The way Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was crashed because of tribalism in Kogi East is a great concern to our intellectualism and democratic workings. Everything happened sharply without giving as much as a second thought to the platform on which the state has mostly benefited from. Despite rigorous comparison to how the All Progressives Congress (APC) government has come to rescue Nigeria from evil orchestrated by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government, I haven’t seen better days of our dear Nigeria since APC government took central power. Yet, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was abandoned for the undiagnosable political Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, Muritala Ajaka
•By Idegu Ojonugwa Shadrach
I am apolitical at the moment. Though, I may be political in no distance time. However, I can only go for humanistic politics and astute progression of democracy if needed to be political. Being political is not bad, rather, becoming a bad politician. Therefore, I have no problem with possible differing opinions this commentary may elicit, but my duty here is largely to extend fellowship of knowledge and understanding to concerned and well-meaning Kogites. Be as it is, the pronouncement of the Supreme Court has leveled and buried the election advances.
The 2023 gubernatorial election of Kogi State has brought clear definition of insoluble betrayal – both the betrayals and the betrayed have no difference. Every wall and soul of the state was purchased by political-economics. The leading candidates and their regional representations are clear sign of tribalism, nepotism and segregation. Pressing more, while the Kogi Central was so united for Usman Ododo’s candidacy with the help of Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, the then executive governor of the state despite senator Natasha Akpoti’s political weight, the Kogi West was divided for sake of jealousy and immature political games, and the heart of the state, Kogi East, was guided by marginalized politics in the hands of astute betrayals. Everything about the election was progressively in decline. But, just as the nature of Nigeria politics, no one needs to say much about the underscoring.
While it is better to check professional records of outstanding individuals in our vicinity, a lot of people have ignorantly sidelined such social norm simply for encountering a well-known person rather, a well-meaning person. However, this is the game of life. During the time, I saw that, my people lack many Nigeria political ideologies. Even in that, the in-house betrayal doesn’t suppose to come alive, because, for the sake of this, my people have received the shocks of their collective desire despite the intellectual push towards recovering stolen mandate.
It is quite disheartening that my people wrongly supported Mr. Ajaka for tribalism whereas PDP candidate would have been a better option for them. It is ridiculous to support two different political parties at a point for two reasons – it is simply a calculated idiocracy. As a true man of conscience, you can’t support All Progressives Congress (APC) at the federal level and support Social Democratic Party (SDP) or Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at state level. Failure is a connective spirit. Success takes similar lead
Betrayal is the first chapter in the book of Nigeria politics. This is a weak nature that others have regarded as one of the forwarding steps. One is said to be evil incarnate if he deceives his or her loved ones. An elder always has too much to say when his or her beloved child brings shame that he hasn’t thought of to the house – probably, he could only say, what have I done to deserve this from my maker? This is to say, a parent’s fate is connected to their children. Even in the wake of this, one is not expected to put his child away because of a shame brought into a family. Because, in the middle of this digital generation, a child who thought he knows much might fall into terrible issue for lack of unchecked background of cases – this is attributed to ignorance. But, a child who knows well about a thing, and in the odds of what it entails, forget and purposefully engage in such thing on goal that even if that brings anything bad, his parents can help withstand it, is said to be an evil child. Just as it is known to as how evil is a personal acceptance of will and character, a child who does what brings shame to his parent willingly is an evil child. God forbid we bear such child. This, to me, without an independent learning, is the case of Mr. Ajaka and Igala people in the last gubernatorial election.
Digging deeper on the scenery, I can say that, if all eyes can see very well, Mr. Muritala Ajaka would be the most unsellable candidate in the next gubernatorial election of Kogi State. His inner and outer connection with the ruling party is a must debatable and considerable fact. Hence, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that should have done greatly in recovering the state has been humbled by Kogi East for the sake of Ajaka’s candidacy that one can call, a misplaced priority. The way Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was crashed because of tribalism in Kogi East is a great concern to our intellectualism and democratic workings. Everything happened sharply without thinking twice on the platform the state has mostly benefited from. Despite rigorous comparison to how All Progressives Congress (APC) government has come to rescue Nigeria from evil orchestrated by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government, I haven’t seen better days of our dear Nigeria since APC government took central power. Yet, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was abandoned for the undiagnosable political Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, Muritala Ajaka.
Now that Mr. Ajaka has crashed Igala political structure for his greedy, I must encourage my people to stand up to build stronger structure. Similar to how youths can take over Nigeria politics whenever they are ready, Igalas are in the same shoe in Kogi politics. We should try to forget what has happened and to entrust another person that has true Igala blood. However, I would love them to honour rotation of gubernatorial seat – the political party’s zoning. Using power of a political party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would have articulated the best support in the last election because, that would have served an easy expressway for return of Igala as a governor after Dino Melaye’s years. So far, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the favoured political party of Igalas just as Labour Party (LP) is the favoured political party of Nigerian youths. Invariably, just as Labour Party (LP) was in Nigeria, so as Social Democratic Party (SDP) was in Kogi state. Honestly, the sporadically inclusive political segregation has rendered Igala intellectuals and foremost politicians into dews of early morning. However, this comes as a result of ethnical love for the working class people rendered useless and meaningless by Yahaya Bello’s government. Nonetheless, this can be corrected in subsequent gubernatorial elections of the state by waking up to understand real definition of political forthrightness and concept of proficient democracy.
It is quite disheartening that my people wrongly supported Mr. Ajaka for tribalism whereas PDP candidate would have been a better option for them. It is ridiculous to support two different political parties at a point for two reasons – it is simply a calculated idiocracy. As a true man of conscience, you can’t support All Progressives Congress (APC) at the federal level and support Social Democratic Party (SDP) or Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at state level. Failure is a connective spirit. Success takes similar lead. Hence, both are fragmentable progression. So, one can’t outshine nature. Whatever that has touch of bias is inseparably connected to ambiguity. This, in the case of Nigeria politics, having drowned in an ocean of games and betrayals, one needs to be astute observer, calculator and clever to make decisions in regards to political domain. Otherwise, you become a stranger in the journey of discovering your political corridor. Therefore, we must cultivate spirit of statesmanship in our pursuit to secure accountable and profitable government, and to make good political leaders – this is when we must speak truth to our followers and project good leaders to the electorates whenever needed.
•Opinions, positions or thoughts expressed here are personal and strictly of the writers/authors and not The Daily Crucible.
