By: Mohammed Onipe Aliyu.
The November 11, 2023 Governorship election in Kogi State is few hours away from now. The collective will of the Anebira of Kogi Central to retain this exalted position is not in doubt and has generated intrigues and dimensional momentum.
Few hours to the election, the Egbira nation lost their revered monarch in person of His Royal Majesty, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim. The first thing that came to my mind when the sad news got to me in the early hours of 29th October, 2028, was the popular saying that “man proposes but God disposes”. HRM’s last promise to the Ododo support group when they visited him was that he will “sing and dance” after Ododo’s victory. With HRM joining his ancestors, this promise can only come to pass spiritually but physically, he will not be with us.
Few hours to the election, it is now the collective responsibility of Ebiras to ensure that this comes to pass by ensuring victory for Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo during the poll. We need to renew our bond to collectively work for his victory. This is the only way we can all “sing and dance” to the admiration of HRM who will no doubt be with us spiritually before, during and after the election.
Few hours to the election, opinions are divided as to whether from Kogi Central, we should pursue Egbira Agenda to guarantee maximum votes for our candidate, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo or to allow the “OYAMINE” group to permeate and split our votes by allowing the group to vote for other candidates other than those annointed by the generality of the people. Anybody who is thinking that the OYAMINE group cannot do harm to our desire is doing that at his or her own peril.
Few hours to the election, we should rather recognize and bring under control the intended action of the OYAMINE group than to pretend over it. The group is bitter. They believe that the out – going government of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello did not do enough for Anebira. Some of their grievances include: the percentage salary syndrome; concentration of business in the hands of the Igalas and strangulating the economic potentials of the Ebiras, the introduction of equality policy which greatly retarded the employment of Ebiras who were hitherto greatly marginalized by the Igala Governors; the handling of the screening exercise which leaves much to be desired according to the group, adding that the development put the Ebiras in the most disadvantaged position and lots more.
Few hours to the election, we should recognize the danger in the OYAMINE group’s grievances and assuage the group with reassuring words and promises, and letting them see reasons why they should jettison their plans to vote for any other candidate of their choice. We should begin a house to house campaign to let everyone know how comparatively, the government of GYB has brought uncommon development to the Central Senatorial District.
With few hours to the election, let the OYAMINE group be reminded that before the Almighty God brought in Governor Yahaya Bello, the average Igala person saw the Anebiras as their slaves and therefore cannot aspire to be Governor. Let the group recognize the fact that it is only an Ododo candidacy that can sustain the various development projects GYB embarked upon in the central area and to do more. We should remind the group of such projects like the Reference Hospital, Okene which is first of its kind in West Africa, the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, even when the Igalas denied us location of a faculty of the the Kogi State University, the numerous road projects which no Igala Governor will give us, even if they are to spend 100 years in office.
Before GYB came on board, Kogi Central was under serious security threat to the extent that people passing through our area to other parts of the country always offer their ‘last prayers’ when getting close to our border areas because of the height of insecurity then. Today, that is a thing of the past. There are lots more.
Few days to the election, let the OYAMINE group know that the issue of percentage salary has been largely and widely condemned by all and sundry. The only redress mechanism is for the incoming Ododo government to redress this frontally and put smiles on the faces of all the affected people. It is possible.
Fast forwarded, few hours to the election, the Natasha phenomenon set in. It came with apprehension on the likely vote splitting effect of her public introduction of the PDP candidate to the numerous admirers that came to welcome her home after being sworn in as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Yes, I said admirers, because most of the people that were there are not PDP members. They came to celebrate with her and for the Governorship election, the average Anebira present there know whom to vote for come November 11, 2023. They know the Governorship election is a project very dear to the heart of an average Ebira citizen, just as they know that the distinguished senator’s election cut across party lines. The distinguished senator may be exercising her democratic rights by canvassing for her party and perhaps the candidate of her party. However, at our very nose, canvassing for a candidate that has been rejected by his own people, and capitalizing on the large presence of her admirers to do this is like describing one’s father’s house with left hand. The distinguished senator, to me, knows the implications. She will not want to nail her political coffin so soon by going against the interests and wishes of her people. I am not in the group of people using harsh words against her because I know the antecedents of people like her. She will do the needful few hours to the election.
With few hours to the election, all said and done, Distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan phenomenon requires to be handled with total objectivity. We should, like the OYAMINE group, recognize her grievances, which are obvious, so that they are also addressed frontally such that the circumstances that led to the impasse do not repeat itself. On this note, our Ohis, Tarus and Daudus should urgently come in. They should meet and institute conflict resolution mechanism that will invite all stakeholders to a round table where issues would be discussed and resolved and our determination to support Ododo for the collective benefits of greater Ebira is amicably reinforced. Those that deserve apologies should be so apologized to.
These few days to the election, it is not too late to take this measure. In the past, 24 hours to the election, we use to take decision as to where we are heading to and it is not too late to do so now. Through this, we can collectively ” Sing and Dance” when Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo is elected. May the political dreams of AnEbira come to pass, ‘Inukata Ohomorihi’.
