The people of Kogi like to be referred to as Kogites. The average Kogi citizen is a boisterous individual and sometimes probably loud, which some quarters have termed garrulous. The fact is, they can be quite opinionated, which might be interpreted wrongly as being too loud. However, their self confidence isn’t in doubt.
Kogi citizens fondly refer to the state as the confluence state, an appellation taken from the meeting point of Rivers Niger and Benue. Kogi politics has for the past two decades alternated between the Igala, the Ebira and to a lesser extent the Igbominas, a linguistic group among the Yorubas.
Politics in Kogi after the return to civil rule in 1999 has been played less on ideology or conviction but more on the basis of who is more dominant among the main ethnic groups, laced with religious rhetoric. The vanquished in the political scheme of things in Kogi know their place, it would seem and no matter how they would have tried to change the narrative, the odds are weighed against them.
The recent past governor of the confluence state, Yahaya Bello got schooled adequately in the political culture typical of Kogi and presided over the firmament as lord, even though physically diminutive.
Yahaya bello was no democrat. He orchestrated the overthrow of his first deputy governor and even threatened his wellbeing. During the covid pandemic, Lokoja, the state capital, became a no go area for federal agencies that were monitoring and managing the outbreak and spread of the virus. Yahaya bello sent out a warning to anyone who thought of coming to verify how Kogi feared regarding COVID 19. Yahaya Bello actually called the bluff of the federal might and seemed to have gotten away with it.
Political opponents of the governor were painted as enemies of the state, with state machinery brazenly used to silence and in some instances crush them. Natasha Akpoti will never forget in a hurry her political baptismal of fire at the hands of the youth governor. Her ambition of becoming Nigeria’s first female governor was initially sealed, but buried under the weight of the white lion’s authority.
Yahaya Bello stated unequivocally that he would be the decider of who takes over the reign of government of Kogi, after his tenure. That was accomplished. At this point Yahaya’s political cup was filling up close to its tipping point.
The APC’s choice of a presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, brought the “white lion”to the limelight on a national level. According to the party, after 8 years of Buhari’s presidency, power needed to move to the south. The northern power brokers in the APC and 13 northern governors of the party were in agreement. Yahaya Bello the 14th northern governor took a lone stand, stood out of the band of brothers. Bello maintained his position of standing against other southern delegates at the national convention to choose the party’s flag bearer for the presidential election. When it emerged that the current president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu was coasting home to victory, Yahaya Bello stood his ground in defiance of party protocol.
At that point his political cup had runneth over, probably he wasn’t aware. In Nigerian politics, playing the game requires the wisdom of Solomon, the guile of Machiavelli and the humility of the pope. Yahaya Bello naively thought the national political scene is the same as what plays out in Kogi. The day of reckoning was just a matter of time for the white lion, according to the EFCC.
However, Yahaya Bello would probably want to clear his name when he decides to have his day in court for what the federal government says are financial misdemeanour, while he was executive governor of Kogi, the confluence state. Going round full circle, Yahaya Bello’s tormented political opponents would be wondering how so sudden karma decided to pay their old adversary a quick visit.
Olugbenga Adebanjo
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