Barely 24 hours after a section of his supporters from the Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency reportedly endorsed him for third term, Senator Smart Adeyemi’s ambition to represent Kogi West beyond May 2015, suffered a severe blow in Yagba Federal Constituency.
A little-known group, which included a former chairman of Kabba-Bunu LGA, Sulaiman Bello; a former member of the Kogi State Assembly, Alfred Bello, and Fehinti Dada also former council chairman of Ijumu LGA, purportedly endorsed Adeyemi’s perpetuation in office mid-last week.
They cited his “gargantuan strides in the provision of infrastructural facilities in Kogi West since his advent in the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2007,” as his strong point.
All that was to change within a space of 24 hours, however, when Kogi State Governor, Capt Idris Wada toured Yagba Federal Constituency, in continuation of his statewide visit. Yagba Federal Constituency comprises the three Okun LGAs of Yagba West, Yagba East and Mopamuro respectively.
In Yagba East, the political headquarters of Yagba Constituency, angry and frustrated youth groups confronted Adeyemi for non-performance, alienation of his constituents and inexplicable arrogance since they invested their mandate in him in 2007 and 2011, respectively.
Before a bewildered Gov Wada and his deputy, Yomi Awoniyi, who is also from Yagba Constituency, they asked Adeyemi why it was his stock-in-trade to visit his constituents only when dignitaries were visiting.
They wondered why he routinely found cover under people who visited with elaborate security arrangements, if he had the courage and confidence to interact with his people on account of his scorecard.
Alluding to the non-implementation of his ‘empowerment programme’ for women and youths in Kogi West which was the highpoint of his campaign in 2007 and his failure to deliver on the township stadium he promised the people of Kabba in seven years of his stewardship, the youths vowed not to be deceived any further by Adeyemi and his backers.
They advised him to proceed to Ilorin the Kwara State capital where he owns two hotels, a fledgling construction outfit and an upcoming events centre and manage his investments at the end of his second term in 2015, since he does not conceive of any of the seven LGAs in Kogi West, worthy of investing in.
