By Shaibu Stephen Ojate

I will not mince words in saying that the call to have person from other senatorial districts in Kogi State to produce the State Governor has dominated our political scene.  Kogi Political scientists have consistently maintained that the Eastern senatorial district having produced three Governors in the last 16 years, morality demands that power be shifted to other senatorial districts of the State who have produced none.

The agitators hinged their demand to power rotation as enshrined in People’s Democratic Party’s constitution. The Analysts who held this view contented that Kogi State comprises of Multi-ethnic groups and having persons from other senatorial districts as Governor will go to show that they too are big political player in the State.

Recall that Prince Abubakar Audu, Alhaji Idris Ibrahim and Alhaji Idris Wada were the elected executive Governors all from Kogi Eastern axis who had ruled the State since the inception of the State.

Thus, the dominance of Igalla extractions in Kogi state politics has caused serious disaffection among other ethnic groups. They felt short-changed in the leadership of the State and this development brought about the clamour for power rotation or Power shift as being spearheaded by some political elites and Youths of Kogi Central and Kogi West axis.

This same call for power rotation or power shift being advanced by elders in the time past is being re-echoed and reactivated again by Youth groups as Kogi people prepare for 2016 gubernatorial election.

With the abysmal performance of the present Kogi State Governor, Capt Idris Wada, change of leadership is imminent in the state and political brokers are doing all they could do to clinch the seat. The political debate now is where should the power go to?

Political analysts who monitored political events in Kogi State had averred that the eastern axis having ruled for 16 years, onus lies that the power be shifted to other senatorial districts that have not produced any since the inception of Kogi State?

As the debate lingered, not less than 6 persons from the same Eastern axis who had produced all the State executive Governors were rumoured to have shown interest for the Guber race come 2016. Among those from eastern axis was former Governor of the State, Prince Abubakar Audu who hinted recently that the state he once ruled has become a shadow of itself. Persons from Kogi Central and Western axis of the State were not left out in the preparation for the contest.

Thus, a business tycoon, Alhaji Bello Yahaya, Managing Director of Fair-Plus International (Transporter) is equally rumoured to be rooting for the support of the people of the State under the platform of All Progressive Congress. A renowned Engineer George olusola olumoroti and G-O Olusola both from Western axis were equally believed to be showing interest too.

With these calibres of people on the race, there is no doubt that the contest would be a fierce battle and also interesting. These are money bags as they are known to have enough resources to give the current Governor a run in the contest.

Having given an insight into issues surrounding power struggle in Kogi State, i will now take time to bring out hidden issues on power rotation and power shift in the State.

To Start with, I have a question for my question readers. “Why are Igalla people not ready to relinquish power to other senatorial districts unlike other states of Nigeria where power rotation principle is being practise and respected by the senatorial districts that formed the State? Taraba, Benue, Anambra are classical examples of States in Nigeria that operates principle of Power rotation in power sharing with the aim of carrying every sections of the State along in the affairs of the State.

The answer to this question by political analyst, Igalla person by origin in Kubwa Abuja on Wednesday was: “the fear of Ebira people messing up Igallas was one of the reasons why they (Eastern axis) are not ready to relinquish power to them”.

 He went further to say that the fear of Ebiras having their own independence was one of the reasons he adduced on why Igallas are not ready to support them in the power struggle.

He buttressed this by using Igbo nation as an example to illustrate his saying noting that Hausas would never allow Igbos to rule because of their long call to form Biafra nation. He further added that because of this fear, Northern political Elites have always skimmed Igbo from tasting number one seat of the nation and other sensitive positions in the country. Thanks to President Jonathan who broke the jink in recent year and made General Ihejerika, Igbo origin as Chief of Army Staff.

The bitter aspect of his reservation was his stance that Ebiras are stubborn set of people and Igalla people will never allow them to taste power because of that.  From the above, i can say if these were actually the main reasons behind power retention by the Igallas, i can as well conclude that these are myopic thought and cannot stand in this computer world.

Points to note:
 “Why are they not ready to relinquish power to Kogi West people whom they believed are relatively calm in nature and approach?” What is their crime also? Are Igallas telling me that Okuns can equally replicate such posture to them if given power? What brought about these fears in the first instance?

