In preparation for the gubernatorial polls slated for November 6 in Kogi State, the Prince Abubakar Audu politically family has activated their political structure and support base spanning the entire state and across Nigeria in a bid to remove Governor Yahaya Bello from Lugard House.
Recall that Governor Yahaya Bello did not win the 2015 governorship election but inherited the mantle after the unfortunate demise of the APC flagbearer, Prince Abubakar Audu, who was very close to been sworn in after emerging victor in the polls but had to wait for a statistically needless rerun in some of the polling units in the state that experienced hitches and voting did not take place under acceptable circumstances.
The Audu political family which indubitably is the strongest political organization yet in Kogi state, with its structure and support base, have decided it is time to reclaim their victory from a governor who, in their words, is ineffectual and misusing a gift handed to him by fate. They are not happy that their mandate is being messed up by an incompetent and arrogant political new kid on the block who maltreats the good people Kogi State, especially the civil servants, with untold hardship and socioeconomic retrogression. A politician who has no empathy for the people, or appreciation for the APC’s hard earned gubernatorial victory at the polls in 2015 because he did not work for it.
People across the state who are pained and tired of the maladministration of Yahaya Bello, and sympathetic to Prince Abubakar Audu have decided enough is enough and that they cannot endure another torturous four years with Bello at the helm of Kogi State affairs. Consequently, they are teeming up behind Prince Muhammed Audu, son of the late political bulldozer, Prince Abubakar Audu to sack the current accidental occupant of Lugard House.
Speaking on the movement to remove Bello, Hon. Dare David Olatunde, the Mayegun of Isanlu land, a political force and member of the Audu political family from Kogi West, said that the Audu political family is ready to wrest power from Bello.
According to Mayegun, they worked hard to achieve victory in 2015 but could not give the people the good governance they voted for and deserve due to the catastrophic demise of Prince Abubakar Audu. He sounded a war cry and called upon all members and supporters of the Prince Abubakar Audu political family within the APC, and currently sojourning in other political parties, to return to the fold as all hands must be on deck to work assiduously for the crucial mission of extricating Kogi state from the hands of the unfeeling tyrant currently in power.
He explained that the Audu political family has presence in the PDP, ADC, APGA, PPA, APDA, LP and practically all the parties that exist in the state.
Hon. Dare mentioned some of the names that are part of the late Audu’s political structure, among them are the current Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Hon. Simon Acbuba, former Accountant General of the state, Mr. Okpanachi Ubolo, former minister of the Federal Republic, Humphrey Abah, State Chairman of African Democratic Party, (ADC), Prof. Dan Isah, Senator Dino Melaye, and Hon. James Faleke.
Another rugged member of the movement, Hon. Usman Bello from Kogi Central, explained how Prince Abubakar has built a massive political structure from as far back as 1991, when the state was just created, and he contested for governor on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), becoming the first executive governor of Kogi State. He also called upon his political structure to achieve another victory in the 1999 gubernatorial election in the state, this time flying the flag of the defunct All People’s Party (APP).
According to him, “The task to root out Bello is simple.”
Hon Usman stated: “The Audu political structure permeates the entire Kogi State and extends across the country. Audu was integral to APC taking roots in Kogi state and people voted for him massively in 2015 to wrestle power from the PDP. He was the only one with the capacity and clout to dislodge the PDP who had their claws buried deep in the throat of Kogi State. This time around, his son backed by his political structure will undertake another rescue mission to save the impoverished people of Kogi state from the hellish administration of Yahaya Bello.
“Our common goal is to save the state and her good people from abject poverty, disease, hunger, underdevelopment and leadership of tyranny. We must come together to save our civil servants and pensioners from hunger, disease and death occasioned by non-payment of salaries. It is inhumane, callous and sheer wickedness to refuse to pay workers and pensioners their entitlements for as long as 10 — 12 months, leaving them and their families stranded and frustrated. With a lot of them dying as a result”, Hon. Usman opined.
Speaking on the credentials of son of the late political icon, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar Audu, Hon. Attah Morandi, a staunch and powerful member of the Audu political movement stressed how Mohammed Audu has been active in politics since 1998, learning from his late father and contributing massively to his political ecosystem. He described Mohammed Audu as a brilliant young man with the intelligence, sagacity, passion, eye for excellence, proactiveness, capacity and unbeatable desire to serve the people.
“We are calling on all members of the Audu political family who left to join other political parties as as result of grievances of being unfairly treated by the APC under Bello to return to the APC as it is time to honour the late political icon. Let everybody return to the party as there is light at the end of the tunnel”, Morandi said.
“If Kogi state is to experience true change from the current deplorable situation we find ourselves; If we are to escape the poverty, hunger, disease and all around untold hardship that Yahaya Bello has plunged Kogi State into; if we are to experience rapid socioeconomic development, then we must support and vote Muhammed Abubakar Audu as our next Governor,” Hon. Morandi concluded.
