In recent weeks we have been engaged with different political activities including defections and counter defections, accusations and counter accusations, betrayal and counter betrayal.
And Most of all we have equally played host to the siege of the national assembly, what I call a modern coupe and a calculated attempt to abort the already staggering Nigerian democracy.
Why we were trying to accommodate all this political hickhack, the Lokoja – Koto bye election smuggled it’s way to the centre stage.
And after the one day of blood bath, sharing of cooking ingredients, selling and buying of votes, stealing and snatching of ballot boxes, mob, assault of electorates, abuse of electoral processes, violence of different grade, impersonation, false alarm, calling of names and most of all killings.
It has become necessary (that is of not more) to look at the insinuations posed to Kogites and Nigerians through the happenings in this bye election.
And some of us who closely followed this elections with out bending words will say that the Lokoja – Koto bye election is a sketch of what Kogi 2019 is likely to be.
It is a shadow of the likely electoral process and environment we are possibly going to have in 2019.
The bye election has not only made it clear that our youths and natives still lack a lot of orientation about politicking, guiding of votes, the implications of selling votes, thuggery, snatching of ballot box and poor mobilization.
But has gone a long way to show the unqualifiable desperation and the dubious political strategy of the Yahaya Bello led government.
Now we know why the Yahaya Bello led government has openly stated that non payment of salaries can not stop its reelection bid.
Now we know why this government was the very first to embrace cattle colony, and the very first to ensure that Fulani Herdsmen on and around Kogi state are registered and giving a Kogi state PVC.
I think now we know why our youths are not been employed, this is to enable them easily convert this youths into ballot box snatchers and thugs.
Now we also know why our people are been starved the more,this is to make them hungry enough so as to be willing to sell their votes for ten cubes of Maggi, a cup of rice, a sachet of tomatoes paste, salt and two seeds of onions.
I think we have also become fully aware of how large the police, the civil defence and several other security agency in Kogi state have been influenced, and turned into a hidden reelection weapon.
We are now in the know of what all the weapons including guns, secretly smuggled into Kogi state are actually intended for.
Now we also know that the independence and the integrity of INEC in Kogi state has been totally compromised.
Now we know that if adequate care is not taking Kogi 2019 will be more of a blood bath than a normal election, it will be more of a thuggery affair, a ballot box snatching and an abuse of electoral process than the usual.
Through the Lokoja – Koto bye election we have become aware that the aids appointed by the present Kogi state government are not there to advice the government like we thought, but are there to breach the electoral process of our state, rig elections at all cost and most of all entice the people (if not forced) into selling their votes.
But be that as it may, we must understand that Kogi 2019 is unlike the usual election, it is a struggle between the oppressors and the oppressed, the strong and the weak, the betrayer and the betrayed, the fed and the starved, the paid and unpaid.
Thus, no form of intimidation no matter how strong, no form of rigging no matter how crafty, no form of electoral abuse no matter how swift can save the day.
I will conclude by saying that if Kogi state INEC does not see any reason to cancel the Lokoja – Koto bye election, then we have lost confidence in the Kogi arm of this commission.
And we consider it unhealthy, unqualified, unready and inequitable to officiate the forth coming elections in Kogi state.
May the souls of those who lost their lives in the bye election rest in peace.
– Jacob Unekwu Agada
Author, EBULÉJONU.
Oshogbo, Nigeria.
