust or not, 2027 Governorship in Kogi is still widely open going by these crises thrown up in the recently concluded APC primaries and those abandoned after 2023 victory of Ododo, where losers are appointed and re-appointed to Government offices at the expense of those who delivered their polling units and wards. COULD IT BE PAY BACK TIME FOR YAHAYA BELLO/ODODO?
While nobody is asking Hon. James Abiodun Faleke to drop his team, he should realize that, if they are enough to deliver, he would have been Governor in Kogi today, else the need to overhaul his team, change his strategy and inject more hands, the truth is, Igala alone can no longer single handedly make anyone a Governor anymore in Kogi. This is a fact.
My sincere advice to Fakeke is respond to those who can reach him. They are either friends or Peter Greens “they have a point to prove”: and tell your supporters to stop blocking access to you, your coast is “enlarged” and must be allowed to be so.
– Oluwasegun O. E. writes from Lokoja.
