A former member of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Friday Sani Makama, has described the April 14th 2023 All Progressive Congress (APC) primary election in the state as peaceful and transparent.
Speaking with newsmen on Thursday, Makama charged the people of East and West senatorial districts of the state to look beyond ethnic lines and vote for the governorship candidate of APC, Alhaji Usman Ododo,
Makama, who represented Igalamela-Odolu state constituency, said Ododo has what it takes to build on the legacies of the present administration.
“We have gone past this sentiment. This sentiment cannot take us anywhere. It is no longer that time to think of an Igala agenda that represent self, family or promote one particular ego. We have gone past that. The election in Kogi East will be a straight win for APC just like it is recorded in the past,” he said.
He insisted that the APC primary that produced Usman Ododo as the party flag bearer for the forthcoming governorship election is a welcome development, adding that the party will win overwhelmingly at the polls.
The former lawmaker berated the political actors in Kogi East senatorial district for their inability to unite prior to the governorship primaries that produced various party candidates.
He explained that though the people of Kogi East senatorial district controls the majority votes in the state but obviously not ready to reclaim power in the state.
“It is the fact that with the population and the number of majority we control in Kogi State, it is definitely an advantage democratically for Igala to reclaim power. But you know it is a democratic process. A democratic process does not just end at having majority. The democratic process has factors that make or mar it. Until the protocol that make or mar are put together properly, with good strategy, that is when majority can win election.
“But in a situation where majority is yet to put their arsenals together, you will not expect the majority to reclaim power. Just like you see it in the last primaries of both the All Progressive Congress, (APC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), and other political parties, of course it is clear to anyone who is reasonable that Kogi East Senatorial Districts that controls the majority in Kogi State was not ready, to reclaim power.
“From the primaries, you can see the numbers of Igala aspirants from Kogi East that contested the primary election. Same thing happened in the PDP and other smaller political parties. So it is evident that the majority has not been able to annex its potentials to be able to reclaim power.
“It is not strange in democratic governance. In Nigeria, we are divided into geopolitical zones. If you go to the Northern part of Nigeria, it is dominated and controlled by majority who are Hausas. Of course, you will discover that the Fulanis, a minority in the northern Nigeria, is ruling the country.
“This is exactly evidence of the inability of majority to put its potentials together to be able to reclaim power. That is exactly what happened to the people of Kogi East Senatorial districts,” he said.
He asserted that Governor Yahaya Bello is not the problem of the Igala people in Kogi East, but rather they are the architect of their own problem.
“For me, I don’t think the Governor has done anything wrong to consider where he can have comfort of having a candidate that will reduce acrimony for him.
“You will not also forget that even before the primaries, the Governor had warned key stakeholders in Kogi East to unite themselves and be able to reclaim power. But they were unable to do it. We begin to trace the problem of Igala people to Alhaji Yahaya Bello. If Alhaji Yahaya Bello was the problem of the Igala people in APC, was Alhaji Yahaya Bello still the problem of the Igala people in PDP and other political parties in the state? You will discover that the problem of Igala people in Kogi East is not Governor Yahaya Bello but within the Igalas.”
The two-time Kogi House of Assembly member claimed that what the Igalas failed to do for their people when they were in government, the present administration led by Governor Yahaya Bello has done it for Kogi East.
“At what point did Yahaya Bello became a devil that we should not relate with him? He championed the appointment of many Igalas into key political offices in Kogi State and Nigeria in general. Is it because the pendulum has changed from them? It is now about to favor me and favor those who believe in him that the man has now become a satan and should be describe as a deadly disease as Ebola? “
