Kogi 2015: Wada, A Significant Risk For PDP, By Olufunke Thomas

Since 1999, for many citizens of Kogi State, it has been a questioning democracy because corruption in Kogi state has been a constant dominator in most actions of all its past leaders. From Governor Audu Abubakar to Ibrahim Idris and now, Idris Wada, nothing seems to have changed about the state’s ignoble badge of corruption malady. The leadership of Kogi State under these governors have been clouded by allegations of corruption and poor performance in government.

Nevertheless, the future of Kogi people may not be bleak because ahead of the Kogi State governorship election which comes up in the month of November this year, most knowledgeable analysts believe that there exist a fresh opportunity and high possibility for the revival of the fortunes of the Kogi people, provided a set of quality leadership is introduced into Kogi politics. Sadly, observations Sent from my iPad

Unfortunately for Kogi citizens, with Prince Audu Abubakar, their desire for good governance seems far fetched. Specifically, from the APC angle, public records on Prince Audu Abubakar are that of a man that has been described in many derogatory adjectives. Indeed, ever since Audu Abubakar left office as governor in 2003, it is well documented that he has been hurled severally before uncountable judges and on various issues. From Lokoja to Abuja, Nigeria to America, Abuja to Bermuda, it has been one case after another on different charges. Despite this deplorable antecedent of Audu Abubakar, the leadership of the APC, a party that claims to be foremost in waging the fight against corrupt practices in Nigeria, has remained mute over Audu Abubakar’s association with it as its candidate in the coming elections. Ordinarily, this portends nothing else but gross danger for the Kogi people.
On the other hand, the PDP which is the other major political and current ruling party in Kogi State has without any halt allowed voters’ ears to be stocked with stories of its supposed endorsement of Governor Idris Wada for a second term in office. For many analysts of Kogi State governance, the difference between the allegedly corrupt Prince Audu Abubakar of the APC and Idris Wada of the PDP is just that of half a dozen and six. On issues relating to purportedly looting of the Kogi State treasury, both men are on this same page with near equal status. Thus, their openly expressed desire to seek a come back to the Kogi state government House as governor, is considered a misplaced effrontery. This self centered ambition by these men has raised some inevitable questions in the minds of numerous suffering Kogi people regarding the value of Nigeria’s democracy to them and its selection process for contenders in elections.

Luckily, for Kogi citizens, the problem and pains of having an Audu Abubakar as their next governor seems delightfully settled. This is so because given the present political power tussle in the Kogi APC, it is very unlikely that an Audu Abubakar will emerge victorious in the primaries against the wishes of many party heavy weights that are assumed to have already taken their case to the ears of President Buhari, a leader in the APC and acknowledged no nonsense man on corruption. Presently, the guess is that President Buhari will neither be too deaf nor blind to the long list of Audu Abubakar’s past atrocities. As such, the chances that President Buhari will be swayed by party political sentiments to allow Audu Abubakar fly his party’s flag for Kogi gubernatorial elections is next to zero. Already, the red signals from the National leadership of APC are pointing towards Audu Abubakar’s direction in line with President Buhari’s recent
declaration to the world that his fight against corruption is not a respecter of political affiliation. Indeed, this may be an outright indication that Audu Abubakar may be technically disqualified to fly the APC’s Party ticket.

For Kogi citizens, the worry about Audu Abubakar’s candidacy is almost over as his journey to Lord Luggard’s House of Kogi state seems truncated even before commencement. Nevertheless, there is a greater worry for Kogi people in the 2015 elections, which by all logical analysis and conclusions is heftier than that which would have come with Audu Abubakar as Governor. For avoidance of doubt, this article has no other agenda than creating awareness on the real dangers that confront the Kogi people and its consequences if not addressed at this incubation stage. Otherwise, all Kogi citizens would have a fair share in the blame of Kogi’s misfortune and will be held responsible by a next generation. Specifically, on the other side of the political divide, is the incommodious intention of the incumbent governor, Idris Wada to seek a second tenure in the 2015 governorship elections under the PDP. The reality on ground reveals that Wada’s desperation
for a second term in office has already given rise to a revolt within the PDP as witnessed by the cancellation of the conducted State PDP ward congress which he was accused of manipulating and most recently, the imposition of his ‘men’ in the rescheduled election under the watchful eyes of Mr Olisa Metuh.

