KOGI ACN GREW TREMENDOUSLY AFTER OUR DEFECTION:
Audu and I defected to the ACN when it was in coma in Kogi State and the baby in the intensive care unit suddenly got back to life with so much strength that it became a political bulldozer ready to exhume any political mountain on its way to victory. Many political shots across the state started defecting to ACN especially after they failed their primaries in PDP. Political intrigues arose that destroyed the victory that was so glaring and sure. Call it a Divine decree and you will be correct!
MY CRITICAL DISCUSSION WITH AUDU:
We were just two at the session as I visited Audu at his Abuja house shortly after his return from one of his overseas trips. I will ever remember the very day I was at the dining table with the Prince to give a critical and fundamental advice that I deliberately loaded with codes. What I said was like:
“Your Excellency, I want to discuss an issue that is very critical, crucial and fundamental to our success at the forth-coming election. I want you to imagine President Jonathan, AttahiruJega and IdrisWada all sitting down with us and further imagine the President instructing Jega to make sure Wada wins the forth coming election at all and at any cost. Be very sure that such instruction will be a nullity because our winning is ordained by God and NOT man.
No power on the planet earth can prevent this coming victory except one man in the whole universe. That man is presently sitting down with me, listening to me and directly at my front. Sir, I will NOT say more than this other than to advise you to pray very well to make sure that any critical decision you will take about the coming election is in line with the ABSOLUTE will of God. It is ONLY you that can destroy the victory that God has ordained because the victory concerns you. I will not say more than this.”
I am not a typical Nigerian politician and that is why I am brutally frank, open and straightforward in my dealings with fellow human beings.On about three different occasions, Audu would stand up in the midst of gatherings in his house and uttered statements that grossly grieved me because of my empathy for him. I was wondering whether this man knew what he was saying! He had uttered on not less than three different occasions, statements that looked like these as he pointed at me in the midst of the people:
“Since I became a politician, nobody has done for me what this man has been doing towards me. He has been devoting his time, energy and his resources for my political cause. His contributions are unequalled by anyone. He is solely financially responsible for the five Local Government Areas in the Central. I will never disappoint him. If I do, God will punish me and no matter the height I occupy in life, I will certainly come down disgraced and with shame.”
People in the room except myself chorused “amen” because I knew the implications of what he was saying and because I loved him. I could not understand why Prince would go to this extent! Nobody compelled him to swear, I was happy with him and I did not suspect anything amiss. To me, I was not even helping Prince in any way. I was rather serving God through service to humanity because my objective was to use Prince to change the society of my dream. Prince was only fortunate to have been the beneficiary of whatever services I rendered. To my consternation, my dear friend repeated the same recitation in another two occasions in the midst of multitudes!
AUDU DROPPED ME AS HIS DEPUTY:
Many weeks to the election,Audu had already submitted the name of another person, Barrister Ojuola from the Western Senatorial district as his Deputy without giving me the privilege of confiding on me before it was done. It was just about a few weeks to the election when the news was already in the public domain that he decided to formally inform me. Ojuola’s name had been submitted to and his deputyship even confirmed by INEC before I was formally informed by Audu. He called me at about 9pm while at his Lokoja house and we went into inner room and he said something like these:
“Thank you for all you have done for this cause. You see, I want to win this election. Your people said you don’t have appreciable number of followers in Central. I will have to pick another deputy from Kogi West as a strategy to win the election. Also, ACN said there is no way ANPP would produce both the Governor and Deputy Governor candidates. That is the reason I have to call you aside and inform you”.
As usual, I was full of honest and unfeigned smiles without uttering a word till he finished because I had known what he wanted to tell me and also I knew how the whole drama would end with Divine hints. When he had stopped speaking, I gently got up and the only statement I uttered was:“Sir, I thank you very much, I am going home. Good night.” I took it with equanimity as if nothing happened!
