Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi state is disappointingly not one that promises the electorate a better deal, than they have got after sixteen years of the latest democratic experiment. It is a two-horse race between incumbent Captain Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and old war horse and former governor Prince Abubakar Audu of the All Progressives Congress (APC). No disrespect to the third force who expectedly would also fancy their chances; call it a dreamland adventure.
The confluence state would easily rank among the least developed states in the country with dilapidated physical infrastructure, insecurity and immobile economy. My last visit to the capital Lokoja on September 29 can attest to this conclusion. Except an Alice in Wonderland tale had suddenly happened between then and now. The two main gladiators have contributed almost equally to the state’s unenviable record of decay.
The emergence of Prince Abubakar Audu as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is symptomatic of the grim picture I painted above. At a time everyone was looking towards the change party to come up with a fresh blood indicative of its mantra, the spent force with a huge integrity baggage to worry about ‘hijacked’ the ticket once again. If the outcome of the last National Assembly election in Kogi in which the APC clearly dusted the ruling PDP was anything to go by, the state ordinarily should be for the former to either win or lose. That was the thinking in political circles before Prince Audu got his party’s mandate.
This is largely due to the woeful performance of the incumbent whose first two years in office was more famous for the recklessness of his convoys on the highway than any visible delivery of dividends of democracy to his electors. It is on record that the governor’s convoy is notorious for traffic offences, two of which led to loss of lives. Governor Wada himself almost lost his life on December 28, 2012 in a ghastly motor accident around Jingbe, just before Salem University along Lokoja-Ajaokuta road. He broke his leg in the unfortunate accident while his security aide died on the spot. Two other state officials were injured in the crash.
Ten months fifteen days later, precisely Tuesday November 12, 2013 Festus Iyayi, a former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was allegedly shot by policemen in the convoy of the governor after a wrongful overtaking by a vehicle in the same convoy. The erudite scholar died instantly while two others including a woman were injured. Seven policemen in the vehicle of the governor’s motorcade also sustained injuries. Activists even demanded that the governor should be arrested and prosecuted.
With a Prince Abubakar Audu, whose administration (1999-2003) was credited with some measure of achievements almost on equal proportion with the allegations of profligacy, corrupt personal enrichment and arrogance slugging it out with Captain Idris Wada whose party has wasted twelve long years without much to show for all the monies accrued to the state being the available options for the people tomorrow, then Kogites must brace up for another four years in the wilderness.
Twelve years after leaving office, Prince Audu who was known to talk down on his people, believing his personality was greater than governorship of Kogi has unfortunately failed to rise beyond his status as a former Kogi number one citizen. 2003 to date, the Prince has not attained more prominence than the nomenclature which his previous position bestowed on him. So, with a man who has remained static for twelve good years, Kogi’s stunted growth can only become elongated for another four years.
Idris Wada is not any better. The last four years have been anything but tangible development in Kogi. Absence of good governance is visible even in the state capital let alone the hinterlands. He took the baton from a furniture merchant, his cousin, who did more of de-construction of the state than the begging re-construction. His name is Ibrahim Idris.
However, for all that I heard about the governor before assumption of office in 2011, Captain Idris Wada could go for a good man but definitely not a good state governor. There are other endeavours which could bring out the best in the gentleman. His party’s final campaign rally a few days ago was an indication that the PDP has not learnt any useful lesson from its misadventure in the last general election. Ekiti Governor Ayodele Fayose and former national chairman of the party Ahmadu Ali took turns to do an encore of their trade mark tirade against the opposition in the name of campaign. Ondo Governor Olusegun Mimiko did a good job outlining the unimpressive performance of Wada and the anticipatory goodies ahead if given another mandate.
Kogi election generates national interest because it provides Nigerians the opportunity of assessing the present federal government and President Muhammadu Buhari on how well they will fare concerning conduct of election, a platform on which the last administration score a high mark. The new national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu cannot afford to fail in his first major assignment. He and his commission must be forthright and non-partisan. They must build on the gains of the immediate past. It is his opportunity to strengthen Nigerians confidence in the sanctity of their votes. Nevertheless, a governor must emerge after the Saturday election. The state has remained a massive orphanage for sixteen years. The next four years is only what the two gladiators have got to re-write their history. Hopefully we’ll be alive to write a tribute of an unexpected champion leaving the state a better place!