THE RACE TO LUGARD HOUSE

 Olamiroo Lukeman argues that Braimoh, the

 AA candidate, stands out in the pack

The political temperature is approaching pitch height in Kogi State. Unlike in other states where the political space has returned to normalcy since the conclusion of the general elections in March, politics is still thick in the air of the Confluence State. The electorate will file out to choose a new Governor on Saturday, 11th November 2023.

The off-cycle election will hold concurrently in two other states, Bayelsa and Imo, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It is therefore little wonder that the imminent polls have been dominating public discourse in the affected states. Whenever two or three Kogites are gathered, the governorship election is likely to chip into their interests.

That is hardly a surprise. The past seven and half years of the outgoing administration has been mostly ineffective and clueless, in terms of meeting the developmental needs of the citizenry. Poverty walks on two legs across the state. Not a few of the traumatised people are eager for a new breath of life.

The poll promises to be a clash of the titans. Records obtained from INEC show that all 18 political parties are fielding candidates in the race to Lugard House, as the Kogi seat of power is known. The list contains anointed or seasoned politicians from the behemoth parties.

Usman Ododo, described as a cousin of the incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello, is flying the flag of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Senator Dino Melaiye will hold forth for the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) while Leke Abejide, a second-term member-elect of the House of Representatives is holding the ticket for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Other candidates in contention include Olayinka Adenehon Braimoh of Action Alliance (AA), Julius Elukpo of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Okeme Adejoh of Labour Party (LP), Musa Mubarak of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and Omale Samson Agada of Young Progressives Party, (YPP). Of course, the INEC’s list also contains names of pretenders, too numerous to mention.

The contest is viewed by many as a straight fight between APC’s Ododo, who is the outgoing Governor’s preferred successor, and PDP’s Melaiye, his archenemy. This is primarily due to the long years of rivalry between the two parties, which have exclusively controlled power since the state’s creation more than three decades ago.

Abejide, known for his deep pockets and whose party boasts of another member-elect of the Green Chamber easily comes across as a third force. Even at that, both ADC and APC are believed by not a few persons to be different sides of the same coin. In the run up to the last Presidential election, Abejide campaigned vigorously for President-elect and then APC candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He has never hidden his admiration for the ruling party.

Ardent readers of the Kogi political barometer with eyes beyond the surface, however, point to Braimoh as a candidate more likely to spring surprises, all things being equal. Young and soft-spoken, the AA flag bearer may well be the candidate to watch. Let’s check out the facts.

Since his foray into partisan politics some months ago, Braimoh has created stares strong enough to cause agitations within the big power blocks and other entrenched interests. His party organised one of the most orderly primaries in the state. Three aspirants vied for the ticket. On the day of the election, one of the aspirants withdrew and asked his supporters to vote for Braimoh. His election was a landslide, leaving his only opponent to immediately accept defeat.

Even at that, the candidate embarked on fence-mending with diverse party interests, to bring everybody on the same page. He has also been meeting with traditional institutions and groups to share his vision. His consultative brand of politics and the speed with which he is gaining traction among the wider populace has placed him in a class by himself.

Whereas, all the big parties have been bleeding from the labour pangs of the primaries, AA has remained peaceful and waxing strong. For instance, disgruntled members have been abandoning their membership cards in PDP, APC, NNPP, and LP, in droves. Indeed, legal tussles over the primaries are threatening to tear some party tickets to shreds.

Braimoh has other things going for him. The middle-aged real estate developer is a philanthropist and an easily accessible person. These qualities place him as a bridge builder between the young and the old on one hand, and across social divides, on the other.

Even more intriguing is the depth of his knowledge of the issues. Braimoh’s understanding and diagnosis of the needs and potential of Kogi State are disarming. They show a mind conversant with the state and equipped with the wand for its development. He says he has the vision to lift the state out of scary poverty, to wealth creation, distribution and retention.

Braimoh is poised to benefit from the ongoing power rotation debate among the people of Kogi State. The 47-year-old hails from Akutupa, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area, of Kogi West, a zone that has been at the receiving end of entrenched marginalisation, nepotism, and underdevelopment.

Since 1991 when Kogi State was created, only the East and Central Senatorial Districts have held tightly to the Driver’s seat. Kogi East has monopolised the position for about 16 years, Kogi Central for about eight years, and still counting, while Kogi West has nothing in the kitty.

Although, the other zones are not letting go without a fight, as seen in Ododo’s solo candidacy from the central, and the about a dozen candidates of Kogi East origin, expectations are rife that the West will produce the Governor this time around. Incidentally, the zone boasts, Braimoh, Melaiye, and Abejide as worthy ambassadors in the struggle.

But, the AA candidate stands out in the pack. Melaiye is seen as too outspoken and quarrelsome, while apart from his chameleonic romance with APC, Abejide is accused of myopia and arrogance. As the middle point between the two extreme temperaments, Olayinka Braimoh holds the ace and presents the shortest route to realizing Kogi West’s dream of producing a governor for the entire state. All eyes are on him.

Will this son of a teacher, turn out as the dark horse, in the race to Lugard House? Time will tell.

Lukeman writes from Anyigba, Kogi State