By Musa Tanimu Nasidi
In less than Six months, Political parties/ Aspirants vying to takeover from the incumbent Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello Will emerge.
Come November 2023 eligible voters – old and new – will file out to elect a new governor for Kogi State after the incumbent, Governor Bello , must have served out his constitutionally permissible two term in office. It is going to be an important exercise because for Fairness, equity and justice, some sections of state are agitating for power to be shift to their area, while others still Advocating to retain governance for another Eight years.
Recently, an advocacy association, Lokoja- Koton karfe Forum, held a townhall meeting in Lokoja the state capital.
The forum Chairman, Alhaji Rajab Naibi in his speech delivered on Saturday, said:” the facts that this Town Hall Meeting is taking place here’today demonstrates our true commitment to our people and we consider this meeting as a critical tool in consulting with key stakeholders to build consensus and foster understanding on a common
goal of improving the socio-economic wellbeing and progress of our people.”
The chairman who emphasized the need to support the forum on its quest to realise it aims and objectives,added ;
My dear brothers and sisters, let me remind you once again
that, the aims and objectives of this forum is to unite our people and agree on a common goal that will improve socio-economic well-being and ensure sustainable progress for our people. It’s important to clearly highlights key objectives of this forum : To promote inclusive political participation as well as protect and defend the genuine interest of our people. serve as the mouthpiece of our people in the pursuit of our agenda.
provide a safe haven for all-inclusive political participation and gains, Create opportunities, leverage on locational advantage to make Lokoja-Koton the preferred economic and political hub of
the state and To project, defend and protect genuine interest of our people.”
Against the foregoing, at the last check, the political temperature of the state is rising by the day as the atmosphere is getting turbocharged with a growing list of Agitators, pretenders and contenders – all chorusing there senatorial Districts are the best fit to take over the baton of leadership from Governor Bello of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in 2024 . It’s not yet time to assess their capacity and capability for the onerous task ahead,
The reasons is not Farfetch due what some political analysts described as failure of leadership by some of the organisers of the Townhall Meeting who according to the analysts failed to contribute to both human and physical development of their immediate communities when They were in Position of authority and having the grace to so,rather concentrate in building or empowering themselves and their children to the detriment of Lokoja and Kogi local government areas
For the forum to get the needed support, the leadership in the saddle must have the intellectual wherewithal and experiential knowledge to drive the people,it must be someone whose contributions remain unparalleled on a sustainable developmental pathway in or outside office.
First thing first. Based on my impassioned observation, there are two or three Broadway tendencies across the political firmament of the constituency,that’s Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency, at the moment: There are those who want a change of government and political party – the PDP – and those who want continuity per the APC, which is the ruling party in the state. While others believes that the forum is working for personal agenda .
The third force includes: those who allegedly said that majority of the leadership of the forum misused the opportunities while in Position of authority, political, private or public office.
According to Comrade Suleiman Inusa, who spoke with THEANALYSTNG at the end of the Townhall Meeting, said :’ The idea is good so also the agitations,Yes! power is not served a la carte or given on a silver plate. That is a given. Those who seek power must be able and willing to break all the barriers they may encounter in their quest to win, I commended the forum and that’s why i attended the meeting.
While the idea, like I mentioned earlier is commendable,some of the leadership of the forum’s integrity in term of contributions to their communities is nothing to write home.
It’s, however, surprising today that majority of those Advocating for power shift to Lokoja are the strongest advocates against the same power shift when Isah Kutepa and Sulaiman Baba aspired to be Governor.
They were against the duo’s aspirations because of their selfish and unholy interests, which gave the eastern flank the opportunity to perpetuate power in to the detriment of Kogi West and Lokoja in particular. But does anyone know why these power shift campaigners are hell-bent now “? Comrade Inusa queried.
Back to our topic of discussion,,by implication, Kogi State, being one of the subsets of Nigeria, has also practised twenty-three years of civilian rule, unbroken. In all of these years, gubernatorial power, which is the highest executive power at the state level, has only remain in Kogi East, until recently in 2014/15 with divine intervention, Kogi Central senatorial districts ascended the seat of governance.
What unpardonable sin has Kogi West committed all through these years to deny its people the topmost political position in the state?
At this critical juncture, it is pertinent to recall here that the agitation for power shift from Kogi West in 2007 was what led to the emergence of Abdulrasaq Isah Kutepa as top contender for Kogi governorship seat before he was rigged out by the power that be!
Finally,just like it is morally fair and politically expedient for presidential power to shift to the southern part of the country come 2023 under the ruling APC, it is also morally imperative to allow power to shift to the Western part of Kogi State in the forthcoming governorship election.
One can only hope Governor Yahaya Bello, a beneficiary of divined power shift, will prevail on his party members and allow the gubernatorial slot ceded to Kogi West Once the APC as a ruling party shows the way in this regard, PDP will have no option than to follow suit. Anything short of this is akin to excising Kogi West out of the tripod stand that makes up the state.
For Lokoja koton karfe advocates, it’s pertinent to note that the agitations should focus on Kogi West Senatorial District which is more achievable than Lokoja and koto-Karfe Local Government Areas.
