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Dino Melaye’s new alliance; symbiotic or parasitic ?
It is no more news that the political equation of Nigeria has assumed a newer dimension which requires immediate solution, the x factor challenge is the result of the eventual gale of decamping currently ongoing in almost all the states of the federation with the national assembly, few states assembly and government houses as the centres of the drama.
The search for the solution of the x factor gives a nostalgic reminder of the secondary school days notorious simultaneous equation. To get your x in simultaneous equation, an option of substitution or elimination method is required, it was usually a tough order for students those days. The solution to the current realities in our political space appears to be going the naughty and tough direction of simultaneous equation.
The decamping activities of the last few days still dominates public discuss across the country and internationally, same did not come without its attendant political drama and casualties. While the drama may subsides for other more important and current issues to occupy the public space, the resutant political casualties, internal crisis and squabbles will linger to determine a lot of things about 2019 voting pattern.
It may appear that the ruling All Progressive Congress is currently losing grounds owing to the irreconcilable political and ideological differences existing among the cadres of the party, but the need for restraints, respect for rule of law and fair play on the part of the leadership of the opposition People’s Democratic Party will be the only saving grace for the party against internal implosion and crisis that may cause electoral doom for the party.
The reactions to the defections going on varies from one state to another, people and political leaders makes different approaches to the issues from different background and different political interest. This is more interesting for the opposition PDP. For instance instance in Kwara, home state of the man in the eyes of the storm and emerging political compass of Nigeria, Senate President Bukola Saraki, the drama began earlier as the PDP leaders under the control of the state Chairman outrightly rejected the coming of Dr Saraki into its fold, the leaders in loud voices and actions threatened to take unpalatable action if he is admitted into the party. This is happening in a state where Saraki is seen as the beginning and the end. The same scenario is playing out in Benue, Kaduna, Sokoto and host of others.
My particular interest for today is Kogi state, it is a state that is heterogeneous in composition, with people of sharply different background, origin and orientation. The eastern senatorial district is a zone with nomadic political ideology, the power control and electoral success of the zone since the return to democracy usually oscillates between every two dominant party in the country depending on the political actors at every election. Between 1999-2003 the zone delivered completely to All Peoples Party at all level, by 2007, the party switched to the People’s Democratic Party up till 2015 before it delivered to the All Progressives Congress.
In Kogi Central, the people stayed with PDP from 1999 up till 2007 when they voted opposition, returned to PDP and later back to APC in 2015.
Kogi West Senatorial district remains to stronghold of PDP since 1999, more than seventy percent of all contestible offices have always been won by the PDP. It is worthy of note to say that PDP remained strong in the zone during the 2015 general election despite the Buhari tsunami in the north central. The zone in 2015 general election delivered for GEJ at the Presidential election, produced five out of the eight assembly seats, two out of the three representatives seat and lost the senate seat because of imposition of candidate Smart Adeyemi.
From the information made available through the grapevine, the defection of Senator Dino Melaye into PDP is about to change the almost two decades dominance of the party in the zone. Many party leaders are bitter and ready to destroy the strength of PDP in the zone if the news of plans by the national chairman of PDP and governor of Rivers state to force Sen Dino on the party as the flag bearer. Prior to his defection, Senator Dino has openly and severally boasted of his connection with the leadership of the party and that same will make him to be the candidate of the party either by hook or crook. This usual character of Sen Dino has generated disquiet and animosity within the ranks of the PDP faithfuls in Kogi West. The people have since become agitated and ready to disappoint PDP in 2019.
The news of his eventual decamping has therefore aggravated the anger in the mind of the party faithfuls and leaders. In view of the concerns and anger the news has generated, a group of party elders consisting of former elected officers on the platform of PDP recently wrote an open petition against the consideration of making Sen Dino the candidate of PDP. The people have also noted the propaganda being advanced to deceive the national leaders of the party with distorted stories of how Dino’s absence in PDP caused the 2015 failure, it is important to set the record straight and shame the lying Senator, that PDP won overwhelmingly in Kogi west most especially in the five local government of Okunland where Sen Dino comes from.
Dino Melaye appears to be swimming in the same pool of illusion like Governor Fayose did in the last election that caused the party avoidable loss. While Sen Dino is busy enjoying public accolades due to his endless drama and crude obsession for being in the news mostly for negative reasons, the feelers at home is far from the imaginary popularity he boasts around with.
While he continue to create drama with the 2017 constituency projects he executed, he has refused to answer questions over the total absence of the projects budgeted and paid for in the 2015 and 2016 budget totaling over four hundred million naira (#400,000,000). While Sen Dino is deceiving the public about his integrity and fight against corruption, the people of Aiyetoro gbede are still asking for the location of the Sports stadium of the National Sports Commission alleged to have been built in 2008 as part of constituency project while Sen Dino was in House of Representatives. Our dear Sen Dino is yet to show Kabba people the location of the Kabba Township Hall budgeted and paid for in 2009 under the constituency project.
As the journey to 2019 progresses, the leadership of PDP is advised in its own interest to stop prevailing on our aspirants to step down for a man that is lost in an irredeemable electoral failure like it happened in 2011
– Musa Abdullahi writes from Lokoja
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