In the spirit of preparations for the state’s Governorship election scheduled to hold in November 2023, various political parties have started conducting screening and clearance of their respective aspirants, and as well the preparations for congresses, conventions or a unanimous decision that will produce the flagbearers to be field in in the general election.
Kogi State, presently, being the White Lion’s territory, has plunged people into the question of who is the anointed of the White Lion, Yahya Bello.
One thing must be understood as we proceed to the detail of the discussion; Yahya Bello is no more a novice {if you thought he is} in politics.
We have seen cases of how incumbent Governors who tried to work in favour of their preferred candidates failed as a result of them making their endorsement obvious instead of making it obscure to their enemy.
One quick example of it is the case of Rochas Okorocha of Imo State. He tried installing his Son-in-law, Nwosu, as the party’s candidate despite a glaring fight between him and the national body of the party. He was naive and inexperience, hence he failed.
In contrast to the above scenario, the primary election of the All Progressives Congress which was held in Katsina purportedly produced Dikko Rada as the preferred candidate of the Incumbent Governor, Aminu Bello Masari. Dikko who is now the State’s Governor Elect, emerged as the party’s candidate with Masari’s hidden support despite his SSG being in the race. Who knows what could have happened if Masari had made his support for Diko known to the enemies.
In light of the above, Yahya Bello, if studied comprehensively on his political smartness lately, people wouldn’t have thought or imagined that he will make known his candidate.
For any of the reasons below, Yahya Bello will not make his candidate known:
1. Edward, his deputy, served under him during his first tenure as a Chief of Staff. In the spirit of their relationship even before their political journey, he wouldn’t be able to swallow the bitter news of his Boss endorsing another person.
2. Pharmacist Abdulkareem Jami’u is his kinsman and the one who took over from Edward as the Chief of Staff. Should he betray his kinsman who has served him diligently for another whom he’s having rift with?
3. At the national body of their party, he has committed a lot that persecution is the only way of serving his punishment.
4. He believes and wants his successor to come from the acclaimed ‘system’ which they built together. If either of the two persons mentioned above is endorsed, that means one of them is not recognized to be a member of the system. Who would take it; Edward or Asuku?
As it stands, be rest assured that the White Lion knows his anointed and his anointed knows him. The anointed can only be discerned after the primary.
– Yusuf Danjuma Yunus, a Political and Public Affairs Analyst, writes from Zaria.
