2019 elections: How the mighty fell

The first round of this year’s general elections held on Feb. 23 dealt a deadly blow on some notable politicians who have been forcefully pushed out from the corridors of power, at least for the next four years.

Senator Bukola Saraki

Saraki’s fall as the political god-father of Kwara State came as a rude shock to him.

However, analysts say some of his followers saw it coming but kept deceiving themselves until Feb. 23 when the people of the state rejected him with their PVCs.

Some felt Saraki lost his re-election because of highhandedness, arrogance, selfishness, self-centeredness; lack of human feelings for the masses especially the civil servants who suffered more in his hand.

Saraki, however, failed to go back to drawing board when the opposition APC in the state started mobilizing and came up with a political slogan which become street language and resonated with all segments of the society and became hard to put down even by those who coined it.

Observers say the only hope left for Saraki in Kwara is in the governorship candidate of the PDP. “If PDP wins, he may still be relevant in the scheme of affairs otherwise it will be difficult for him to still have a say in the affairs of the state”, an observer said.

Godswill Akpabio

He rose from being a former commissioner in the administration of Obong Victor Attah under the PDP to became a two-term governor of the state and now senator in the National Assembly.

As a governor, he wielded so much power and influence and was a political colossus who could make or mar the political fortunes of any politician in the state. In fact, he crippled many politicians who dared to oppose him or whose political desire were not in consonance with his, so much so that they all ran to the opposition, APC along with him when he parted ways with PDP.

In a bid to extend his political tentacles beyond the state, he contested and won to represent Akwa Ibom North west senatorial district.

As a first-time senator, he deferred the odds, broke through the ranks and laid down procedures in the National Assembly to become senate minority leader, a position he held until he defected to the APC. His unexpected defection from the PDP shattered his supporters and loyalists who felt betrayed and used.

They were willing to forgive his sins but his declaration of war on the state and the PDP with his famous ‘war saw war’ speech, the verbal attacks on the government of Udom Emmanuel and boasts that no matter the political platform he contested under, he would still win the senate ticket for his senatorial district, set the path for his downfall.

To spite Akpabio, who is from Essien Udim local government area, the PDP picked Christopher Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor from neighbouring Obot Akara local government area, who had lost political clout in the state to contest against him.

Though Akpabio has claimed that he did not lose the elections and that he would reclaim his mandate, the National Legal Adviser of the PDP from Akwa Ibom North west senatorial district, Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem said Akpabio lost the election because of the choice he made.

Abiola Ajimobi

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State lost his bid to return to the Senate. He was defeated by a former Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Dr. Muhammed Kola Balogun.

One of the factors responsible for his defeat is not unconnected with the grouse of the people of Ibadan land over the review of the Olubadan chieftaincy law.

After becoming the first governor to win two consecutive terms in the state he appeared too large to the extent that he elevated and enthroned 21 kings in a single day, against the tradition of Ibadan and without recourse to Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, who had since then fallen out of favour with the power-that-be in the state.

Another factor responsible for his defeat was his perpetual flaunting of his “koseleri” (unprecedented second term victory) with ego.

Similarly, his inability to pay pensions to retirees in the state, his uncouth tongue and seeming indifference to the workers’ plight made it difficult for him to campaign publicly.

Also, the intra party crisis which rocked the APC in the state before the election forced a group (unity forum) within the party to leave enmasse for opposition parties.

A journalist and political analyst Mr. Hammed Ishola said: “Ajimobi had vowed not to seek election again in 2016; his rethink of Senate came late, having not taken certain factors into consideration. For instance, if he had anticipated Ibadan protest votes over Obaship, he ought to have reached out to Ibarapa long before now in appointments and projects.”

Ibrahim Dankwambo 

Governor Dankwambo had sterling career in civil service and politics that witnessed steady progression. He came to limelight 20 years ago when at 37, he was appointed by late Governor Abubakar Habu Hashidu as the Accountant General of the state.

Surprisingly, when Governor Danjuma Goje of PDP defeated Hashidu of then ANPP in 2003, Dankwambo retained his position until his appointment as the Accountant General of the Federation by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005.

In late 2010, Dankwambo resigned his position and ventured the mucky waters of politics; he picked the PDP’s ticket and subsequently emerged as governor of Gombe State.

Political pundits also believe that having no prior experience in politics, he governed the state as a bureaucrat, thereby failed to patronize the politicians through awards of contracts.

Another factor that contributed to his defeat was his failure to organize the PDP after the party’s gubernatorial primary elections which led to the decamping of his friend and first runner-up, Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna.

Gwamna’s defection was a huge blow to the PDP and created many problems that the party never recovered from.

However, the last straw that broke the camel’s back was the decamping of Director General of PDP’s Campaign Council, Alhaji Bala Bello Tinka, to APC in the middle of electioneering campaigns.

Also, Dankwambo’s nonchalant attitude during electioneering campaign also cost him the seat. His failure to campaign was seen by voters as a sign that he was not serious in the contest.

Furthermore, the pensioners he owed gratuities six years after retirement and some categories of civil servants were bitter over stagnant promotion since when he took over in 2011.

These factors and lastly the ‘Buhari factor’ played a role in ensuring what observers described as the premature retirement of Governor Dankwambo from politics.

 Biodun Olujimi

Senator Olujimi was one of the political heavyweights that fell by the wayside in the last presidential and National Assembly elections in Ekiti State.

The Minority Leader in the Upper Chamber contested on the platform of PDP but lost her bid to return to the national assembly to represent Ekiti South Senatorial district of the state to a former national publicity secretary of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, who contested on APC platform.

The defeat of Olujimi and other PDP candidates did not come as a surprise to many in the state. Prior the election, the party had been divided into two.  Former Governor Ayo Fayose was leading one faction while Olujimi led the other.

The situation degenerated into crisis between the two camps in the build-up to the presidential election. It was alleged that Fayose, uncomfortable with the crisis, publicly asked the PDP supporters in the state not to vote for Olujimi during the election.

Another thing that worked against the ambition of the senator was the performance of Governor Kayode Fayemi since he assumed office in October last year. Many are of the view that Fayemi had turned a new leaf in the handling of affairs in the state especially civil servants.

Another issue is the trend that has been on in the state. Since 1999 to date, any party that wins the governorship always wins other political offices in the state. So, this year’s election is not an exception.

George Akume

His failure to secure a fourth term mandate for the Benue North West Senatorial seat has been largely attributed to his inability to defend the people of his district by quality representation.

Akume had lost the last week’s election to incumbent House of Representatives member, Emmanuel Orker Jev of the PDP.

Sequel to the election, it became glaring that Akume, a two-time governor of the state and APC leader in the state, who also held onto the Senate seat since 2007 would have to put extra effort to win his seat again.

This was majorly because of the friction between him and incumbent Governor Samuel Ortom who also hails from the same district as Akume. The duo in their fierce political battle since July 2018 had vowed to unseat each other.

Akume, regarded as the godfather of APC in the state also fell apart with people of his district, most of who complained that his utterances about killings in the state occasioned by herders/farmers crisis had not been in the interest of those who gave him mandate to represent them.

The senator had at different fora told President Buhari that killings in the state were orchestrated by the governor’s henchmen and livestock guards, therefore exonerating the herders of the destruction of lives as well as property in his own senatorial district.

More so, the senatorial seat for the zone was said to have been zoned to Buruku LGA, based on unwritten agreement by the people of the district before Akume came to ‘borrow’ it. For 12 years, he never cared to come back to appreciate the people who paved the way for him to go the Senate, it was believed.