By Pharm. Abdulkareem Asuku Jamiu
FPANS, MPSN Lokoja.
Sir, with much respect and honour, I found it
necessary to write to you at this crucial
moment over the recent activities of APC in
Kogi State of which if nothing is done may
definitely have a negative effect on the
success of APC in the forthcoming
gubernatorial election.
The fact the the good people of Kogi state
have unanimously embraced the party as
demonstrated by their performance in the
last general election where APC virtually
sweeped all the state and national assembly
seats and deliver the presidential election for
APC shows that they are indeed ready to
repeat such in the next gubernatorial
election using their PVC if only the party can
afford the necessary preparations to attain
that.
First and foremost, during the screening to
select candidates for senatorial seats across
the state, the party APC demonstrated it
readiness to maintain the spirit of zero
tolerance for corruption by screening out
one Sam Aro, a candidate from Kogi west on
the ground of allegation of corrupt practices
even when he has not been indicted. The
people of Kogi west senatorial district
embraced this development and went ahead
to vote for the candidate of APC (senator
Dino Malaye) even when Sam Aro decamped
to ACCORD party to contest the same
election.
One was expecting that this transparent
system should also be adopted when
screening candidates for the gubernatorial
election slated for November 21st. But what
we saw was clearly a different scenario. A
situation where one of the aspirants who
also doubles as the leader of the party in
the state (in person of Prince Abubakar
Audu), a former governor of the state who is
still standing trial as arraigned by EFCC for
embezzling about 11 Billion Naira when he
served as the state governor between 1999
to 2011 was not only screened in for the
primaries but also have been issued the
returning ticket having emerged as the
winner of APC primaries. This cannot only
be seen as a selective treatment by the
party leadership but also practice of
impunity that we all thought is only
associated with PDP. The party leadership
couldn’t have claimed ignorance of his
corruption charges and trial by EFCC but the
reason why he was screened for the
primaries by the zero tolerance for
corruption party is still a mystery to the good
people of Kogi state.
Secondly sir, while the emergence of an
antigraft suspect still remain a serious issue
threatening the success of the party in the
forthcoming election, the leadership of APC
proceeds to import a member representing
Lagos State in the national assembly as the
running mate to the emperor. Even though
he is an indigen of Kogi state, is the party
saying that the grassroot politicians are not
qualify enough to fill that position? A man
who has served as a two term local
government chairman in Lagos State before
ascending to National assembly still to
represent Lagos State probably have the
popularity to converse for votes more than
the grassroot politicians?
It might also interest you to note that from
the inception of democratically elected
government in Kogi state where Political
party in power (PDP) do conduct
gubernatorial primaries to elect their
governorship candidates, the second runner
up usually by virtue of their popularity, do
have the mandate to nominate any
candidate of their choice to fill the deputy
governorship position on more than one
occasion. Inline with this all inclusive
practices, the former deputy governor of the
state from 2003 – 2011, Dr. Phillips Salawu
(Kogi central ) was nominated by the then
senator A. T Ahmed of Kogi central (R. I. P)
having emerged as the second runner up to
former governor Ibrahim Idris (Kogi east) in
2003 PDP gubernatorial primaries. Also, the
current deputy governor( chief Awoniyi from
Kogi west ) was nominated by Kutepa also
of Kogi west having emerged the second
runner up to Governor Idris Ichala Wada
(Kogi east) in 2011 PDP gubernatorial
primaries.
Audu- APC’s Flag Bearer
This system even though was not written in
the constitution of PDP, the party leadership
by taking into consideration the political
status of Kogi state, made it so to allow for
peace and stability as well as maintaining a
united house by making the most popular
candidates stake holder in the election and
by extension, the party.
In the just concluded primaries, a candidate
from Kogi central ( Alh. Yahaya Bello)
emerged the second runner up to the
canditate from Kogi east (Prince Abubakar
Audu). Going by the practice in Kogi state
political events, one was expecting the
deputy governorship candidate to be
nominated by the second runner up or at list
consulted on the nomination of the deputy
governor. But what happened under APC, a
party with the change mantral!!!
By going outside the state to select a
candidate of Kogi west origin to fill that
position when indeed the second, third
(senator Abatemi Nurudeen) and even the
fourth ( Alh. Sanusi Abubakar) were all of
Kogi central origin is indeed a political
innovation in the history of Kogi Politics.
In conclusion sir, having consider the points
as raised, the questions the good people of
Kogi state are asking are:
1). Is the zero tolerance of corruption by
APC limited to certain citizen of Nigeria like
Sam Aro while others like Prince Abubakar
Audu remain an exception?
2) by going outside the state to pick a
running mate for the party, are the
candidates of APC from Kogi central that
emerged second, third, and fourth in that
primaries two weak to be consulted before
that choice is made or they lack the
intellectual capacity to nominate who pick
that position from Kogi central having in
mind
that democracy is a game of number?
3) Even when the party leadership ressolves
to pick the running mate from Kogi west, are
the grassroot politicians from that zone that
empty or weak that they cannot fill that
position?
The people of Kogi state are hopeful that
you will use ur wisdom to settle this
anormallies in the spirit of equity, justice and
fairness to salvage the prospect of All
Progressive Congress in Kogi State.
Thank you sir.
Source: theSun news
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