Follow Us on Google
From Emmanuel Adeyemi Lokoja
Charming , bold, daring, yet suave,compassionate and lover of the masses . There is no any hoot of doubt that Governor Yahaya Bello has done so enviably well that the All progressive congress will not win in a landslide in the November 11 Kogi governorship election.
Governor Yahaya Bello – the white Lion of the Niger- is a dogged fighter who has etched his name in gold. Once he sets his eyes on a goal, no matter the obstacle, he moves like a crushing bulldozer to achieve his aim. He is a man of unlimited possibilities with undaunted spirit and a goal- getter per excellence .
Looking at his pedigree , governor Yahaya Bello is a profound political combatant.In his over seven years as governor he dominated the political firmament like a colossus, he has never lost any battle , either at the poll or in the court of law and like the renown French Military General and tactician, he is a political Generalissimo!
As . in his exposition on power and force said, ” a leader who has
Compassion , empathy,
Genuine care and understanding for others will increase his ability to positively influence and lead them”. No doubt, Governor Yahaya Bello is a possessor of these virtues and he is leading the state in the right direction.
His charisma and aura are indeed irresistible magnetic force that draw even his worst enemies on to him. Little wonder he was able to deftly break into the rank of the hitherto most formidable political party in the state – the People’s Democratic Party – and turned it into pitiable shreds as the leading Lights and heavy weights of the party and their supporters in a gale of defections have abandoned their party to join the ruling party.
Indeed, PDP in kogi state can be liken to a mother Hen who is swirling in an acrobatic dance to impress it’s audience not knowing that it’s rump , which is it’s pride , has been widely exposed by a frenzy breeze . A terrific rain came thereafter and rendered it beaten and battered leaving it shaking like a jelly fish which has been thrown out of its abode.
But to political watchers in the state, this is not a surprise. Governor Bello prioritizes public interest far above his personal interest . His unprecedented achievements as governor especially in the last four years and his style of politics of inclusiveness devoid of ethnic cleavages and religious bigotry but laced with equity, fairness and justice to all has been the catalyst for his feat which will work in no small measure for the APC victory at the November poll.
Among those who defected to the ruling party recently are
big names in PDP like the three times senator and Rep member, Hon. Attai Aidoko and Chief Abiodun Ojo , a grass root mobilizer and pillar of PDP in the western senatorial district who was a former National assembly member and former commissioner of finance, and the larger chunk of the former National and State Assembly members in the state, Party Executive members of the party from the ward to the state level , just to mention a few .
Infact, in the last couple of weeks pundits say hundreds of thousands of PDP members have defected to the ruling party including members of other smaller political parties in the state.
Interestingly, as other political parties are diminishing, daily losing their members , the ruling party is growing in numbers and strength. infact, it is believed that Governor Bello has built APC in kogi state to a height compared to the Rock of Gibraltar which can not be shaken. It is a single party that has a formidable political structure oiled with internal discipline and control mechanism that cascades from the Lugard
House,the seat of power- to all the 239 wards in the state.
Little wonder, the APC won all the three senatorial seats in the last general election, six of the nine house of Reps seats and 22 of the 25 House of Assembly seats .This, indeed
is not a mean feat.
Aside from the fact that the APC is the ruling party in the state which has enormous resources to prosecute the election,it has a governor who is a chronic grass root mobilizer who conscientiously wields power with self-awareness, inner strength, and alignment with higher values and principles who sees every part of the state as an indivisible entity.
Added to this, the governorship candidate of the APC, Usman Ododo who is seen as calm, cool and collected is a well grounded administrator who has passed through the tutelage of the art of governance and is regarded as an enthralling personality that can not be wished away in any contest.
Another Master Stroke that will work in favour of the APC in the governorship election, is the establishment of the third state university in Kabba, the headquarters of the western senatorial district by governor Yahaya Bello.
The establishment of the university of kabba is seen by many as a compassionate hearkening of the governor to the age- long yearnings of the okun people who are lovers of education and who have been crying for the siting of a tertiary institution in their land
Not only has the governor given approval for the establishment of the kabba university, he has marched his words with action by personally ensuring that the National University Commission gave the necessary approval of the university and went ahead to release over one billion naira for the take off while recruitment into vacant positions in the university is ongoing
This underscored the recent visit of a delegation of stakeholders from Kabba in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area led by the Kabba Development Union (KDU) alongside representatives of traditional institutions and socio cultural groups who pledged their maximum support for the continuity agenda of the All Progressive Congress and its candidate, Alhaji Usman Ododo to emerge at the November 11 polls.
The KDU president, Mr Emmanuel Ajibero said the establishment of the state university is unique as the region has craved for such institution for a very long time and frantic efforts had been made towards its actualisation without result, but said they were pleasantly surprised that the government of Governor Bello made it happen at such a remarkable speed.
It is apposite to say that
earlier, the Okun Area Traditional Council in the state led by the Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Dele-Owoniyi, in a ‘thank you ‘ visit commended Governor Yahaya Bello for siting the third state-owned university in Kabba, and said he has done what other governors before him could not do .
“By finally bringing our dream for a university to reality, you have engraved your name in Gold in the hearts and history of every Okun person across the globe.
” Since the 1980s, the people of Okun land have continuously yearned for a university, which has finally become a reality under your administration.We are eternally grateful” the traditional rulers added.
Also going by the numbers of the governorship candidates contesting the November election, seven are from the Eastern flank, three from the Western axis while the Central senatorial district was smart enough to present only one candidate which is Usman Ododo, the APC candidate
With this, pundits believe that the central senatorial district which has the second highest voting strength in the state will deliver their son with a bloc votes while votes in other flanks will be shared among the other contenders .
According to the postulations of Pundits, the APC due to its spread may likely grab at least 30% of the total votes in the Eastern senatorial district and at least 40% of the total votes in the western flank which is seen as the most porous of all the three zones and then settle with not less than 95% votes of the Central senatorial district.
Factors that will also work for the APC in the governorship poll include the recent appointment of Shaibu, Prince Abubakar Audu’s son as a Federal Minister which was said to have been facilitated by governor Yahaya Bello and the Creation of a new state Ministry for Special duties for Ismail Ade who was replaced as a member of the national working committee of the APC
.
The appointment of Shaibu was said to have thrown the Audu’s family and political dynasty into a frenzy of celebrations while the appointment of Ade Ismail as a Special duties commissioner is seen as a honour done to the Gbedde axis of the ijumu local government area of the state which will ultimately work in favour of the ruling party
Thus, with these factors on ground, it remains to be seen why APC will not coast home to victory in a landslide in the November 11 governorship election in kogi state
And when this is done, it will be said of Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello , the architect of the victory that he was indeed a governor who was charming, kind and resolute. A governor who was never an armchair leader but who built structural ties with the poorest of the poor that they may live a better life.
