As political campaign for the November 11, 2023 gubernatorial election in Kogi State commences with political parties jostling for supremacy, public quest towards possible winner is high.
The incumbent APC Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who hails from Kogi Central Senatorial District is term limited and can not seek re- election to a third term, a development that prompted aspirants from Kogi Eastern and Western Senatorial Districts to take interest in contesting the All Progressives Congress gubernatorial primary election, believing that power will shift from Kogi Central Senatorial District as the two term tenure of Governor Yahaya Bello expires.
Although, after the 2023 Presidential election which was won by Asiwaju Bola Ahmad Tinubu, most political observers had tipped Rt. Hon. James Faleke, President Tinubu’s political godson, who hails from Kogi West Senatorial District as the next Governor of Kogi State, his sudden withdrawal from the APC Gubernatorial primary election in the State had cause a repugnant shock to the APC family across Nigeria.
The political development is said to have paved way for the incumbent Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to anoint his kinsman Hon. Usman Ododo, a former Auditor General of the Local Government , who hails from Kogi Central Senatorial District with him, a situation the contestants from other senatorial Districts of the State find difficult to believe but ignored potential implications and decided to go for the contest.
Eventually, Hon. Usman Ododo, the anointed candidate of Governor Yahaya Bello emerged as winner of the APC governorship primary election.
Though the emergence of Hon.Ododo as the APC candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Kogi State is presently creating tension across other Senatorial Districts of the State, the people of Kogi Central are fully in support of Governor Yahaya Bello to jettion the Zoning principle of the party at the end of the Governor’s tenure in office.
In its prank, it is claimed that Kogi East Senatorial District which is predominantly Igala, have governed the State for 16 years, it is now the turn of Kogi Central .
While the incumbent Governor of Kogi State is doing everything possible to ensure Hon. Usman Ododo, APC governorship candidate who hails from the Central Senatorial District of the State wins the forthcoming gubernatorial election, the stakeholders from Eastern and Western Senatorial District of the Kogi State are working on any available opportunity to shatter the Governor’s plan.
In this regard, the stakeholders from Kogi West Senatorial District who are predominantly Yoruba, have declared support for Senator Dino Malaye, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
The stakeholders told ACHIEVERS MAGAZINE that, although both Senator Malaye and Rep. Abejide, ADC gubernatorial candidate, are from Kogi West Senatorial District, they have after due consultation decided to settle for Senator Malaye as their candidate in the forthcoming governorship election.
It is held that despite Rep. Abejide’s popularity in Kogi West Senatorial District, his chances of winning other senatorial Districts in the forthcoming governorship election are very slim.
According to the stakeholders, Senator Dino Malaye may not be the best candidate but he is our last option.
The Kogi West Senatorial District has not being opportuned to produce Governor in the State since inception of democratic dispensation in Nigeria, adding that it will amount to disservice for us to allow another Ebira man to succeed Governor Yahaya Bello, who also is an Ebira from Kogi Central Senatorial District in this forthcoming governorship election, the stakeholders concluded.
In a related development, the agitation for power shift to Kogi East Senatorial District has also intensified, with Stakeholders in the Zone alleging to have settled for the Social Democratic Party Governorship candidate, Alhaji Murtala Ajaka as their candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
It will be recalled that Kogi East Senatorial District constituted a committee led by Gabriel Aduku, Chairman Arewa Consultative Forum ( ACF), to x-ray the candidates of various polical parties in the Zone and come up with one that has the popularity to win the forthcoming governorship election.
The Stakeholders then settled for Ajaka and unveiled him at an event in Abuja, which was attended by some governorship candidates of various political parties from Igala speaking axis ( Kogi East) who eventually stepped down for the Social Democratic Party Governorship candidate.
The chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum that unveiled the SDP Governorship candidate further appealed to the Labour Party( LP) Governorship candidate, Young Peoples Party(YPP) Governorship candidate and other aggrieved candidates from Kogi East to stepped down for Ajaka and also see reason why they must work for his success during the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
Although, Kogi East Senatorial District which are predominantly Igala have the highest number of LGAs as well as highest number of votes but the chances of harnessing their area of Strength to win the election is very challenging.
This is because the likes of immediate past deputy Governor of Kogi State, Edward Onoja, Senator Jibrin Echocho and others whose die-hard loyalist of APC from Kogi East Senatorial District are bend to deliver the Party in the Zone during the forthcoming governorship election.
With this development, what are the chances of SDP governorship candidate who depend only on the voting strength of Kogi East Senatorial District to win the forthcoming governorship election? I think time will tell.
There is no doubt about it, tribe , religion, competency and sentiment will shape the outcome of 2023 gubernatorial election in Kogi State.