Hussain Obaro, Naij.com constant guest author, comments on the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Kogi state, which is supposed to be the battle of two major competitors: Captain Idris Wada of the PDP and Prince Abubakar Audu of the APC. Obaro tries to anticipate the chances of each candidate based upon evaluation of their past performance and the current state of affairs in the state in question.
The price good men pay for indifference to public office is to be ruled by evil me. Pluto
Kogi gubernatorial election 2015 is coming
In a couple of days, precisely November 21, the people of Kogi state will exercise their franchise by casting votes for the gubernatorial candidate of their choice. No doubt, the forthcoming election will be a two-horse race between the incumbent governor, Idris Wada of the PDP, and Prince Abubakar Audu of the APC. Although a lot of propaganda was orchestrated by the APC and its media agents, aimed at labeling the Wada government a non-performing one, the level of security, peace and progress the state has witnessed for the past three and a half years is unequalled and unparalleled since its creation about 24 years ago. The fact is that the APC has shot itself in the feet by presenting the candidate, who is extremely difficult to “market”, and resorting to character assassination, thuggery and name – calling it their campaign strategy.
Prince Audu’s “merits”
During Prince Abubakar Audu’s first and second tenures between 1992-93 and 1999–2003, the massive retrenchment of the state civil service workers took place. It was conducted in such a manner that affected only civil servants from the western and central senatorial districts of the state; to add insult upon injury the massive employment of the Igala people followed almost immediately. It later became clear that the retrenchment was done only to arrange the space for the people of Igala from the eastern district in the state civil service.
It is no longer news that the administration of Prince Audu was characterized by the uneven distribution of developmental projects; most of them was located in the eastern part of Kogi state to the detriment of the other two districts. Out of the five NTA stations approved by the NBC during the tenure of Prince Audu three were sited in the eastern district of Kogi, while the western and central districts only got one each, though neither of them has been introduced. In 2002 the administration of Prince Audu got the approval of the State House of Assembly to create 25 additional local governments in the state. As a result, Prince Audu granted 15 local government areas to his own eastern district, while the western and central districts got only 5 local governments each.
Several state-owned institutions located in the western and central districts of the state were either sold or moved to the eastern district. Worthy of note is the state specialist hospital Obangede in the Okehi local government area of Kogi state. It was moved to the east and converted into a non-functioning and ill-equipped general hospital. Audu’s lack of decorum and morality in naming several state-owned institutions after himself and members of his family (for example, the Pa Audu Oyidi Memorial College and the Prince Abubakar Audu University) is still fresh in the memory of the Kogi people and political watchers all over the world.
One-sided policy
Being highly tribalized Prince Audu succeeded in laying the foundation that other successive administrations were blindly built upon to make sure that no Okun or Ebira man or woman became the chief of staff, permanent secretary to the government house, accountant general of the state, state commissioner for works, etc. It is common knowledge that during Audu’s second term in office 12 out of 16 appointed commissioners were from his Igala–dominated eastern district. The enmity, acrimony, mutual distrust and disharmony currently prevailing in the state are a result of Prince Audu’s misrule, high-handedness and impurity.
It is, however, not surprising that Prince Audu of the APC and its gubernatorial campaign team have resorted to attacking personalities in the opposition and even within their political party instead of making their campaign issue-based and people-centered. All stakeholders, especially the electorate, must now decide with their votes whether they wish to see the state go back to the dark days of impunity and executive recklessness, or consolidate on the present state of equilibrium development of all parts of the state, and peace and mutual trust that are gradually returning to the state.
The only chance for the APC
Obviously, the only thing left for the ACP to solicit the votes of the people is the promise to ensure power rotation in 2019, the promise that has been made and broken several times. The good people of Kogi state, especially the western and central districts, should therefore refuse to be fooled once again with the fake promise of power shift. It is time for us all not to be carried away by the mantra of change, or the need to align with the central government of President Muhammadu Buhari; after all, Lagos has unarguably become the best state in the federation today, despite being in the opposition for the past 16 years.
We should not vote in an “emperor”, who is notorious for his arrogant style of leadership, totally tribalized personality, corrupt nature and authoritarian style of managing people and resources. All good men and women of Kogi state should riseup and vote against the man, who has no iota of respect for the rule of law, to avert the calamity that is about to befall the state and its inhabitants.
Hussain Obaro is a writer, motivational speaker and public affairs commentator