Prince escorted me to the door steps and went back inside. I hopped into my Lincoln Navigator and told my driver “straight to Kaduna” even at that odd time of the night! This God is wonderful indeed! You know what? In about 60 minutes after getting into the car, I started snoring! I had reached right inside my compound at Kaduna before the driver woke me up! The truth is that I had that supernatural calmness that I could not explain. Peace, absolute peace descended upon me as if nothing happened! Before I went to bed that night, I knelt down to thank Jehovah for everything that happened and sang praises unto Him.
I appreciated the arguably opinion that ANPP ought not to produce both the Governorship and Deputy, but the protagonists of this theory couldn’t have gotten enough time to plan if we had decamped very close to the election as God had earlier instructed which I told Audu but did not heed. Moreso, if Audu had insisted on the pair ticket, there was no way ACN would not oblige him because in my own estimation, there was no viable alternative to Audu with due respect to all other contestants.
BEFORE AUDU DROPPED ME AS HIS DEPUTY:
I had known even months before he dropped me. God said something like: “If Audu drops you, he drops in advance his victory in any future election. If he drops you, don’t work for or against him. Just fold your arms and see. Any other contestant you give your heart to will win the gubernatorial election.”God in His own wisdom decided to APPOINT me as the mascot of that election! Who am I to be so honoured by God?
This coded secretwas what made me to advise Audu in his house while at the dining table to seriously pray before taking any critical decision as I had earlier explained. I refused to expressly explain in details to him because as a politician, Audu would think I was only using cunning sense to secure my deputyship. So, when Audu dropped me, I was neither surprised nor shocked. It was like “I dey Kampe” knowing very well what God had said and fully aware that the failure was already on the side of ACN even before the election.
Before Audu dropped me as his deputy, he requested me to submit list of my supporters across Central to be enlisted in the various committees in preparation for the elections. I did as per his instruction and most of the people suggested were enlisted. As he dropped me as his deputy, I never asked any of my supporters to resign from any of the committees. I just went into limbo! I never had further contact with any of my supporters who were committee members as they were fully absorbed in the system and became Audu’s ardent supporters and not mine anymore. Indeed an orphan in most cases can be deserted even by close associates purely for their self-interests. What a life? However, I was unperturbed with reliance on God’s decreed failure that was lurking the corner.
AUDU CAME TO MY KADUNA HOUSE TO BEG ME:
After a few days, Audu came to beg me to continue working for the group. He spoke in this manner without interrupting him till he stopped:
“First of all, I want to appreciate your contributions so far for this cause. May God continue to bless you. Factors beyond my control made me to take the decision I took. The people insisted I must change my deputy if not the ticket would not be given to me. The deputy must be produced by ACN while ANPP produces the gubernatorial candidate. Let us shame the enemies by working together. I still want you to continue your campaign works. Please come and let us continue to work together.”
The brief quote represents the spirit of what he said on that day because he spoke for over 30 minutes without any interruption from me.
My reply was like this:
“Your Excellency, do you know what is paining me? We have been together for over 5 years and I can write a whole book about you but my pain is that you don’t know me at all! Why do you think it is because your dropping me is responsible for my stepping aside? Did I ever beg you for any post? Do you remember our agreement at Ogbonicha? Is it not the pressure from my group that made me to reluctantly accept the deputyship?
Till this moment, I believe you are still the best candidate. I still love and respect you despite the unfortunate incident. If I know that my further campaign will make you win the election, I will definitely do so because my primary objective is to use you to change the society and not for me to secure any position in the government. My becoming the deputy was never planned but circumstantial.
Your Excellency, it seems you are over rating my capabilities and my person. Why do you think that my campaigning for you can have any impact on your victory? I am nothing as a person. The truth is that what could have made us to win is DIVINE GRACE and NOT my person Wokili or any works that I did or did not do. That is the fundamental mistake that you are making. This Divine Grace has been removed from me by God the very day you dropped me. So, you are talking to a hollow personality! It was His Grace that made me to achieve the modest achievements for this group and since it is no more with me, it will be dangerous for me to continue without the Grace!
