The November 21 governorship election in Kogi pits Governor Idris Wada with his predecessor, Abubakar Audu, and other contestants in another epic battle, Editor, Politics/Features, EMEKA ALEX DURU, writes.
With the emergence of Governor Idris Wada as the Kogi candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), last Monday, and the earlier victory of Abubakar Audu as All Progressives Congress (APC) flag-bearer about two weeks ago, the stage appears set for the November 21, 2015 governorship election in the state.
Wada scored 709 votes to beat his closest challenger, Isa Echoho, who got 139 votes in the primary election, which took place at the Lokoja stadium. The election was supervised by Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Audu, a former governor of the state, had, on the other hand, beaten 27 other aspirants to clinch his party’s ticket. He polled 1,109 votes to defeat his closest rival, Yahaya Bello, who scored 703 votes, while a former senator in the state, Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, had 400 votes to take the third place. The contest was supervised by Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai.
Except the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), whose National Chairman, Frederick Fasehun, said was not going to participate in the poll, in protest of the eligibility of Amina Zakari, Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to supervise the election in her current capacity, other major political parties were, by last week, putting up efforts at indicating their readiness for the exercise.
Wada, Audu test strength
Notwithstanding, many see the election as a straight fight between PDP, the ruling party in the state, and the APC. And in the estimation of analysts, the exercise promises to be a crunchy encounter. Both are both from the eastern axis of the state where power has been domiciled since the creation of Kogi over 24 years ago.
They, thus, can throw up local sentiments on almost equal measures. Besides, none is a stranger to the other. Wada and Audu had, in fact, clashed over the seat in 2012, with the governor carrying the day.
Kogi electorate, thus, expect a repeat performance of their titanic clash over three years ago. Then, Audu had anchored his campaign on his past performance when he governed the state during the 1991/1992 transition period of the then General Ibrahim Babangida military administration, as well as in his second coming at the commencement of the present dispensation between 1999 and 2003.
He contested on the ticket of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the legacy political parties that fused into APC. His efforts and elaborate campaign, however, did not see him through.
Wada, on the other hand, rode on the continuity agenda of his predecessor and in-law, Ibrahim Idris. Audu, incidentally, had been beaten by Idris, earlier in 2003. Idris repeated the feat in 2007, even with a re-run election after the first ballot was annulled. Apparently following the tradition, Wada, a pilot, trounced Audu in 2012.
History at play
For the two candidates, therefore, there is a lot at play. History also beckons. For Wada and his supporters, a win in the November poll would mean a consolidation of an earlier victory over Audu. It will also keep hopes alive for PDP that has virtually lost all the states previously under its column in the North Central to the APC.
Kogi is currently the only state in the zone that is under the control of the former ruling party. Others – Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kwara and Nasarawa – are under APC. For PDP that seems to have remained dazed following its disastrous outing in the March/April general elections, a win by Wada will throw it into serious reckoning. This is especially as its National Working Committee (NWC) has vowed to raise the party from the ashes of its defeat to its original pride of place.
Audu also has a point to prove in the election. When he lost to the governor in 2012, he had blamed the defeat on manipulation by Wada in collusion with INEC. With a new INEC leadership, albeit in acting capacity and new order in the nation’s politics that has been advertising transparency in ways of doing things, he stands a chance to prove that he was actually robbed of victory in his last encounter with the governor.
Perhaps, more than that, the November contest provides APC with another opportunity to stamp its authority in the country’s politics. A victory for the party in the poll would see it totally in charge of North Central politics.
The candidates, the strategies
The governor is approaching the November election on the profile of his administration’s performance scorecard that he rates high. For instance, in a recent chat with a Lagos on-line magazine, he said, “I have done my best to serve the people well and I hope that they will reflect that in their support for me as the candidate of our party for the November elections.”
Part of his achievements, he said, is in trying to attract investments. In this regard, Wada remarked that his administration had signed a lot of memorandum of understanding with investors to explore the solid mineral resources in the state.
“But some of these things take time – they have to do their own capital formation, attract the funds, do feasibilities and be sure that the project could be viable and generate income,” he explained.
He, however, listed establishment of methanol factory on Lokoja Way and emerging small-scale industries and focus on agriculture, among the major accomplishments of his government.
“Another thing we did was to subscribe to a bond of N20 billion purely for infrastructure. We have done about N8 billion of it now and we are doing 12 key infrastructure projects with the bond. Most of the projects are about 40 to 50 per cent completed now. It is for seven years repayment period. So, I think we have done very well. With these strategies that we have introduced, in the coming years, our infrastructure profile will improve,” he enthused.
TheNiche gathered that even with what the governor flaunts as his achievements, some indigenes and residents of the state are hardly excited. A major point that is held against his administration, even by fellow PDP chieftains, is the virtual non-existence of landmark projects that can be attributed to it.
