By Tonnie Iredia

Since the last time I served in Nigeria’s electoral body, I have always been thrilled by the nature of politics in the country. One of the recent exciting activities I watched on national television, was a protest organized two months ago, by a group of concerned persons from Kogi State, which called itself ‘The Coalition of Kogi State Indigenes.’ One Comrade Richard Adebayo, the convener of the group used the occasion to call on the All Progressives Congress (APC) to revisit its decision to conduct indirect primaries for the Kogi Governorship election arguing that the system would be manipulated by Yahaya Bello, incumbent governor of the state who would also be one of the aspirants. Adebayo insisted that if not checked, the state would be politically short-changed. In his words, “For the past three and half years, our good people of Kogi State have suffered under the heavy burden of bad leadership on account of the near- zero governance initiatives of the ill-fated Yahaya Bello’s administration; we, the indigenes of Kogi state have resolved not to allow a repeat of the leadership disaster.”

My first reaction to the story was that the protest would amount to nothing as it refreshed my memory of what happened in my own state many years back. At that time, activists that included a friend of mine had similarly fought against the reelection of our then governor who the activists regarded as a thief. My friend assured me that nothing would bring back the said unwanted governor. But at the end of the election, the governor was reelected. Asked why this happened, my friend said they changed their minds when they realized that the man, they were initially against was only a petty thief compared to his opponent who was a well-known armed robber. Any person who like me is naïve enough to believe the story of a politician does not know the real nature of Nigeria’s politics. What our politicians say at rallies are usually never the same as what they do especially when stomach infrastructure sets in. From the inception of the government of Yahaya Bello, till a few months ago, it was condemnation all the way but in the last few months, it has been endorsements every day from everywhere including the ‘royal fathers’, the clergy and indeed from the usual quarters – a coalition of mushroom political parties.

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So, it would be ‘level 17’ news if Yahaya Bello does not win next month’s Kogi governorship election. To start with, despite whatever the electoral umpire arranges, the political environment in the state is already too polluted for what can pass for an election as democracy prescribes. Already, the state legislature has beaten every other state in political rascality. When allegations levelled against the de jure deputy governor of the state, Elder Simon Achuba were being investigated with so much finesse and moderation, I had wondered aloud if they didn’t know the pattern elsewhere, especially Rochas Okorochas’ Imo state. In his days, Okorocha presented to his personal House of Assembly, a document containing allegations against his two respective deputies along with the names of their replacements which helped the legislators to work from the answer to the question. Kogi legislators didn’t do that. Instead they followed the process diligently; enumerating the allegations, investigating them thoroughly, finding Achuba wanting; and calling on the state Chief Judge, as required by law to set up a panel to try the accused. It was too good to be real making discerning observers to eagerly watch out for the joker till it came. Following the failure of the accusers to prove any of the allegations, Achuba was freed by the panel. Thereafter, he was impeached following a political trial in a closed session of the House in breach of the enabling Section 188 of the constitution.  So, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, a state House of Assembly has openly punished a citizen declared innocent.

Members of the Kogi state House of Assembly have thus surpassed their colleagues all over the federation.  That is not all, for contributing to the illegality by swearing-in a new deputy governor to replace a man they know was not found guilty, Kogi’s judiciary has also beaten their Imo colleagues. But it is simplistic to condemn the judiciary especially the Chief Judge, Justice Nadir Ajana, without taking time to appreciate the special nature of Kogi State and its disposition. Some months ago, Ajana was reportedly walked out of a state function to which he was formally invited. Apparently, the protocol managers of government invited the man in line with traditions without first reading the body language of the governor. Another judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye was forced to abandon a case against the government as police operatives were abruptly of from his court as a sign of what may come. Under the circumstance, what manner of election can hold in Kogi state? Will state officials not willfully breach the electoral law such as being caught with ballot boxes or will the winner not be determined by the attendance register of election tribunal judges?

The other day, the federal legislature descended on Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo State for allegedly allowing the inauguration of a minority-led State House of Assembly. No one bothered about the illegality of the National Assembly purporting to have powers to give orders to a state governor. Many indeed discountenanced what looked like the approach of an interloper by the National Assembly particularly the Senior Prefect stance of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and openly applauded them for defending our democracy. Where exactly are they now? Where are our public affairs analysts and commentators? Where are Kogi concerned citizens who initially protested the mode of party primaries? If no one will caution the current impunity in Kogi State, or in fact in any part of our country, will elections and tribunals that will soon come not be symbols of derision?

We needn’t look too far for the victim; it is of course the state and its pace of sustainable development. History would record a citizen Achuba; once a deputy governor in one of our states- Kogi who raised several grievances among them poor performance of government and missing public funds. How he was impeached will also be recorded, but nothing will be known of alleged misappropriation of funds the state received from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) between 2016 and 2018 which he exposed. Achuba would only have wasted his energy producing documentary evidence that Kogi State received a total of N104. 239 billion within the said three-year period in which only N50.455 billion reached the State Joint Account Allocation Committee. Ordinarily that should leave an unaccounted shortfall of N53.783 billion. Where did it go? Perhaps into the cocoons of democracy!!