Razaq Bamidele
As the people of Kogi State troop out today to elect/re-elect their next governor, political observers, social commentators and public analysts are eager to know which party really owns the state in the present dispensation between the two major political parties in contention today.
It is not a gainsaying that, though, there are a lot of political parties contesting today’s election in the confluence state, only the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are the parties to look out for in the contest.
And the two major gladiators in focus are the incumbent Governor, Yahaya Bello of the APC and Musa Wada of the PDP.
Against this backdrop, it would not be out of place to go down the memory lane to see how the two parties have been fairing since 2019 and even in post 2019 in the state.
In the aborted third Republic under President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida between 1992 and 1993, Alhaji Abubakar Audu of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), was elected the first democratically elected governor.
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His tenure was truncated along that of others like him in 1993 after the annulment of the June 1993 presidential election believed to have been won by the Late MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
When IBB stepped aside, the late General Sani Abacha, who stepped in as the new Military Head of State dismantled all the democratic apparatus earlier put in place towards full democritisation through gradual transition programme.
So, in 1999, Abubakar Audu proved again his popularity as he was re-elected governor on the platform of the then All Peoples Party (APP) that later transformed to the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
But his second term bid in 2003 was truncated by the People Democratic Party (PDP), when Idris Ibrahim (Ibro) on its platform pushed Audu aside to become governor.
Though Idris and his deputy had problem with their election and briefly, the State of Assembly Speaker, Clarence Olafemi acted as governor befor Idris came back later to complete his term in January 2011.
In January 2012, PDP still retained the seat through another candidate, Idris Wada who assumed office and remained till 2016 before the PDP reign was terminated by the then rampaging APC through its candidate, Yahaya Bello, the incumbent governor.
With the forgoing, it is crystal clear that, the PDP has had upper hands over other political parties in the state.
However, the outcome of today’s election in the state could confirm which party really owns Kogi State between the APC and PDP.
The answer to this poser would be manifest in less than 48 hours’ time.
