Sam Egwu writes on the politics of numbers playing out between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State ahead of the governorship election on November 21.
The forthcoming governorship election in Kogi State has been the next point of reference since after the presidential, national and state assembly elections early this year.
The Kogi guber election would, as some analysts think, shape the future of both Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressive Congress (APC) in their quest to consolidate control in the North-central region of the country.
This has given rise to political maneuvering, accusations and counter accusations from the two major political parties.
The intensity of the polls is further elevated by the fact that the candidates of the two parties – Capt. Idris Wada (PDP) and Prince Abubakar Audu (APC) are no strangers to the contest, having faced each other in 2011, with Wada emerging winner.
But this governorship tussle seems to be getting messier by the day. Kogi State has been a PDP State since 2003, but close watchers of the unfolding scenario would attest that the voting pattern this time would be very dicey.
At the various political rallies of PDP and APC so far, tantrums have been the order of the day with accusations and counter accusations of none performance in areas of infrastructure and human development initiatives in the state.
Some analysts believe the state governor Capt Idris Wada would be held responsible for the delay in infrastructural development even though he is bent on completing his predecessor’s projects.
But another school of thought opined that had he not undertook the completion of those projects it would become abandoned, thereby wasting tax payers money.
On the other hand, the allegation that Prince Abubakar Audu, the APC candidate, is favourably disposed to Sen. Ahmed Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State and a national leader of APC, which informed the choice of his running mate, has become a source of worry.
Nevertheless, while bookmakers argue that voters in the forthcoming governorship election would likely vote based on antecedents of candidates and not necessarily the party, observers of the campaigns so far have said the politics of defection has since become the major plank to judge the popularity of the candidate and by extension the party in the state.
This is even as it appears that most of the figures bandied about are either exaggerated or outrightly manufactured to win mind games.
For instance, reports had said over 8000 and 5000 PDP members defected to APC at separate times. In another report, 12700 APC members were said to have moved to the PDP.
At Ofu local government area, the home base of the aspirant of the APC, Prince Abubakar Audu, over 12000 APC members were alleged to have defected to the PDP.
Led by Hon. Ajeka Baba, the defectors submitted their membership cards and resignation letters from APC.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Baba said their action was informed by the desire to support a governor that has laid the foundation for a truly democratic and developed Kogi State. He promised PDP that there would be more defectors in the coming days as the party is set to defeat APC in the area.
However, in the heat of claims and counter claims of defection, cabinet members of Governor Wada had to dismiss reports of their defection to APC.
APC however scored some major defections prominent of which is the the first runner-up to Wada at the primaries, Isah Jibril popularly known as Echocho. He moved with Tom Zakari, another member of the last 7th National Assembly as well as former PDP local government chairmen and ex-House of Assembly members.
Jigawa State Governor Badaru Abubakar, had while paying a solidarity visit to the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, welcomed a large number of defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
The duo, in a statement by the Abubakar Audu campaign office, signed by Abdulmalik Sulaiman, said the APC new entrants have pledged to work for the party’s victory that will culminate in the “rapid development and empowerment of people in the state.”
The statement said the defectors were received at a rally at Alu-Ifeolukotun, in Yagba East LGA of the state.
“The leader of the defectors, Elder Leke Ajibade, said they were moving to join the progressives’ forum to bring rapid development to the people.
The Jigawa State governor, while addressing the crowd, said Prince Audu symbolised good governance and called on the people to vote for the APC,” the statement said.
Moreover, the allegation that Hon Sam Aro, was moving to APC failed to produce any result. An observer said Hon. Aro will find it difficult to reconcile and join APC having been denied the Senate ticket by Prince Abubakar and given to Senator Dino Melaye.
Allegation of having a case at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was said to be his undoing. But according to analysts, if Sam Aro should think of defecting to any party, PDP appears to be the sure bet.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that most of those who were said to have defected from PDP to APC were seen as “regular defectors”. They had defected before now which made it impossible for PDP to win convincingly in the last general election, because even though they were in PDP they were also in the APC.
It is gathered that they defected, being aggrieved that they could not get their demands in the present political arrangement in PDP and that when they fail again in APC, they will hurriedly return to PDP or move to other parties as the election approaches. By and large, most of the figures bandied about as people who defected have been discovered as false, a mere media hype to whip up sentiment, sympathy and show of strength.
Political watchers however believe that the era of deceit is over and that the society is much more aware of what is happening. The people cannot be deceived for so long as enough lessons would have been learnt in the last 16 years.
