#News

Kogi elections: Issues  voters should consider

Kogi elections: Issues  voters should consider

By Adetokunbo Abiola
|
Barely one week to the governorship election in Kogi State, all the contending political parties are fully charged with political activities in line with the timetable reeled off by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC has assured Nigerians that the Commission was ready to discharge its constitutional responsibility to conduct free, fair, credible and conclusive governorship elections in Kogi State.

National Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, restated the commitments of the electoral body to delivering credible election in the state, even though he said the actions and utterances of some political actors were inimical to the fragile peace being enjoyed in the state.

However, absent are parameters that voters should use to select their governor for the state to move ahead in the near future.

The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has promised more developmental projects if given a second term, while thanking  the people for their support in the last three years of his administration.

Bello, who is the flag bearer of the All Progressives Party (APC), has highlighted some of the achievements of his administration, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, security, agricultural development, youth empowerment and the creation of employment opportunities.

The governor said Kogi West had benefitted from his government, as it was now housing the Ejiba rice milling factory, which he said cost over four billion naira and had the capacity to employ about five thousand youths.

“My second term in office would further facilitate greater projects which would be of immense benefit, particularly with a focus on human capital development,” the governor said.

Musa Wada, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has promised to offer selfless service and retrieve the state “from the burden of misgovernance and desecration of democratic values in the last four years”.

Related News  Ondo 2024 : Adhere to rules, INEC tasks parties

He accordingly called for the support of party faithful, stalwarts, leaders and elders, especially those who contested for the ticket with him, saying the task ahead “requires all of us to put the past behind us and rally together to enthrone a PDP government that will be truly responsible, responsive and accountable to the people of Kogi State at all times.”

Voters should note, said a political analyst, that both candidates are not angels, as they bring weaknesses to the campaign leading to the next elections.

For Bello, he would have to contend with the controversy generated by his failure to pay workers’ salaries for over 30 months.

At a time, civil servants and pensioners, in Kogi State frowned over unpaid salaries and pensions by the state and local governments, a situation which  put many of them in tight corners.

By June, majority of the state workers were paid up to January 2019 and owed arrears of about four months, but  other categories of workers, especially those affected by the screening exercise embarked upon by the administration, were owed over 30 months.

At the local government levels, the situation of council workers and primary school teachers was said to be more worrisome, as they had been receiving their pay in percentages over the years.

Some received as little as 17% of the old minimum wage as their monthly salary, thus resulting in a situation whereby their take-home pay could not take them home, quite literally.

Luckily for Bello, the Central Bank of Nigeria paid the balance of N30.8 billion bailout to his government some months ago, and he was able to settle some of his bills, even though it’s not clear whether he has settled all of them.

Related News  Aiyedatiwa greets Tinubu at 72

Some voters might feel that if Bello could owe workers 30 months during his first term, he could do worse if he’s elected as a governor for the second term, as he won’t feel obligated to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people, since he won’t be needing their votes again.

As for Wada, his opponents claim he does not know the state well enough to serve as its governor, a weakness they said  led to the colossal failure of the administration of his brother, Capt Idris Wada, as Governor of Kogi State between 2011 and 2015.

The Spokesperson of Bello/Onoja Campaign Council, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, went as far as to  describe Engr Musa Wada as someone “who doesn’t know anything about the state he aspires to govern”.

Fanwo said this on the backdrop of a gaffe by Engr Wada on a National Television Program to the effect that there was a Federal Medical Centre in Kabba.

“We sympathize with Engr Wada and we strongly advise him to get more acquainted with the state he is aspiring to lead. It is expected that a serious candidate would have consulted people in the state to know what is where and what is needed at where,” Fanwo said.

Wada could also have to contend with a divisive PDP, as at least one person was confirmed killed in the shootout at the venue of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election where he emerged the flag bearer of the party.

Wada polled 748 votes to defeat his closest rival, the son of an ex-governor Ibrahim Idris, Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Idris, who scored 710 votes, and this might act as a divisive factor, as Nigerians are not generally known as good losers.

Related News  FG approves dualisation of Ado-Ikare road

Besides, Wada will be contending with the ruling party, and allegation about the federal might of APC are already being flung about.

Speaking exclusively to journalists recently, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, said all eyes would be on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to ensure a free, fair, and credible election that would be acceptable to all.

“As a party, we are concerned about the use of federal might by the APC ,but we also believe that INEC, particularly the chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has a responsibility to try to redeem what is left of his image and that of the Commission by conducting an election that is free, fair, credible and generally acceptable to the people in Kogi and Bayelsa states,” Ologbondiyan said.

For the electorate in Kogi State, these are some of the issues that should guide them when making their choice within the next few days, or they would gnash their teeth as they have been gnashing their teeth since the time Audu left as governor of the state.

Will they vote for someone who doesn’t know the state well enough, or will they vote for a candidate who, frankly, has no scruples in putting them through hell?

The choice is theirs, but there is no doubt that any choice they make will have serious ramifications in the next four years.

Share
Kogi elections: Issues  voters should consider

The wise prevent flood disaster

Kogi elections: Issues  voters should consider

Why people call Akeredolu Mr Talk and

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *