Kogi PDP: Torn apart by primary

The Kogi State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is battling with post-primary crisis that may affect its chances at the poll. JAMES AZANIA, reports.

At the end of the governorship shadow election of the Kogi State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Musa Wada emerged as the flag bearer for the November 16 governorship election.

The emergence of Wada, brother of the immediate past governor Capt. Idris Wada, who also contested for the ticket, upset his co-aspirants.

Wada polled 748 votes to clinch the ticket. He was trailed by Abubakar Mohammed Ibrahim, the son of former Governor Ibrahim Idris (Ibro), who garnered 710 votes.

Capt. Wada came third, with 345 votes, while Senator Dino Melaye polled 70.

Others include Aminu Suleiman- 55 votes, Victor Adoji-54, Erico Joseph- 42, AVM Saliu Atawodi (retd.)- 11, Emmanuel Omebije- 9 votes, Mohammed Shuaibi- 4 votes, Bayo Michael- 2 votes and Jabiru Haruna- 0.

The counting resumed in the disrupted primary, setting the stage for disagreement. If not well managed, litigation, post-primary litigation may affect its chances at the poll.

The exercise ended abruptly, following the invasion of the Lokoja Confluence Stadium, venue of the primary, by gunmen.

Voting by delegates had, however, ended and sorting of ballots under way, when the gunmen stormed the venue at around 1.45am, causing pandemonium.

Votes in eight out of the 10 ballot boxes had been sorted and counted before the disruption. The Governor Umar Fintiri-led election panel called a meeting of the 13 aspirants and it was agreed that sorting and counting should continue.

Counting was to proceed at a lodge, adjacent the Government House, Lokoja, with all the aspirants and their agents present.

Many factors led to Wada’s emergence. Money played a big role.

The aspirants, in their bid to outdo one other, shared $1,000 each to delegates, while another was said to have added a motorcycle each, to the $1,000 he shared.

Prior to the commencement of the shadow poll, an aspirant, on hearing that rumour of his purported withdrawal from the race was gaining ground, retorted: ‘how can I step down; when I gave the highest (money) to delegates?’

Such was the uneasiness. Rumours pervaded the atmosphere, including an allegation that one of the aspirants ochestrated the invasion of the venue, on seeing signs that voting was not going in his favour.

Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West), who was initially reported to be heading for the courts to challenge the outcome of the exercise, later rejected his appointment as the Director-General of the PDP Governorship Campaign Organisation, a position that later went to T. J. Yusuf (Kabba/Ijumu Federal constituency).

The paradigm shift, in the emergence of Wada was near seismic, not jolting the party establishment, but also highlighting some perceived trends that stakeholders questioned.

Wada’s emergence began to appear more in the shape of setting new trend in dynastic tendencies in the affairs of the major opposition party.

A member of the PDP and former Acting Governor, Chief Clarence Olafemi, who served as the DG of the Abubakar Atiku presidential campaign organisation, during the general election, kicked.

Olafemi, whose son was to run as deputy to Abubakar Ibrahim, son of former Governor Ibrahim Idris, if their permutations had materialised, opted for rapport with the APC government, saying he has been short-changed by his party, despite the sacrifices he made for it.

He gave the hint that he was on his way out of the PDP.

The primary also turned out to be a Kogi East affair. Kogi East is home to the majority Igala-speaking tribe.

The Idris and the Wadas played central role in the process. Hence, the inevitable clash of family interests, more so that support crossed filial lines.

Of the 13 aspirants that contested, the Wada family paraded two; the eventual winner and his elder brother and Idris Wada.

Before the exercise, pundits had narrowed it to a two-way race between the immediate past governor and the son of Alhaji Ibrahim Idris.

The PDP had ruled Kogi for 13 unbroken years, before the All Progressives Party (APC) wrestled power from it, at the November 21, 2015 governorship poll.

While Musa Wada, younger brother of Idris Wada and son in-law to former Governor Ibrahim Idris (Ibro), emerged the candidate, followed closely by Abubakar Ibrahim Idris, another Ibro son, Ibrahim and an elder brother to Musa Wada’s wife, threw his support behind Capt. Wada.

The initial bad blood between the Wadas was highlighted by a security detail, who spoke under the condition of anonymity.

He claimed that when the shootings started, he and others made to safeguard the Wada brothers, and after managing to get the younger Wada into a waiting SUV, the elder brother and former governor, bluntly refused to join in the same vehicle, notwithstanding the danger that stared all in the face”.

The primary panel had a lot to contend with. It called a meeting of the 13 aspirants, paving the way for the conclusion of the exercise, but not the bad blood.

Between the Wadas, it would appear, however, that all may have been put behind them. The former governor was said to have declared afterwards, that he held no grudge against his younger one, and expressed his readiness to work for the victory of the party.

“The delegates were wise. They rejected Ibro and Wada (the two former governors), because of bitter rivalry between them, and picked another person.

“Wada after the election said he would not appeal, and also decided to call his brother to congratulate him and that settles the political feud. It is more complex in Ibro’s family, but I know common sense will prevail,” said a party chieftain.

Not only is it feared that the rancour within the Idris and Wada clans may negatively affect the electoral fortunes of the party, other simmering and resolved grievances may further bedevil the main opposition party.

Relations between Ibrahim Idris and Capt. Wada, who was handpicked by the former as his successor, is at low ebb.

At the last Kogi PDP congress in Lokoja, Capt. Wada refused to acknowledge his predecessor. He did not exchange pleasantries with him, despite the close proximity in their sitting arrangement.

Another son of former Governor Ibrahim Idris,  Suleiman, was the major backer of the failed return bid of the last Kogi PDP governor, to the Government House Lokoja.

There is division in the Kogi PDP family. It can at best be summed up as precarious. The management will go a long way in determining the fate of the party in the election.