Vanessa Obioha writes that by deploying desperado
tactics against likely opponents in the race for the All Progressives
Congress governorship ticket, Governor Yahaya Bello may be afraid that
Kogi State is slowly slipping out of his grip.
By now, the
growing concerns over the pathetic plight of Kogi State, should have
alerted the sitting Governor, Yahaya Bello that he is no longer the
anointed ruler of the state. Whatever anointment he enjoyed in the past
four years has certainly dried up. But like the recalcitrant biblical
Egyptian ruler Pharaoh, Bello’s mind is hardened. He simply will not let
the people of Kogi go. He is adamant in achieving his re-election bid.
Responding to the various pillory against him by his detractors, Bello
evinced a Draconian spirit, stating that he would win his re-election
bid either directly or indirectly.
This has been his attitude
since President Muhammadu Buhari was reelected. His victory has somehow
enlarged Bello’s ego. He walks around with a chip on his shoulders, his
pockets filled with golden coins. Of course, in a state where most of
the indigenes live in fear and squalor, mouths will always drool for his
coins and Bello is very aware of that. What he is however ignorant of
is that not all souls are impoverished. This is the stark reality that
Bello is gradually waking up to. Recently, the youths of Kogi displayed
their disapproval of his government in a loud protest at the Unity
Fountain arena in Abuja. In very candid terms, they rejected the
governor from Okene, pleading with the ruling party All Progressives
Congress to “change Bello.”
It is not the first time that Bello
would display his cruelty. Who can forget in a hurry how he arrested
Mohammed Audu, one of the sons of the late Prince Abubakar Audu, whose
votes he inherited after Audu’s untimely death. Thinking the younger
Audu was a threat to his miraculous emergence as the new governor of
Kogi state, Bello dumped all manner of criminal allegations on him,
confident that he would lock him away for life. The prosecuting officer
at the time Gabriel Otowu charged the accused with criminal conspiracy,
causing grievous hurt, mischief, armed robbery and attempted culpable
homicide, contrary to sections 97(1), 248, 327, 298 and 229 of the Penal
Code.
But Providence had a better plan. While Bello and his
police lapdogs were building a case against Audu, the people were
revolting against the inhumane act, calling for Audu’s immediate
release. Bello was left with no choice than to abandon his seemingly
perfect plan. Audu would later be released on a N100,000 bail.
That
experience didn’t deter Bello from alleging last year that Audu was
complicit in the gun-running allegations levelled against Senator Dino
Melaye. Once again, Audu had to launder his image from the dirty tricks
of Bello.
One may be forced to wonder why Bello’s desperado
tactics targets Audu. Is he afraid that Kogi is slowly slipping away
from his grip? From all indications, this must be a trying period for
Bello. With just a few weeks to the APC primary, he must be fidgeting if
the will of the people will stand. There should really be no other
resolution. Kogites are tired. Tired of being the butt of jokes as
outstanding salaries and pensions keep piling up, infrastructure
development nonexistent while their governor squander their collective
wealth in his loyalty campaign at Aso Rock.
Kogi state deserves
to be a pride of the nation. Its unique location at the central region
of the country is a good pointer to the abounding wealth it possesses.
Its peculiarities go beyond being a Confluence State, it is the only
state in Nigeria that shares a boundary with 10 other states. It shares a
boundary with FCT and Niger state in the north, Nasarawa in the
Northeast, Anambra in the south, Enugu in the southeast, Edo in the
southwest, Benue to the east, and Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara to the west. Kogi
is also notable for connecting the nation’s capital to 22 southern
states, serving as a national and international gateway for both road
and air travellers.
With the unique opportunities it offers, it
is unthinkable that in the almost four years Bello has been in office,
he did not initiate a blueprint that will harness the potentials of the
road networks to generate and increase revenue for the state. Instead,
he allowed the people to wallow in abject poverty, unabashedly punishing
them for putting their fate in his hands.
However, as much as
the clamour for Bello’s removal is reaching the highest heavens, Kogites
must not make the mistake of appointing another thorn in their flesh.
The main goal should not end in ousting Bello from power, rather it must
be about electing a true visionary, someone whose political mind is not
only for dirty games and greed but for the people. A leader whose
priority is the welfare of the people, keen on making Kogi the wealth of
the nation. For that particular search, Kogites need not look far.
The
family of His Royal Highness, the late Alhaji Audu Oyidi, the Orego
Attah of Ogbonicha has chosen to support Muhammed Abubakar Audu as a
governorship candidate in the forthcoming Kogi State November 16, 2019
gubernatorial election. Intestingly, three of the late former Governor
Audu have indicated interest in the top office. They are Yahaya Audu,
Muhammed Audu and Mona Mustapha Audu.
Mona first flagged off his
political campaign with the launch of his political party of interest,
YPP, in Lokoja. He subsequently indicated interest in chasing his
ambition on the platform of the APC. Yahaya Audu on the other hand
first ran for the Kogi East senatorial seat before he decided to fulfill
his political ambition via gubernatorial contest.
The family,
comprising His Royal Highness, Alhaji Tijani Audu; Alhaji Ibrahim Audu;
Hajia Hawawo (Aya); Hajia Ramatu Audu; Hajia Nana Audu; Hajia Teina; and
other members, in its resolution also reached out to Yahaya Audu to
drop his ambition in favour of Muhammed Audu who is the preferred
candidate.
“This is a new dawn in Audu’s family, as the support
is premised on the family’s desire to present a more politically mature
member to carry on the sterling personality, legacy and grand social
standing the Audu’s family is known for.
“Muhammed Audu, a
grassroots politician has been an active member of the APC right from
when Prince Abubakar Audu was alive, and has contributed immensely to
the development of the party. He is also the rallying point of contact
known to the political friends and allies of the late Prince Abubakar
Audu. It is therefore uncharitable to allow Muhammed to lose all the
goodwill and supports that are the necessary condiments in any
successful political outing,” they said.
Mona Mustapha Audu and
Yahaya Audu have by this resolution, lost the total support and goodwill
of the family. They are therefore enjoined by the family to support
Muhammed Audu for the sake of love, unity, progress and synergy.
The
information obtained from a very close member of the family reveals
that the family believes in Muhammed more than in anyone else, and that
Muhammed is more capable of and trusted in delivering the dividends of
democracy.
It was noted that Prince Abubakar Audu projected the
family well to the world. The family therefore cannot afford to have
anything less than what Prince Abubakar Audu planted. Muhammed, it is
believed, is the perfect scion of Abubakar Audu that has the clout
capable of ensuring a successful political contest.
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