With less than two weeks until the February 25 National Assembly elections, the contest for the Idah/Igalamela/Odolu/Ibaji/Ofu Federal Constituency of Kogi State is getting more intriguing by the day.
Among the contestants, four are considered front-runners for the major political parties. They are: Hon. Zacharias David Idris (APC), Uchola Omale Ojogbane (PDP), Egbunu Amanabo Yusuf (NNPP) and James Ojochogwu Friday (LP).
They are locked in a fierce battle and intrigue as they navigate the length and breadth of the constituency in their electioneering campaigns.
Daily Trust gathered that political activities have gathered momentum in the federal constituency since the emergence of these candidates, even as thuggery has been identified as a major issue of concern.
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Umar Aku, a former state secretary of the All Progressive Party (APC), who is from the federal constituency, said monetary inducement and thuggery are among the thorny issues that may mark the outcome of the election.
“The political scenario of today’s Nigeria has changed tremendously. A lot of things have been brought into the game. Voters are now gullible, because of poverty and ignorance. So politicians now decide the minds of voters by money, not their track records, any longer.
“It is now the game of money bags, and as such, the best candidate may not emerge,” he said.
Many say the former APC state scribe’s assertion may be true considering the incidents of vote buying and thuggery that characterised previous elections in the country.
But in the view of Egbunu Amanabo Yusuf, the candidate of NNPP in the federal constituency, even though elections in Nigeria were capital intensive, it may not be business as usual for money-bag politicians this time around.
He said the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter accreditation and electronic transmission of results and the latest move to change naira notes may bring credibility to our electoral system.
Amana Yusuf has since kicked off campaigns in the region.
Egbunu hails from Idah, and is a product of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
Some observers said Amanabo may not have money to throw around like other contestants but he has what it takes to give quality representation which the area has been clamouring for years.
But others from the constituency said if the NNPP candidate is to be taken seriously, he has to sharpen his grassroots skills, as many claimed he is not on ground enough to pull a surprise in the contest because his party is new in the area.
Another contestant, Zacharias David Idris (APC) whom many believed was a product of the bandwagon effect of the emergence of Governor Yahaya Bello, is said to be fighting tooth and nail to revalidate his mandate for a second term in the lower chamber.
Reports from the locals in the constituency indicate that Idris has fared relatively well in terms of empowerment programmes for his constituents.
He was said to have given a lot in terms of materials and financial empowerment to his constituents, including skill training and acquisition, particularly for the youth, women and vulnerable which has endeared him to them.
Yet, others in his constituency feel he has not given quality representation as desired in the lower chamber, which they claim has robbed the region of much of the dividends of democracy.
However, Idris, who hails from Ejule in Ofu LGA of the constituency, is said to have enough financial muscle to prosecute his election.
As a staunch member of the ruling APC in the state, Idris is said to be a “loyal boy” of the occupants of Lugard House, Lokoja, particularly Chief Edward Onoja, the deputy governor of the state who wields enough influence in the region.
As a sitting federal lawmaker and a member of the inner caucus of the ruling party, many say that has placed him in an advantageous position above others in the race.
However, the only seeming storm in his political teacup is the ongoing clamour that Ibaji council should be allowed to produce a candidate to represent the federal constituency this time around.
The protagonists hold that representatives from Ofu, Idah and IgalaMela/Odolu council have dominated the federal constituency for a long time, arguing that a person from Ibaji should be allowed to have a taste of it now.
The clamour is said to be gaining ground gradually, particularly among major stakeholders from the region which may ruffle feathers.
It was noted that Idah federal constituency has been predominantly a PDP political stronghold until Governor Yahaya Bello appeared on the scene and changed the narrative in favour of APC in 2019, when Emmanuel Egwu (PDP) lost his second-term bid to Hon. Zacharia David Idris (APC), thus ending the reign of PDP.
Records show that Hon. Ismaila Inah (Sulova) of the PDP, who succeeded Napoleon Idachaba (PDP) in 2011, handed over the baton of the constituency to Emmanuel Egwu (PDP) in 2015.
The PDP candidate, Omale Ojogbane Uchola from Ibaji land, whom many claimed has a track record to represent the constituency at the lower chamber, is said to be enjoying genuine support of his people.
It is said that the father of the PDP candidate, A. B. Uchola, is a one-time local government chairman of Ibaji and a long-serving principal in a popular school in the area that enjoy grassroots support.
But despite his perceived strength, Hon. Uchola has a hurdle to cross, as his opponent in the last party primary election, Engineer Ibrahim John, dragged him before an Abuja High Court, seeking to be declared the authentic owner of the party ticket in the area.
At the last hearing, the Court of Appeal sitting at Abuja set aside the earlier ruling of the lower court in favour of Hon. Uchola and declared Engineer John as the real flag bearer of the party. Uchola has proceeded for Supreme Court for redress.
Although the political campaign in this constituency is reported to be going relatively smoothly, there were incidents of thuggery in Aloma axis of Ofu LGA in the constituency recently.
In one of the incidents, it was reported that members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had their campaign disrupted when some youth suspected to be loyal to a political party invaded the campaign ground and chased them away with guns, cutlasses, and other weapons.
Also, thuggery is said to have characterized the campaigns, particularly in the Ofu and Idah axis of the federal constituency, as it is seen as a winning streak in an election.
The gruesome killing of the PDP women’s leader, Salome Abu, in Ochadamu-Ejule areas in the last election is still fresh in the minds of the people.
Many therefore believe in this region that the candidate with “system back up thuggery” may have his way in the forthcoming election.
Except for the APC’s candidate, Daily Trust learnt that others were finding it difficult to display their billboards and posters due to the imposition of tax by the state government which is being implemented by the state Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS).
The KGIRS officials are said to be everywhere in the state with the mandate to remove any party’s posters or billboards that have not observed the mandatory payment of tax on campaign materials.
Political watchers in the constituency believe that this singular act may be particularly affecting the candidate of Labour Party (LP), James Ojochogwu Friday, and other candidates in the race.
Friday, who hails from Ibaji land, is considered a goal-getter. Besides having little financial chest to secure the election and coming from a party considered fresh in the terrain, many say the LP candidate may not to be deeply rooted at the grassroots level.
It is said the only thing going for him is the influence of the presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi, who enjoys the support of some youth in the area.
Also, Friday, being from Ibaji, will share votes with two others, Uchola and Amanabo, thus making his chance very slim.
