While granting an interview recently, the governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai recounted what made the ruling national party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) defeated the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 presidential election. According to El-Rufai, PDP lost the election due to its insensitivity to what he termed as a “political culture” in Nigeria. By this, he meant that zoning has become a political culture in Nigeria, which enables any political party to win in an election especially if merits and qualifications are not sacrificed.
As a chieftain of the PDP in Kogi state and having served as a Senior Special Assistant to the government of the state in the main opposition party, I can authoritatively state the problems that affected our party at the National, State and even the local government levels were similar. We paid the heavy price by not being sensitive to the political arrangements acceptable to the people.
This opinion piece is intended to enlightening our party, the PDP, on the need to learn from experiences of the past, so as to prevent the worst from happening to us in the forthcoming elections.
Ibaji, Idah, Igalamela/Odolu and Ofu are the four Local Government Areas in Idah Federal Constituency making it the only constituency in Kogi state with the highest numbers of local government areas.
Ibaji particularly is known for giving a block votes. PDP has always benefited from Ibaji block votes except in 2019 gubernatorial elections where prominent leaders of the party defected to APC.
Because Ibaji local government area has given much to PDP both when the party was the ruling government in the state and when it fell into the opposition, it therefore calls for not only fairness and equity but also a strategic maneuver for the party to zone its House of Representative ticket to ibaji LG if it want to win the 2023 elections.
On the basis of rotational representative which has become a political culture in the country, Ibaji is better positioned for the constituency ticket in the forthcoming general elections under PDP.
The following are the sequence of representations at the lower chamber of the National Assembly since1999 for Idah Federal Constituency; Hon. Frank Itaka Ineke from Ibaji, Hon. J.J Napoleon Idachaba from Idah, Hon. Ismaila Inah (Soul Lover) from Igalamela/Odolu, Hon. Emmanuel Egwu from Idah (again) and the incumbent representative, Hon. David Zacharias from Ofu.
From the above, one could see that the four local government areas in the constituency have had their fair share rotationally and have rounded it up. It has now come the chance of Ibaji people to be given an opportunity.
One interesting reason why except for Frank Itaka Ineke, no one has been able to represent twice is largely due to block vote from Ibaji. It’s therefore conclusive that should PDP zones it’s HOR to ibaji then, victory for them is assured with the block vote from that LG.
It is therefore expedient for PDP that is in opposition in the State to give a chance to Ibaji in order to position the party for victory. With Ibaji local government areas conventional block vote it could be harnessed favorably to enable the party to return to power in the constituency and position PDP for victory at the gubernatorial election in 2023.
Another argument in favor of Ibaji for the PDP ticket for House of Representatives for Idah/ibaji/Igala Mela/Ofu Federal Constituency is that the local government area has benefited the least from federal positions and by implications empowerment as against the other three local government areas.
For instance, Barr Humphrey Abah, Prof. Stephen Oseni both served in federal executive council while both are from Igalamela/Odolu, Elder Ubolo Itodo Okpanachi is the current Federal Commissioner Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) from Ofu while Alex Obaje etc from Idah. On the basis of this, giving Ibaji the next House of Representatives position would address the perceived neglect and marginalization of the area.
It is also a fact that Ibaji is the only local government area in the constituency that is the least developed: the area has no motorable roads, clean water for drinking and it is prone to annual flooding disaster which has caused many indigenous people of the community to relocate from the area. The sad truth is that the administrative office of Ibaji local government area has been relocated to Idah Local Government Area due to the flooding disaster.
Kogi state was recently declared an oil producing as a result of the oil discovered in Ibaji. There have been debates as to the owner of the land on which oil was discovered between Ibaji people of Kogi state and the Aguleri people of Anambra state. The disputes as to the ownership of the oil had resulted to communal clashes between the people with many lives lost. Till today, the disputes have been protracted, it requires a representative of Ibaji extraction to give the needed attention to this issue in order to maximize the benefits to Kogi state.
It could be fairly said that the chance of PDP to reclaim Idah Federal Constituency House of Representatives position from APC is brighter when an opportunity is given Ibaji local government based on the above reasons and the voters’ strength in the area.
Hon. Sunday Ogah is a chieftain of PDP and a former SSA to Kogi State Government, he can be reached on 08037549646.