Kogi guber: APC may deny Gov. Bello ticket

By YUSUF MOHAMMED

It is almost four years down the road and many Kogi residents feel that the Yahaya Bello led-administration has performed poorly. The memory of how Bello emerged as governor in 2015 is still fresh in the minds of Nigerians. If the people could vote out a ruling party in 2015, they can do it again in November 2019.

However, it appears that the incumbent governor may be the first casualty of the poll, even before the first ballot is cast as the party, APC, is weighing its options with the candidacy of the governor. The party wants to avoid the mistake of the opposition party, the PDP, in 2015 which led to their loss of the election which they had ruled for 12 years.

There were many hurdles that the former governor, Idris Ichala Wada and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP failed to cross. A similar situation now confronts the APC; however, they are determined to avoid it. Business Hallmark gathered from a reliable source that as things stands, the APC is not ready to risk the governorship election in November by fielding Bello as candidate.

Perception

Bello is seen as a disloyal party member. As soon as he became governor he fell out with the heavy weights of the party including the state chairman, Haddy Ametuo.

Prior to the 2015 election, Bello, who is a member of the APC, was accused of anti-party activities when he failed to secure the governorship ticket of his party. It was alleged that he opted to campaign for Wada of the PDP instead of Prince Abubakar Audu who was the candidate of his own party.

Ironically, Bello was the biggest beneficiary of Audu’s death as the powers that be decided to hand over the party’s mandate to him. It was a bitter pill to swallow for supporters of Audu and other APC members who felt that Bello, who did everything within his power to ensure that Audu did not win, became the candidate of the APC for the supplementary poll.

Apart from him “not being a loyal party member,” he is seen as arrogant and rude by many. One of the biggest problems the people have with Bello is that he does not respect elders. As soon as he assumed office, he relegated people that are 5o years and above to the back seat.

His disrespect for elders even stretched as far as traditional rulers of the state. He did not only have a grouse with the head of Igala land (Attah Igala), Dr. Michael Ameh Oboni, he also fell out with the head of Ebira land, the Ohinoyi of Ebira land, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim.

A staff of Bello who pleaded for anonymity revealed to BusinessHallmark that his staff are not comfortable with him around. He said, “Whenever he arrives, it is panic mode in the state house. Everyone runs helter-skelter. The one that baffles me the most is his senior special adviser on media Abdulkarim Abdulmalik and the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Folashade Ayoade. These people are far older than him, but he doesn’t treat them with respect. The way he talks to them in the presence of other staff makes me feel embarrassed.”

Economy and job creation

In terms of the economy, Bello has not done better than his predecessor, Captain Wada. Bello promised to create thousands of jobs, Instead of doing that, the people are experiencing the opposite. Thousands of ‘Kogites’ have lost their jobs since he came on board.

There are hardly industries in the state. Most businesses rely on money from civil servants to stay afloat. By owing of workers’ salaries, the economy in Kogi has retrogressed. There is hunger and poverty in the land like never before. Bello has been accused of not paying civil servants salaries for over 16 months. Well, his argument is that the past administrations of Ibrahim Idris and Wada were of the habit of paying ghost workers.

As a result, he decided to conduct a screening exercise to separate the wheat from the chaff. The problem for most of the staff is that the exercise which started at the beginning of his administration has not ended. The situation is so bad that some are crying out for help while some have committed suicide.

While the government insists the number of months have been exaggerated, members of civil society get reports almost on a daily basis on how people are wallowing in abject poverty as a result of nonpayment of salary.

Many people have gone cap in arms begging for assistance because they can barely feed. Speaking with BusinessHallmark, a civil servant who pleaded for anonymity for fear of being victimized said, “I have a wife with three children. As I speak with you my children can no longer go to school. One of them is seriously in need of treatment right now because she is ill. Where is the money to buy food not to talk of drugs?” Asked how much he is being owed, he said, “18 months.”

Crime rate has increased in the state in recent times. Youths who are dependent on these civil servants to feed have now taken to crime to fend for themselves. Some have taken the most drastic measure: suicide.

An instance is that of a director in the Kogi State civil service, Mr. Edward Soje who committed suicide last year by hanging himself on a tree behind the mammy market at the Maigumeri barracks Lokoja, the state capital.  Many have alleged that he took his life because the government owed him 11 months’ salary.

Communication

There is a concern in many quarters that the Bello-government has not communicated effectively with the people of the state when it matters the most. There have been some demands by the masses in recent times that fell on deaf ears. The same mistake made by the past administration. Protests are not allowed in Kogi due to the authoritarian stance of the governor.

Minority

Though not his own making he is not from Kogi East (majority). Bello is from Kogi Central (Ebira land) and the first from that zone to govern the state. It would be worth mentioning that in 1999, PDP which was the ruling party fielded a candidate from Okun land (Kogi West). While All Nigeria’s Peoples Party, ANPP fielded Prince Abubakar Audu from Igala land (Kogi East) who easily defeated the candidate of the PDP.

In 2003, the PDP picked Ibrahim Idris, an hotelier, who had no prior interest in politics. With him being an Igala man, they were able to defeat Audu. The PDP has resolved to use the same strategy this year. They are not considering anyone who is not Igala. Even within the Igalas, they are looking at Dekina Local government. Before Wada emerged as governor in 2012, no one from that local government had governed Kogi. As a result, stakeholders from the East zoned the governorship position to this local government area. Wada who is from Dekina also fancies his chance to pick the PDP ticket.  As far as the PDP is concerned, it is a Dekina affair because that is the arrangement of Kogi East stakeholders. All those who have indicated interest under the PDP are from Dekina.

Most political analysts are of the view that the only way for victory for the APC is for the party to field someone from Igala land and also from Dekina who would be able to rival PDP’s candidate.

Bello’s chances

What are Bello’s chances? The reality is that he has a very slim chance. His attitude and the fact that he is from a minority ethnic group will not help him. He has burnt bridges in just three years. The people’s major grouse with Bello is that he has failed to pay worker’s salary in the state despite receiving bailout funds from the federal government. The party knows this fact and does not want to takes any chance with the election.

Also there are indications that the federal might, which was instrumental to his election may not be available this time around as his performance does not justify a return. He is believed to be too close to the first family and even declared a holiday on the day President Buhari returned from his long medical trip.

“It would take a miracle for him to emerge victorious. I don’t think that’s a risk APC is willing to take,” said Unekwu Danlamin, a resident of Lokoja.

Alhaji Yakubu Mamuda, a member and former senatorial aspirant under the PDP is of the view that, it would be easier for his party to win the election with Bello as APC candidate.

In telephone chat with BusinessHallmark, he said, “to be honest, it would be difficult for the PDP to win if Bello is replaced with someone that is credible from Kogi East. Our prayer is that APC retain Bello.”

Efforts to reach Governor Bello and his Chief of Staff, Edward Onoja proved abortive at the time of filing this report.