Ever since Governor Yahaya Bello adopts his cousin, one Jimoh Ododo as the All Progressieve Congress’s flag bearer for Kogi Gubernatorial election, come never 2023, Kogi has been in the news for so many reasons.
Most of the Analysts believe that Governor Yahaya Bello has the audacity to do what he did because his rigging formular has been working for him since 2019.
Analysts have equally explained that, if Kogi East can go back to the drawing board, they will teach Governor Yahaya Bello a bitter lesson.
Some say that the best formular to tame those Governor Yahaya Bello is using to cause violent in Kogi East is hide before, during and after election.
Some have also suggested that if Ata of Igala is still on the throne, this is the right time to demonstrate his fatherly role that will put Yahaya Bello to where he belongs.
It is against this background that a public Affairs Analyst, Emmanuel Sylvester writes to explain his own perspective.
Let us read what he has to write: ” Kogi is a very perculiar state divided by three major ethnic groups.
The electorates from all districts share vote across tribal lines mainly.
But one thing is certain: they need each other for victory.
The Kogi East ruling class are never united for a Political purpose.
The quest to run for the Lugard’s house has resulted to a divided vote which puts them at a disadvantage of a block vote capable of wielding power to the district.
The total vote of West and central is almost the size of Kogi East as the majority part.
Although majority of them are non-resident.
What does this mean?
It means that Kogi West and Kogi Central cannot clinch the certificate of return to Lugard’s house except Kogi East is highly involved.
Candidates from Kogi West cannot wield power without alliance with other senatorial districts.
The difficulties that arise from this alliance results to violence, harassment and rigging especially in Kogi East.
Kogi East is the den of election rigging in Kogi State.
Thugs and security agencies usually have a filled day because of its lonely parts resulting from its disperse settlements.
Now what hope does APC has in going back to central to pick a successor from the district that just finished 8 years?
The only way this can happen is through violence, harassment and rigging.
I think APC made a very careless decision this time around.
According to folks from the East, they would rather prefer an Okun person than return power to the central.
West on their own, has two major contenders, PDP and SDP candidates.
If this two share vote in the West, the East who has Labour Party candidate might have a smooth ride to visit Lugard for four years.
But a lot of Kogi East dwellers still perceive labour as a structureless party especially those who base politics as a means of monetary gain rather than vision.
In conclusion
When the military sat down to create this state, what were they thinking by bringing together these three gigantic ethnic groups to one state?
Wasn’t there a proper structural research based on development drive and Political stability?
This was certainly a conflict of interest deliberately created by the players.
No wonder the state has remained highly underdeveloped sitting below the middle in poverty index among other 36 states, only seen to be a little better than core Northern Sharia driven states despite being a host to Africa’s biggest Steel industry in Ajaokuta and Africa’s biggest Cement factory in Obajana, in its central and West respectively.
If the indigenes of the state would put aside Partisan and tribal inclinations, it would help in bringing out somebody who has the capacity and industrial drive to create revenue base to sustain the funding of infrastructural development in the state hosting Nigeria’s most pivotal symbol, the confluence significant to trinitarian doxology.
The tourism potential this host cannot be overemphasized.
Realizing this calls for capacity building in solid mineral development to drive funding where Kogi takes a leading role in the whole of Nigeria”