Our reporter learnt that the situation is so bad that even within the party, members describe Wada as “a sleeping governor”, apparently on account of his perceived slow pace of action in fixing the state. It was this apprehension on his ability to deliver at the poll that saw the PDP leadership almost dropping him for another candidate. What saved the day for Wada, it was gathered, was the last minute consideration that dumping him at this time would mean an easy ride for his APC counterpart, who commands immense name recognition in the state. There was also the feeling that with the so-called power of incumbency, he may put up a better showing than a relatively untested hand.
Even with that, it has not been easy for the governor. Kogi, under him, ranks among states with backlog of salaries to their workers. Foot soldiers of his administration have laboured to explain the inadequacy on the shortfall from the federation account. This has been the explanation by other defaulting states. Wada is however in a fix because the infraction is taking place at a time he is going for re-election.
Audu has consequently been feeding fat on that, taunting and accusing the governor of lacking in initiatives to rise to the challenges of leadership. His image-handlers have not relented in reminding the Kogi voters how the former governor changed the face of the state with limited resources while he was in the saddle.
Also, the APC candidate boasts of establishing the first polytechnic, first university and attracting investment for establishing Obajana Cement Factory in the state during his tenure.
His party is also in charge at the federal level. Known for its trademark vociferous posturing, even when it, at times, tilts to outlandish propaganda, APC publicity machine has, in the build up to the poll, literally been on the frenzy, drumming to the voters on the need to key into the President Muhammadu Buhari magic at the centre.
“Vote Wada, remain owed; vote Audu, get paid” is, for instance, among the sizzling campaign slogans the party is said to be blaring to public servants in the state.
The message, our reporter learnt, appears to gather steam as the poll date draws near. While it echoes, it seeks to downplay the charge of arrogance that had been levelled against Audu all the while. The former governor had, before now, been vigorously criticised for changing Kogi State University to ‘Prince Abubakar Audu University’ while he was in power. Though the action had been reversed, it was all the same seen as an affront on the sensibilities of the state by embarrassed indigenes and residents. He was also accused of engaging in other activities that were considered petty by informed analysts.
The animosity that resulted from such instances had counted against the former governor in his later political outings. But with what seems a growing concern on Kogi being a PDP island in the ocean of APC, Audu’s perceived sins may be forgiven, at least, for the poll.
There is also the consideration that Kogi under PDP has not really recorded much progress.
“What really has the state gained in being with PDP? We had Ahmadu Ali as PDP National Chairman. What did we gain from it? We have had PDP in the state since 2003; what have we gained from it? It is time to make a change for us to be able to compare notes,” said Habibu Ajana, a Kogi indigene in his Lagos Estate Management office.
Audu and his supporters are riding on this sentiment. But Wada and his camp are not losing sleep. For them, beating the APC candidate is not really an issue that should bother any PDP candidate, especially as he had been trashed by the party since 2003.
Breath of fresh air
More than the Wada/Audu tango however, TheNiche learnt of some voters in the state expressing concern over the recurrent recycling of the familiar faces at major elections in the state. Audu has, for instance, featured in virtually all the governorship elections in the state since the 1991 Babangida transition. Though Wada eventually ran in 2012, he had been seen as Idris’ sidekick all the while.
Audu Ocholli, a public opinion analyst, who hails from Kogi, described the tendency of familiar faces regularly popping up as “the nemesis of the state”. He accused the two candidates of merely working for their selfish interests and not giving way for younger leaders to emerge.
Former newspaper editor and seasoned columnist, Uche Ezechukwu, made a metaphor of the leading candidates in the Kogi election, alluding that there is hardly any difference among them.
“My mother used to allude to the two knives in Eneke’s kitchen, to the effect that ‘… the one that is sharp does not have a handle; while the one that has a handle is not sharp’. The two key candidates at the forthcoming gubernatorial race in Kogi State on my mind,” he stated in his witty Facebook page, early last week.
Arguing on the same line, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate for the election, Umar Akwu Goodman, said the people of the state were already tired of recycled leaders and emperors and would be voting for what he described as real change during the poll.
“It is only APGA that can bring change to Kogi. The people there at other parties are corrupt and failed. We are tired of recycling same people; we are tired of emperors. APGA is out to save the state,” he said.
Aside the APGA challenge, there are insinuations of possible shocker in the November governorship poll. This is particularly as Kogi Central and Kogi West senatorial districts are bent on actualising the powershift agenda, to correct the incidence of marginalisation they had faced in the state’s politics.
The permutation is that with Wada and Audu coming from Kogi East, a consensus candidate from Central/West coalition may steal the show from the governor and his predecessor. The suggestion here is that while the two leading candidates may be battling for the votes in Kogi East, they may unwittingly leave the coast clear for the common candidate from the West and Central zones.
The permutation had not worked in the past, due largely to mutual suspicion and linguistic differences among the two blocs. But the drivers of the initiative insist that it may click this time around.