These note is an addendum to the already published article titled "IBRO'S POSITION AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PDP IN KOGI STATE&...
These note is an addendum to the already published article titled "IBRO'S POSITION AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PDP IN KOGI STATE" - the title attached has become necessary in other to clarify my strong position as to why the Ibros and the Wadas should not be giving the ticket in the forth coming elections and the possible implications if such mistake or oversight is done.
In the last governorship election in Kogi state, we all recall that Idris Wada was the flag bearer of the PDP, but was clearly defeated by the late Prince Abubakar Audu basically because the incumbent governor and party flag bearer performed woefully in his four years in office and the people of the state were in strong and die need of a more resourceful leader who can attract more development to the state and be more responsive and proactive towards the issues that bothers on the lives and well being of the state.
Four years back is not far back that the people of the state could have forgotten the so many negligence the formal governor Idris Wada brought to the table, it is not too long that the people of the state would have forgotten the several times the governor denied the workers of their salaries all in the name of off setting the loan incurred by his god father Ibrahim Idris.
Four years ago is not so much a time that the state has forgotten the difficulty they suffered just to access the state government and tender their complains on the challenges of basic amenities that was scattered all over the state.
The governor who could not even sink a Borehole in his immediate community at Odu, talk more of any other place in the state - the governor who did not construct any single road and even the ones rehabilitated were used as mediums to extort money from the purse of the state will not fly if the party's ticket is given to him in the forth coming election.
Payment of salaries was also a challenge as it is in the present government under Yahaya Bello, that is if it wasn't even worst and a lot of workers who are make up over 45% of the voters in the state still have this memory at their beck and call.
Before we also forget in the course of this four years the governor also destroyed the structure of party in the state, which led to the failure they party registered in the election that brought Bello to office.
Idris Wada lacks the stamina to build and sustain a good party relationship and unity which such party can capitalised on to win any election.
The formal governor also has poor relationship with the party faithfuls and the people of the state in general, the implication of this is that mobilizing the people during the general elections will not be as easy as it would have been if another aspirant is giving the ticket.
Aside all the fore mentioned it is also key to remind the PDP leadership that the only way to keep the Ibrahim Idris faction in the party is also to ensure that none of the Wadas is given the ticket and the only way to keep Capt. idris Wada's faction in the party is to ensure that the Ibrahim Idris faction does not get the ticket, thus a neutral mandate should be established from amongst the other aspirants.
The party has other widely recognized aspirant who have a larger support and fan base at the grassroots more than the aspirants from the both factions, it is just calculative and reasonable to support one of this neutral aspirant and sustain the unity of the party in the forth coming elections.
The PDP in Kogi state needs all the unity in the world to be able to cruise to victory in the Kogi election and allowing Idris Wada or any of the WADAs to clinch the ticket will not only divide the party but will also give the ruling party a strong edge.
The APC has more grassroot relationship and acceptability than Capt. Wada and will capitalise on this loophole to defeat the PDP if the mandate is given to the formal governor.
Idris Wada because of his timid and complex manner of leadership lost all the support the party has garnered over the years, this stigma is still nurtured towards the formal governor and if by chance he is given the ticket, the already growing support that the party has started gathering in the state will be lost and the APC whose campaign in the previous election was built around the need to take the state away from a government that is not active and largely irresponsive will still capitalised on this widely accepted stigma and defeat the formal governor in the forth coming elections.
Idris Wada has been known for playing regional politics, tribal politics and this has only foster relationship between him and only a very few in Kogi east where he comes from, leaving the west and the central in the darkest shadow of negligence.
These negligence will not only make it easy for the ruling party to defeat the governor at the poles, it will go a longer way to affect the possibility of ever having a PDP party structure in the west or central region of the state because the party faithfuls will become more convince that their positions and their rights means nothing to the party and thus there is no need being in such party and will rather pitch tent in a party where they will be more regarded and not used and dump after the election.
Aside that there are hundreds of party faithfuls who have always led mobilization, garnering of supports and votes for the party at the grassroots across the entire state who will not be willing to work for Idris Wada considering how they were treated by the formal governor after they helped him emerge victorious in the 2012 general elections in Kogi state.
There are other local government areas like Idah, Ibaji and even Ankpa that felt sidelined in terms of development and appointment during his first tenure and will not be willing to vote for him again if he is giving the ticket, especially if they have another candidate assuring them of a large consideration in his government if voted into power.
Lokoja the state capital is also in a neck dragging position with the formal governor Idris Wada owing to the fact that in his four years in office no development was carried out - instead the governor employed all sorts of white elephant projects and pictures to extort money from the state treasury.
We therefore call on the Party leadership, its delegate and well meaning Kogite to come to our aid and save the party and the state from this time bomb that is already ticking to explode.
Our only hope of gaining liberation from the hands of the present government is about to be handled carelessly and we also call on Capt Idris Wada to rather join hands with a neutral aspirant so that the party become victorious at the poles - this will make him a hero of our liberation rather than becoming a part of the problem we have already been faced with.
-Khadiri Achimugu
Ogbabo, Kogi state.
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