More issues to ponder on the above reservations:
 “Are Ebiras demanding republican nation of their own since i know they never made such call in the time past?”

“Has Ebiras ever ceased to be part of Kogi State or Nigeria in the time past which will pre-empt Igallas to have assumption that they might reactivate the call again if given the opportunity to rule?”

“Do Igalla people have any skeletons in their cupboard in the State which they have been hiding and not wanting others to taste it rather have been doing all they could to retain power at the expense of others?

If the answers to the above questions are no, what then are the bases of their fear. Recall that the present power being enjoyed by the people of Kogi eastern did not come as a result of their struggle rather it came as a result of understanding and agreement by all ethnic groups in the State.

With the creation of Kogi State, political elites in Kogi West, Eastern and West axis had Stakeholders’ meeting at Okene being chaired by former Governor of old Kwara State, Alhaji Atta Adamu, an Ebiraman then where Elites of the three senatorial districts unanimously resolved that Igalla people should first produce the State Governor.

The stakeholders decided then that leadership in the State would be by power rotation. Igallas were given opportunity to first produce the State Governor as according to the Stakeholders, they never produce any when they were in old Benue.  The Chairman of the Stakeholders’ meeting former Governor of Old Kwara State, Alhaji Adamu Atta, an Ebira Man justified this by saying that the decision of the Stakeholders was predicated on the ground that present Kogi Central had once produced State Governor in old Kwara.

The stakeholders also resolved again that on expiration of the tenure of the elected Governor of the State then, the power should shift to Kogi West who had not produced any in either newly created Kogi or old Kwara state. Igalla power brokers discarded the arrangement when they grabbed the State power.

With the unfolding political events in Kogi state, it is very glaring to all that Igalla people having ruled for 16 years; they are not still ready for power shift. A state which every tribe in the Kogi contributed immensely for its creation and not that Igalla fought for it alone.

 As the argument ensued, political public commentator in Kogi East has contended that the three gubernatorial districts are only known to them. These are: Dekina, Idah and Ankpa axis in Kogi East. He stated that they can only respect power rotation among these gubernatorial districts and also ridicule people of Kogi Central and Kogi West which he described as just senatorial zones thus not entitled to the Governorship position of the State.

As it is now, the people of Kogi West and Kogi Central are at the mercy of God as far as power struggle is concerned. The people of Kogi East are not ready to respect the understanding arrived at by the Stakeholders at the creation of Kogi State. The Igallas have consistently held unto to State power and even doing everything possible to continue with it.

Thus, the people of Kogi Central and Kogi West need to wake up from their slumber and reason to trace where their missing links lied in the State. They need to form a political bloc to wrestle power from political demagog in Kogi State.

They urgently need to do this because the people of the State are tired of poor leadership from Capt Wada who have shown little or no concern to the development of other sections of the State other than his own senatorial district. The Kogi West and Kogi Central need to form serious alliance as the entire people of the State are tired of poor leadership by Capt. Wada on his percentage salary payment to Workers in the State.

As i can agree with people  that no tribe is born a Leader, but we need change of leadership from one senatorial district for the purpose of fairness and equity. The people of Kogi West and Kogi Central can however effect positive changes with the new development in our electoral process.

Thanks to Card reader for accreditation in an election which made Voters count possible. Thus, the dream of having persons from either Kogi Central or Kogi West of the state as Kogi Governor is possible with the sanity in our electoral process.

The people of Kogi west and Kogi east should however borrow leaves from Northern political elites who canvass for power shift and thus, adopted retired General Muhammadu Buhari as their consensus Presidential candidate in the recent election.

The adoption of Buhari by these Northern elites worked and today, President Jonathan was gallantly defeated at the poll and also they (North) were proud of having Muhammadu Buhari, adopted Presidential candidate as President-elect.

If the people of Kogi west and Kogi east adopted this style, it will brighten the chance of either of their own as Governor of Kogi State comes 2016.

Shaibu Stephen Ojate is public affairs commentator and the Managing Editor of EAGLE REPORTERS, an International Online Newspaper writes from Abuja. He is reachable on 08052666344 or 08102658380


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