Kogi State has been engulfed with all manners of crises after the death of Gubernatorial Candidate of All Progressive Congress, late Prince Abubakar Audu.
His death has not only thrown-up constitutional crises in the Nation but also open a Can-of –political Warms among the political gladiators who have been making frantic efforts to get one of their own replace the late Party’s Candidate in Kogi State.
Notable political forces in this regard were the camp of James Faleke and Alhaji Yahaya Bello. The duo had laid claim to Audu’s replacement not until APC Party hierarchy arrived at the choice of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as Kogi Gubernatorial Candidate in the last supplementary election in the State. Despite the Party’s decision, this has not really gone down well with James Faleke’s group as they considered it as a bitter pill and has since headed to court to challenge the decision of the Party.
Whist the dust raised over Audu’s replacement is yet to settled, another political crisis has re-surfaces with the inauguration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as the executive Governor of Kogi State. Political Pundits had maintained that the current Kogi Governor is a firm believer of political equity and fairness. His take in this regard necessitated him to advice Kogi State Speaker, Hon. Momohjimoh Lawal to relinquish his position in order to pave way for a person in another senatorial district as the duo hailed from the same senatorial district and local government.
His advice was primarily made with the sole aim of balancing the top three political positions in Kogi State which he noted ought to be shared among the three senatorial districts that constituted the State.
Alhaji Yahaya Bello’s call in this regard met a brick-wall as contending political forces in Kogi State on the side of the Speaker advised him not to relinquish his position. The forces noted that the Peoples Democratic Party commands the majority Assembly members in the house and since backing the Speaker. They also believed that the Speaker has long occupied the position before the coming of the new State Governor and as such his call was unnecessary and unwarranted.
The move to forcefully get the Speaker out of his seat prompted the five-Assembly members alleged to be telegized by the Governor to organize a shadow house meeting and later declared to the media that Kogi State Speaker, Hon. Momohjimoh Lawal has been impeached and replaced by Hon. Imam. The action of the five Assembly members led by Hon. Imam has snowballed the State to another round of avoidable crisis which the people of Kogi State are presently grappling with.
The prolong House crisis was what motivated the House of Representative to intervene in the matter and their subsequent resolves and that of the Nigerian Senate to finally take over the affairs of legislative activities of Kogi House. The crisis has made Kogi State to be in bad news for some weeks now.
The above political issue was what necessitated me to come up with this article with a view to share my thought on the current Kogi political drama.
I must point out to my readers that the move of the Governor to have political appointments equitably shared among the three Senatorial Districts in Kogi State is a welcome development but has some few lines of questions to ask also.
My Questions are:
Is Speakership position a political appointment under the office of executive Governor of the State? Does the choice of who the Speaker of the House is affect the State Governor’s desire to deliver democratic dividend to the people of the State? If the answers to the above questions are no, why then does the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello pre-occupied himself as to who should be the Speaker of the House or not?
I am an advocate of political fairness and equity but also don’t buy the idea of using wrong approach to get things done. To start with, i will use similar political case in one of the Nigerian States to make illustration on how best to handle current happening in Kogi.
Years ago when Adams Oshiomhole won his Court Case and got inaugurated as the Executive Governor of the State, the State House of Assembly Speaker then was from the same senatorial distinct, Edo South with him. Added to this, the State Speaker was also from another political party with the Governor just like the case of Kogi State now.
Adams Oshiomhole never mandated the Speaker to relinquish his position who hailed from the same Senatorial district with him. He allowed the status quo in the legislative arm of government to be maintained while he went ahead to equitably share executive political appointments among the various senatorial districts that constituted the State.
The Edo State Governor was never subjected to any ridicule nor made to pay any supreme price for allowing the status in the legislative arm of the State to be maintained. The resolve of Adams Oshiomhole in this regard never stopped him to deliver democratic dividend to the people of the State. His unprecedented achievements in the area of education, Agriculture, social amenities engendered him more to the people of the State. This indeed was what motivated Edo people to vote him again for the second term.
From the foregoing, Kogi State Governor should borrow a leaf from this piece. You don’t for the sake of political equity and fairness engages in political abnormality as it is glaring to political watchers that Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello is in support of Hon. Imam led Assembly members, minority in the house that declared Hon. Momohjimoh Lawal impeached as the Speaker.
Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello should know that his ascension to power was just by God’s providence and as such he should not play God in his action. To this effect, he should also not abuse the opportunity bestowed on him as the people of Kogi central where he hailed from have long thirst for number one seat of the State and also the general desire of Kogi State people to have mass oriented Governor who will truly listen to the people and also deliver democratic dividend to them.
I am saying this because the generality of the State have nothing to gain from the prolong political crises rather if persist, it will rubbish all good intentions he has for the people. There is an adage in Ebira language that says: ‘a cracking wall paves way for lizard to enter the house’. Going by this adage, he is gradually allowing his political enemies to divide those who ordinarily should support him in all ramifications. If this crisis continues, his political enemies will capitalize on that to divide his very people in Kogi central and this shall work against him anytime he wants to come for second term.
More also, i want to echo the ear of the Governor that the unity of Kogi State is what we need now as the crisis is unnecessary. He should engage in what would unite the people more than divide us.
I am emphasizing this because the House of Assembly members represent divergent interest in the State as whatever happened to them equally affect their constituents. He should borrow a leaf from his Ogun State counterpart who last week waded into House of Assembly Speakership crises and get the political issue resolved .
– Shaibu Stephen Ojate is a Journalist and Public Affairs Commentator writes from Abuja.
He is reachable on 08052666344 or 08102658380.
