The Supreme Court, on September 20, affirmed the election of Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, in the case brought before it over the November 21, 2015 governorship election in the state. The court brought to a close all the litigations which had earlier gone through the election petitions tribunal and the Appellate Court. It was democracy in action.
Now that the case has been resolved by the highest court in the land, we expect all the parties to the electoral dispute to refocus their attention on the state and the development of its people and resources. The last Kogi gubernatorial election was keenly contested with a number of unexpected turns, especially the unfortunate passing on of Prince Abubakar Audu, the then candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was clearly coasting to victory before his untimely demise.
This sad incident forced a change of plans on all the contending parties and left the electoral umpire with some hard decisions to make. The acrimony and uncertainties that trailed the unfortunate development should come to an end with the explicit ruling of the Supreme Court on the matter. While the political gladiators were at work battling for the leadership of the state, governance suffered. The young administration of Yahaya Bello was distracted from its primary duty of delivering the dividends of democracy to the long-suffering people of the state.
This is why all hands must be on deck to move Kogi forward now that the litigations are over. We are encouraged that Governor Bello was magnanimous in his immediate reaction to the judgement. He called on the people of Kogi, especially his main opponents – James Faleke of APC and Captain Idris Wada, immediate past governor of the state and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party – to team up with him for the development of the state.
We hope the governor and the government he leads will demonstrate this resolve beyond words. Bello has a responsibility to reach out to his opponents and other cynics in the state, and embrace them for the overall good of Kogi. Kogi State’s trajectory is particularly interesting when one notes that Bello is a trailblazer of sorts. He is the first non-Igala to rule the state since its creation in 1991. This is what is commonly referred to as power shift in Nigerian political parlance. It is a golden opportunity, therefore, for the governor to make a statement with his positive impact on the state.
Kogi State is, perhaps, the least developed among the states with which it was created. This is an irony when we consider the rich endowment of the state, particularly in solid minerals, and its proximity to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Its endowments in agriculture and tourism are not in doubt. This is the time to turn all of these advantages to real wealth and opportunities for the citizens of the state.
Luckily, Governor Bello has outlined these rich endowments in his vision for the state and prioritised their realisation as the legacy he would want to leave behind. It is time for him to walk the talk. But, he will need the support of the people. The penchant for destructive rumour-mongering and hateful petition writing which is common in the state should be done away with, so that the governor can concentrate on the onerous task of governance. By the time the apex court communicates the reasons for its epoch decision on the Kogi election, the corpus of jurisprudence in the country would be enriched. Democracy would be deepened and the hands of the Bello administration strengthened by the validation of its legitimacy. This should translate to improved service delivery and the promotion of the general good in the state
We congratulate Yahaya Bello on this victory. The time has come for him to work for the state without let or hindrance. Let all other parties to the electoral dispute sheathe their swords and cooperate with the governor to move Kogi forward.