If I do, I will not be surprised if the people in Central who love me will turn back to stone me because I will be operating solely on my own strength without God’s Presence. I am sorry sir, it is better I obey and please God instead of man. Do you still remember our discussion at the dining table some months ago? This is exactly the unfortunate wrong step that you have taken.
To me and every other person, nothing in the physical prevents you from being the next governor of the state because all physical factors and circumstances point to your sure victory. But sir, I don’t know how it will happen because to me and seeing the situation on ground,it is unreasonable to say that you will definitely lose the election which is God’s decree and not man. God said you have dropped your victory in any future election. Therefore, I am advising you never to contest any future election after losing this forthcoming one so as not to be wasting your resources. This is my sincere advice to you sir based on what God said.
I want to assure today that I will not work against you in the next election. Apart from being God’s instruction to me, I find it immoral for me to go and start maligning the character of a man that I earlier portrayed as very nice. I will leave the country at least one week to the election and remain there till after your failure in the next election just to prove to you that I will not have hands on it. Thank you sir for your kind visit but I am sorry that I cannot oblige you of your request even against my wish.”
PRESSURE FROM MY REMAINING CLOSE SUPPORTERS:
I must commend those supporters who stood with and by me during the period of political temptations and trials. They came to me asking“what next”? To them we MUST work against the victory of Audu by joining the PDP. I could empathetically feel it for them. They were with high hopes and all of a sudden all such ambitions were dashed. I needed to satisfy the people and more importantly having at the back of my mind not to disobey God’s instruction never to work for or against Audu should he dropped me as his deputy and at the same He decreed that whoever I gave my heart to, would win the election which gave me a window to honour visit-invitations from other contestants.How would I convey to these supporters who were soaked in bitterness to remain calm and step aside like me? As core politicians unlike me, they desperately needed political comfort and umbrella to operate.
Meanwhile, several calls were received from Hon. Yakubu Anape of Ankpa who had earlier defected to the PDP indicating the willingness of Wada, Audu’s political opponent to speak with me with the aim of working together. Wada called as well which I avoided.After several calls and due to the pressure of my supporters to honour the calls, I picked one of the Wada’s calls and honoured his request to visit him at the government house to the joy of my supporters. In all these, God’s warnings were constantly bombarding my spirit!
MY VISITS TO WADA AT THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE & OKPANACHI:
My supporters and I finally honoured Wada’s and Anape’s invitation. We were in the government house in the presence of Yakubu Anape. What struck me when I saw Wada was his demeanour reflective that of a pious and religious Muslim who was likely to have the fear of God at heart. He was soft spoken and expressed his vision for the State. The quality of his presentation and vision for the state further proved my impression about his demeanour – I therefore, gave my heart to Wada. All these analysis were physical. They requested my defection to PDP at a rally to be organized in Central. I promised to give them feedback on the offer and a date was fixed for another meeting.
My supporters and I left the government house to congregate for further deliberations during which they all decided that we should accept the offer to defect as full members of PDP and then openly work for Wada. I was all ears because I had the task of satisfying my supporters and at the same time never disobeying God. It was one of the most trying periods of my political career. Judging from the mood of my supporters, mentioning God to dissuade them from taking their determined course of action could incur their wrath. From that moment, I decided to play along.
During the second appointed visit to Wada, we disclosed our readiness to defect to PDP at a rally to be organized at the central and a firm date was fixed for that purpose. My supporters demanded from me for mobilization funds to campaign against Audu and I technically declined by telling them “it can be released a day to the election”, knowing fully in my heart that I would not be in the country in my quest to fully obey God’s instruction. That was the reason I used the word “can” and not “will”. I am a human being, their sad mood was at its zenith and they wanted immediate vengeance and I could not afford to add salt to their injury by telling them what God said. At the same time, I knew I had no option other than to obey God!