Within the PDP party and in general, the Kogi electorate, Governor Idris Wada seems to have lost on both fronts. Recently, he has come under intense criticism from majority of Kogi citizens due to his compromised credibility and underperformance rating in governance. All these negative attributes have combined to be huge minus for his aspiration and the desires of Kogi people. Even though Mr Wada and his inner circle have made various efforts to project him as a viable candidate in the elections, unfortunately, scandals being churned out on him appear endless and attempts by his lean supporters in the PDP to protect him from criticisms have not been successful because the voices of his critics appear to have grown too loud to be subdued and the facts in their hands on Wada’s inappropriateness cum mismanagement are enough to send even a strong politician to the gulag or political oblivion.

To many analysts, Wada has not succeeded in providing appropriate leadership in both Government and his party. Specifically, at the party level, under Wada the PDP has been fractured. In fact, since the elections of 2011which ushered him into office, a lot of PDP members have left the party because they felt aggrieved by his imposition on them and many more are still questioning whether they should leave the party if Wada gets the PDP ticket in 2015. Indeed, if this happens, it will be a very deep dilemma for the PDP. As such, with Wada, it has become obvious that PDP has a very scary prospect in the forthcoming governorship election. Furthermore, the ousting of major PDP members from their seats at the National Assembly in the last 2015 general elections has been the lowest point and stark moment of failure for the PDP under Wada. Again, at the state level, in many respects, Governor Wada has failed and his inability to sustain the confidence of the
Kogi people has also become a major problem for his leadership of the state. Thus, Wada’s continued stay in office will be akin to keeping a Captain that is taking its passengers to a crash destination. This is where many focused analysts believe that the National leadership of PDP must be opened eyed to the retrogressive purported decision of making Wada its candidate in the 2015 elections, otherwise, the party will be considered irresponsible by the Kogi electorate.

Contrastingly, in the past few months, Wada’s priority in the state has been on his political survival through using the State PDP structure and thugs to manipulate the upcoming primaries rather than focusing on the implementation of projects that will reverse his unpopularity in the state. At the party level he seems to have made a considerable inroad by installing his cronies in various party leadership positions. However, with a bad record card of governance under the PDP, the ready question herein is of what worth will another PDP governorship ticket be in hands Wada? For many sympathizers of the Kogi PDP, removing Wada on the contenders list is the most credible option for the PDP because the governorship contest in Kogi State is beyond just producing a candidate from a party but more about projecting the candidate of choice.

A quick recall of history shows that in the past three years, Idris Wada has made headlines in the media for all the incorrect reasons and there is no indication that his continued occupancy of the highest political position in Kogi State will restore normalcy, hope and appropriate life for Kogi citizens. Any other choice aside asking Wada to step down will spell doom for the PDP because it will be a mountainous task to convince the majority of Kogi voters that PDP means well for them with Wada at the top. Simply put, politics of party destruction leaves the individual with no platform and the PDP cannot afford to hang on to any form of mediocrity that will give room to chances of losing such an important election. Wada has shown that he neither understands politics properly nor does he have capacity for proper governance. So where lies his potentials for good governance? A PDP governorship ticket to Idris Wada will further split the party and
guarantee a bleak future as it will have a very long grim journey to comeback as a viable political party after a highly predictable electoral loss.

For the greater good of the Kogi people, the best advice for the PDP is to pressure Wada to relinquish power and allow someone else that is competent and popular to takeover in order to rebuild a united and peaceful party. This may even provide a very good soft landing for Governor Idris Wada as he will still be accorded a leadership status in the party and by extension in the State instead of being thrust upon an endless list of allegations that would thrust him into jail as the norm in Nigeria when an opposing Party takes over power. In all, the selection of a next Kogi state Governor will depend more on voters’ choice than party sentiments and impunity. Nevertheless, the final decider, remains God.

*Thomas wrote from Kabba,Kogi State