Kogi 2015: Wada versus Audu

By Abu Micheal.

It calls for laughter and amazement when columnist as Idowu Akinlotun who wrote on the back page of today's Nation Newspaper try to stand logic on its head. The Kogi election would be decided by Kogi people and not Tinibu who has nominated a deputy who is unknown to kogi people for Prince Audu all because he wants to position the man for governor in 2019 and for his Presidential ambition.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Kogi people having tested the administration of Prince Audu with his draw backs and liabilities as confirmed by Idowu are waiting for November to prove that they have moved on with their lives in more positive ways and wouldn't want to go back to the dark days when salaries are owed workers and the state turned into a fiefdom.

The rejection of Audu in 2003 was done because he lost value and importantly, nothing has changed about him to expect that the people will reelect him in 2015, an action that will mean going backward to the dark days several years after.
Thankgod the writer confirmed that kogi state being one of the highest paying state in the country is owing only a month salaries to it's worker's. Audu left the state with debt of several months of unpaid salaries to workers for the Alh Ibahim Idris to inherit. In his ignorance, the writer also exposed his fears over a bail out fund by the federal government. While the state only needs about N4.9billion of the bail out, the balance of N45billion is for payment of workers at the local government level and to teachers.

For the record, the Audu administration didn't pay pension and gratuity while in office. He Audu described these categories of citizens as dead woods. Capt Wada has cleared the outstanding of pension of workers from when the state was created. He has also paid gratuity of retired workers from 1991 till 2000.

Let it be stated that the November Governorship election as expected by the writer would never be a close one and the outcome uncertain. The PDP would win convincingly, because the state is a PDP state, and most especially because Audu is proud, inhuman and insufferable. Just last week he worked out visiting journalists who were in the state to cover the APC governorship primary for eating on his dinning table, describing the action of the journalists for eating on a governor's dinning table as embarrassing. So nothing has changed about him.

The Buhari Victory in the Presidential elections in Kogi State was one of a kind and would not determine the next Kogi Governorship election. It is laughable to describe an administration that has built 58 roads and many others ongoing, completed the payment for greater lokoja water project, built 34 water scheme across the state, is building a university teaching hospital, a world class diagnostic and imaging center, building educational and other institutions that has positioned the state as an envy as clueless. If Prince Audu, at the ground breaking ceremony for Kogi House, and at the forty day Fidau prayers for the repose of the soul of Late Pa Ejiga Wada would say, "Wada has done what I couldn't do in my two term and amidst scarce resources, he is what the state needs at this time," then Idowu has not justified the money he collected to do what he thought was a damage to the person of Capt Wada. Even when he never had the opportunity to serve as governor, Capt Wada, a successful pilot with unblemished record, defeated Prince Audu four years ago. Between then and now what has changed is that Capt Wada has more visible achievements and impact to his credit that will make the people vote him overwhelming across the state.

In 2011, Audu won only in Ofu in the nine local government areas of the East. Similarly, the Okun people were in the forefront to rejecting Prince Audu in 2003 and in subsequent elections he contested. Now that Idowu equally attested that Tinibu brought Faleke a foreigner to Kogi politics, one wonder were the victory in the West would come from. If Audu would not have a support base in the East and West, needless we mention the Central where the PDP would clinch all votes.

The  APC victory for President Buhari was anchored on his integrity and anti corruption posture. Can that be said of the APC Governorship candidate who is alleged to have diverted N11billion and has been stalling EFCC prosecution all this years.  Finally,Wada administration has a legacy of putting the people first, and as a  servant leader who has carried out the act of governance amidst scarce resources, yet has made positive impact in human and capital development.

As the days go by, we have made a call to Kogi people to expect more lies, propaganda in the news media as will be sponsored by the APC. It is there stock in trade and no longer new to Nigerians.