It is not an impression, Kogi State has in the last sixteen years remained a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP state. In fact, that President Elect, Mohammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC polled 264,851 votes to beat PDP Goodluck Jonathan who polled 149,987 votes, was a major set back for the party. Until the general elections, the PDP controlled almost all available political offices including that of Governor in the state. Ditto the state House of Assembly seats and controlled the 21 Council seats in the state.
There is a false assumption however about the result of the general election in the state. While analysts posit that majorly the choice of candidates was the bane of the PDP in Kogi State, several factors including religion helped in the tsunamic victory of President Elect, Muhammadu Buhari in the state.
The APC victory as testified by Sen Alex Kadiri and other APC top notch in the state in their several petitions to the National Secretariat, say the successes recorded by the APC at the March 28 and April 11 2015 elections were made possible by aggrieved PDP members.
That there was in fighting in the PDP, with party members working against candidates they disliked largely adduced for the APC win in the state. This fact can be proven by candidates of the APC who emerged victorious in spite of not going through party primaries or campaigning simply because they were not sure of contesting/ victory. To these category of candidates, the party only wanted people to fill the available space to avoid a vacuum. That has however become history today courtesy of PDP’s in fighting and the bandwagon effect of having the Presidential election same day with other elections.
It would therefore be wrong when commentators, out of mischief, to satisfy their pay masters write on the forth coming Kogi Governorship election, with the overwhelming control the PDP has over the APC and the Labour or Accord Parties, a Party Alhaji Jibrin Isah is likely to adopt as an alternative platform to achieve his ambition.
The race to occupy Lugard House, the seat of government for another four years from January 2016 in Kogi State, leaves Capt Wada as the man to beat. Though he is yet to indicate his interest to run as stipulated by the constitution, political analyst have without conjecture or for wanting to be sensational, understand that the incumbent governor has the ability and what it takes to bring about the desired result in a governorship election.
Recall that he defeated Prince Abubakar Audu who today is the best candidate of the APC in the 2011 governorship election. That was after he defeated Alh Jibrin Isah who polled only two votes in a keenly contested PDP primaries.
Let it be stated that up to the Supreme Court, the nation’s highest court, Capt Wada was vindicated as having won the PDP primaries and the General election clean and clear.
The result of the State House of Assembly Election held in April 2015 gave the PDP majority seats while the party won with over 30000 votes. Let it also be placed on record that this singular feat to win across the state was made possible by the state governor.
Capt Wada’s effective grip of the PDP amidst the politics of hate, violence and wickedness those seeking the Labour or Accord platform ticket deployed, in conjunction with some foot soldiers he planted in APC are facts that is known to all. While Capt Wada’s Deputy, Yomi Awoniyi lost his constituency in the Assembly election, the reason is not far fetched. He entrusted responsibilities in the hands of people who engaged in anti party activities while he was concentrating efforts in other constituencies in the Okun Speaking areas of Kogi West Senatorial District. By and large his efforts galvanizing electorates for the PDP speaks volume. He delivered four out of the five house of Assembly seats under his purview.
Political analysts as was stated in a syndicated opinion in some national dailies, Kogi 2015: A view point, also attested that the electorates voted on the strength of the candidates agree that the presidential elections were not about Capt Wada.
Kogi State PDP no doubt lost some desperate and disgruntled members, to ascertain their political pedigree. But how significant was their defection? Let it be placed on record that those defectors served as mole in the PDP to cause confusion. The PDP has it on good authority that the party has been more stable since they left. They have now shifted their tactics to the APC.
There is no doubt that the emergence of Alh Jibrin Isah as the PDP flag bearer in a controversial primary that was eventually cancelled caused disaffection within the ranks of the party. It was the emergence of the Capt Wada/Awoniyi ticket that brought sanity to the PDP, little wonder they recorded a landslide at the 2011 governorship poll.
The superlative performance of Capt Wada as Governor in the last three years in all sectors and across the state, amidst available resources has settled in the minds of the Kogi people who their next governor will be. Let it be stated on good authority that the state is among states that is not owing its workers salaries.
If who emerges the next Kogi Governorship election will rest on the people and the choice they make, certainly, Capt Wada is light as to whoever emerges the APC candidate as well as a shining example of outstanding unblemished incorruptible record of achievements without any pending issue with the nation’s anti graft agencies.
While the PDP is expected to conduct in the next few months a free, fair, credible and transparent party primaries open for all those seeking to be governor’s and to choose a flag bearer, counting on the superlative achievements of the Wada administration in the areas of Agriculture, Health, Education and other sectors of the state’s economy, it would not be out of place to place a bet on the successful emergence of Capt Wada as the party’s flag bearer.
It would be fool hardy, even though we practice multi party democracy to think that winning election has nothing to do with the strength of a political party. On the scale of preference and strength of party politics and candidates in Kogi, it is certainly going to be the PDP against the other parties with the Labour and Accord not in bookmakers and the electorates choice. This is viewed against the antecedents and intelligentsia of its expected candidates who since 2011 serially engaged in anti party activities during the 2011 governorship election. All his supporters in his local government area are now in APC but feel more diminished and fractured with his eyes on an obscure platform in his desperate move to become governor at all cost.
Without gain saying the fact, Capt Idris Wada remains the man to beat if he decides to fly the PDP flag.
Sani Momoh is a political analyst and writes from Ankpa.
