Why Faleke Should Leave Kogi Politics Alone (I)

By Adegboro Ajigba

I have deliberately decided not to talk about the unfolding political senerio in our dear state as the governorship election draws near, especially this week that various political parties will be having their primaries to elect the candidates that will fly the flags of their parties during the November 11, 2023 election.

However, one cannot but add his voice as events unfold. Of course, there had been agitation for power rotation or power shift when the Igalas of the East Senatorial district held sway in Lugard House for 16 years before the divine intervention that installed the current administration of Governor Yahaya Bello from the Central district.

The agitation would not be out of place, but it must be achieved through means established by law not by issuing provocative press statements that can heat up the polity at this crucial time.

While I believe that it is left to James Faleke to express his personal opinion and convictions, I would also say that he should be implored not to over heat the polity with his uninformed position on the forthcoming APC primary.

I want to believe that he is a democrat who has benefited so much since he became a politician in Lagos, hence he should allow the process to run without any interference or influence that may jeopardize the outcome, as whoever emerges at the end of the party’s primary this weekend, will be the candidate of the APC, not minding whichever senatorial district he or she may come from.

I am of the opinion that rotation, shifting, or zoning could be best sorted out by the coming together of stakeholders who will reach an agreement, and such agreement will go through state legislation as a state law. Calls from his likes to the state legislature could have done the best in the realization of a long-term dream of a secure and prosperous state with its diverse demographic peaceful coexistence as mentioned by him.

Without much ado, James Faleke should be reminded of how he played many home-based Okun politicians shortly after his return to Lagos in 2015 by influencing appointments only for his Okun Lagos proteges.

His sectional influence of appointments, mainly for Kabba, Bunu, Ijumu extractions, leaving Yagba empty, is well noticed.

Most recent is his loud attitude of not considering many appointees of Kogi APC government in the PCC. Those he considered were numerously from Ijumu, Kabba and Bunu extraction, leaving Yagba with nothing, thus invalidating his claims of equity, fairness and justice.

Hon. James Faleke should know that the role he played in the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly Elections, where he used his office as PCC Secretary to deploy resources meant for Tinubu/Shettima and other APC candidates to sponsor ADC, an opposition party in the state, is now an open secret. This his singular action has made him a double-faced politician – APC in Lagos/Abuja, ADC in Kogi State. He can be perfectly called a member of APDC.

We already know the party he is supporting for the governorship in the state, hence he should keep his advice and thoughts to himself and continue with his ADC party where his boy, Leke, is the only person that procured the governorship ticket.

I would want to advise him to either resign from Lagos politics and come back to join Kogi rather than remain in Lagos and be throwing stones that are capable of damaging the rooftop. Whoever lives in a glass house should not throw stones.

It is quite interesting that Hon. Faleke is calling for fairness, equity and justice. What now happens in Ikeja Federal Constituency where he has remained in office in the last 12 years and yet he has secured another four-year-term, making it 16 years straight? Does it mean there are no other zones within his constituency that he should also allow to replace him at this time?

It is glaringly known and on record that many developmental projects were initiated and handed over to those Okun aspirants from inception of APC government to their respective communities and none of the projects has been completed till date, thereby leaving APC government in the state with a low score card from the zone.

While we appeal that he should maintain his Lagos citizenship and legislative responsibilities, we would want to make it known emphatically that his inability to participate in the contest was as a result of the slim time frame he had to transfer his PVC from Lagos to Kogi before the screening exercise, thus he is not permitted by law as against other beliefs.

*Ajigba, an APC stalwart, writes from Isanlu in Kogi State