The tenure of
incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State ends on January 26, 2020. In view
of that, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the
timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of the governorship
election on November 16, 2019.
According to the
timetable, the notice of election is to be out on August 17, 2019, collection
of forms CF001, CF002 by political parties at the INEC headquarters is
scheduled for August 18 while conduct of party primaries including resolution
of disputes arising from the primaries have been scheduled between August 18
and September 5.
Though the
election comes up in November, intrigues and permutations among political
gladiators are already high.
A lot of
underground consultations with party delegates and other stakeholders are
ongoing ahead of the primaries which would determine the flag bearers of the
various political parties.
Some campaign
posters, billboards and banners have started springing up in Lokoja, the state
capital and other parts of the state, especially within the strongholds of the
various gladiators.
Yahaya Bello,
who has declared interest to seek a second term under the platform of the APC,
will be slugging it out with other contenders at the primaries and perhaps, at
the main election if he succeeds in picking his party’s ticket.
However, the
immediate hurdle before the governor is how to secure the party ticket, given
that some gladiators have indicated interest in it, amid concerns about alleged
moves by some forces at the national leadership of the party to deny him the
ticket.
Those jostling
to wrestle the ticket from Bello include a former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral
Jibrin Usman (rtd), a former Director General of Nigerian Space Agency, Prof
Seidu Mohammed Ogah, a brother of late Abubakar Audu, Prince Yahaya Audu and a
sports administrator, Sani Lulu.
Ahead of the
primaries, one major issue dominating the political space in the state is the
modalities to be adopted in the conduct of the primaries of the APC. While the
APC executives and some party stakeholders who are believed to be loyal to the
governor have agreed to adopt indirect primary, other stakeholders,
particularly the other aspirants and their supporters, want the direct primary
method where all party members would decide who becomes the party’s flag
bearer.
Their argument
is that the indirect primary method would give the governor an “undue
advantage” over other aspirants.
But Bello has
said he is not perturbed by whatever method adopted, saying he is confident of
clinching the party’s ticket at the end of the day.
The governor
while addressing State House correspondents in Abuja recently, said, “I am the
governor today and Insha Allah, l will return as governor for another four
years after the November 16 election. As for the ticket, the analogy is that
the tenant cannot send the landlord out of his house. So, APC in Kogi State was
rebuilt by me, after the good job done by our late leader, Prince Abubakar
Audu”.
In an effort to brighten his chances at the
primaries and perhaps gain more grounds ahead of the main election, the
governor recently embarked on some reconciliatory moves with some estranged
stakeholders in the party.
He was also at
the Aso Villa recently with some traditional rulers from the state who told
President Muhammadu Buhari that they were in support of Bello’s second term
bid.
Should Bello
succeed in picking the APC ticket, his major opponent would arguarbly be
whoever emerges flag bearer of the main opposition PDP. No fewer than 30
aspirants are seeking to fly the PDP flag in the election.
Among the motley crowd of aspirants in
the PDP are a former governor, Capt. Idris Wada, his brother, Engr. Musa Wada,
Senator Dino Melaye, security expert, Dr. Joseph Erico Ameh, a businessman and
son of former governor Ibrahim Idris, Abubakar Idris, a Quantity Surveyor,
Aminu Suleiman, a former Deputy Speaker of the Kogi State House of
Assembly , Emma Omebije, a former Commissioner for Health and erstwhile President,
Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Idris Omede, another former Deputy
Speaker, Hon. Aliyu Aku and a former bank executive, Dr Victor Alewo Adoji.
The permutation
is that the PDP will pick its flag bearer from Kogi East Senatorial District
(Igalaland) which has the largest voting population in the state.
Bello, who is of
the minority from Kogi Central Senatorial
District, might be facing a fierce contest and no doubt, needs to work harder
to emerge victorious at the poll if he eventually picks the APC ticket. The
majority Igala, who lost the grip of power in the state after many years of
political dominance following the sudden death of Prince Abubakar Audu who was
already coasting home to victory in the November 2015 governorship election,
are said to be doing all they can to retake power. It will however not be a tea
party to wrestle power from Bello who will be leveraging on the power of
incumbency, financial muscle, retinue of political appointees, support groups,
state/National Assembly lawmakers and other political stakeholders who would be
working to brighten his chances.
The outcome of
the last election in which the APC won the presidential election, clinched
seven of the nine House of Reps seats, two of the three senate seats and won
all the 25 state assembly seats, may have given some ray of hope to the
governor.
But that
notwithstanding, one major factor that will determine his chances is his
ability to handle the thorny issue of workers’ salaries and pensioners who are
currently being owed some arrears.