joshua
As the political manoeuvre towards the 2023 general elections is becoming closer and clearer, politicians and political parties are gearing up for a showdown to grab every available political office in Kogi State and in Nigeria in general.
But unfortunately in Kogi State, the ruling party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of the state and his kitchen cabinet have deliberately usurp the power of the electorate who know all aspirants very well, to hand pick as their usual practice for various elective posts in the last four years.
Kogites are watching and may be forced to resist such ugly attempt to impose candidates on the party and on the people generally through their votes.
Several individuals and groups have called on leaders of APC throughout Nigeria and in Kogi State in particular to avoid imposition of candidates in the forthcoming general elections. They call for a fair play, level playing ground and justice for all who may want to aspire for any elective position in the state.
They have enumerated various consequences of embarking on such damaging and sordid venture which include creating major crisis in the party as well as mass exodus of party faithful to other political parties where their rights will be respected.
With the highhandedness of some party (APC) leaders in Kogi State in recent days over who should occupy a particular office across the state, some prominent individuals and pressure groups have advised and warned leaders of the party in Kogi State to trend careful and avoid imposition of candidates on the electorate. For instance, the coalition of political parties has called on APC and other political parties to watch it and make sure all aspirants have access to fair play and justice in the course of electing their preferred candidates for all elective positions in Kogi State in particular.
Also, recently a pressure group, named APC Leadership in Lokoja and Kogi Local Government Areas has equally warned the party hierarchy in Kogi State to resist any attempt to anoint any candidate for 2023, because that could diminish or spell doom for APC in the state. It is the opinion of the group that every interested aspirant should be given a chance to prove his or her worth. The group specifically frowns on the alleged attempt to anoint one unpopular aspirant for the Lokoja/Kogi Federal constituency by the power that be in the state without any re-course to the electorate which the group feels will see APC meeting its waterloo and equally boomerang against the chances of the party in the state.
Recently too, one Mr. Ben Adaji, an APC Chieftain has added his voice against imposition of candidates on the people. He said such move will render APC impotent in 2023, that leaders of the party should avoid such temptation and work with fairness and justice in order to retain power at the centre and Kogi State.
The most disastrous of these is that of a group of the APC stakeholders and even grassroots members who are now going around the state telling APC members to look for alternative parties where justice will be meted to them. Should this be the fate of APC in Kogi State if imposition is allowed? This is a party we all built right from 2014. Let us allow decorum, justice and fair play prevail. No one should play the role of a god in determining the fate of other Nigerians.
A chieftain of the APC in Kogi state, Alhaji Baba K. Aliyu from Kogi Local Government Area recently has to point it out that this anomaly is going on in APC in Kogi State where imposition of candidates is the order of the day, which is currently rocking APC in the state. APC stakeholders and the electorate in the state are not happy over this ugly development and this may stop APC winning the 2023 general elections in the state.
I wish to use this unique medium to call on APC leadership at the national level under His Excellency Senator Abdullahi Adamu to prevail on the power that be in Kogi State to allow every aspirant to test his or her popularity, this will bring about easy reconciliation even after the primaries. History will continue to teach us lessons of what happened in the past. Zamfara State failure to conduct proper primaries in 2018 led to court nullifying all the elective posts won by APC candidates and the court ordered that power should be transferred to the People’s Democratic Party. This should not be the fate of APC in Kogi State. The national chairman must act fast on this ugly development rearing its ugly head in Kogi State. A stitch in time saves nine.