Before visiting Wada, I had visited Okpanachi the ANPP flag bearer at Sheraton hotel on his invitation. I could have honoured invitation of other contestants except Audu if they had invited me because I needed to give my heart to someone to win the election as per God’s decree. Why except Audu? Because God had already said the man had automatically dropped his victory despite the overwhelming popularity and acceptability of him and ACN. So, what was the essence of wasting my time even though I could have personally liked him to win because I still believed he was the best candidate among all other contestants? Who am I to question God’s infinite wisdom? The visits were necessary to make an informed choice.
MY DECISION TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY TILL AFTER THE ELECTION:
Before the date for the proposed defection, I called Hon Hassan Anape of Ankpa who linked Wada to me and confided on him of my dilemma. I took my time to express my pain of disappointing my supporters for my secret decision not to defect which I dared not tell my supporters in my obligation to obey God who expressly warned me never to work for or against Audu.
Rather I should fold up my arms and watch! I concluded by telling him that I would NOT be able to defect and would not surface in any of their rallies. His reply was like this: “I do not know how to tell Wada because everything is set for your defection. This is pure politics which has nothing to do with religion, your integrity is at stake and giving reasons relating to God is what I cannot understand. I will advise you to stick to our agreement.”
I patiently and empathetically listened to him but knowing that God’s perfect will MUST be obeyed by me and NOT the will or desire of any human being including me. I realized I was not on the same spiritual page with Anape on this particular matter and decided not to waste my time further with him. As a human being still in this clay flesh, there was a time along the line that I was tempted to defer to the counsel of my supporters by changing my decision to defect but the Divine warning came again. God knows the thoughts of our hearts!
The warning meant death to me if I ever did. It was at that point I finalized my irrevocable decision to check out of the country immediately and remained there incommunicado till after the elections. It was the most confused and saddest period of my political life. Thoughts were just flying through my hearts. How would my supporters perceive me? How were they coping back home? I was on election “self-exile” for weeks!
AUDU LOST THE ELECTION WITH THE WIDEST MARGIN EVER:
The gubernatorial election was just by the door and the prospects of ACN wining were getting brighter by the day even till a day to the elections. On the contrary, the fortunes of PDP were dwindling with all internal wrangling compounded with civil servants strike. I believe it still remains a mystery to multitudes till date how ACN lost the gubernatorial election with such uncommon acceptability by the people and against all human permutations.It might be shocking to people but not me! Go and check the records. The margin of Audu’s loss in that election was the widest throughout his political life despite the fact that the circumstances just before the election presented the brightest opportunity of winning. How can one reconcile this mystery?
HOW MY SUPPORTERS VOTED:
With utmost pains in my heart, I realised that they were sheep without shepherd on the day of the election for reasons that were completely beyond my control.They used their individual discretion to vote. Some even voted for Audu because they reasoned that since I did not release money to campaign against Audu, it meant that I indirectly wanted them to vote for him. Some voted for Wada and their own reason was that the group had already concluded in favour of Wada. I learnt this group was mobilised with money by the PDP. Many simply stayed at home and did not vote. According to them they would not vote for any of the candidates since there was no any definite instruction backed with action from me.
For the records, I did NOT collect any amount from PDP or anyone throughout my political engagements. My visits to contestants on their invitation was to enable me have an informed choice of who to give my heart to (which was allowed by God) and the act is NOT a contravention of God’s instruction because at the end of the day I did not campaign for or against any contestant.
Sadly, my friend Prince is no more. May his soul rests in peace and may God grants all his children the fortitude to bear the loss. I still believe that he was among the best governors that ever presided over Kogi State. I loved and respected him! I want to seize this opportunity to profusely thank all my sincere supporters who toiled day and night with me especially during the trying periods of political wilderness. True friends are known during hardship. May God bless you all. Without you the successful campaign could not have been possible. I give all the glory to God Almighty and credit to my supporters and none for myself.
LAST PART 5TO CONTINUE ……………. (My critical advice to Wada after the election, My meeting with my core supporters after the election, My general political reflections, your probable questions and reasons for these narratives etc).
https://web.facebook.com/moses.wokili( to read parts 1, 2, & 3)
