Politics

Yahaya Bello in murky terrain of power tussle

Published

8 years ago

June 23, 2017

Olu Emmanuel

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Saraki, Faleke watching the Melaye saga

By SUNDAY ODIBASHI

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West in the National Assembly have become entangled in a conflict that has triggered the test of a section of the constitution which application has not been popular over the years. National Daily inquiry revealed that Governor Bello may have begun a battle which scope could be beyond his main opponent; or may involve several other state actors who have strong political machine that could swing the pendulum of victory.

What began as mix-up over disharmony of interests in the politics of Kogi State between the Governor and the Senator has degenerated into dirty politics such that the survival of either of the state actors is predicated on the destruction of the opponent.

Invariably, the two state actors have noticeably gone to the extreme, mobilizing all political forces at their behest, to fight for survival and supremacy.

Initially, supporters of the two state actors in Kogi engaged in violent clashes, Thereafter, Melaye was gathered to have called for declaration of state of emergency in Kogi State by the Federal Government in an attempt to deploy the federal might to unseat Governor Bello.

Bello was compelled to rush to Abuja to brief the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, explaining that there is no conflicts in Kogi State, arguing that there is, therefore, no need for declaration of State of emergency.

Subsequently, the conflict was taken to the grassroots, recruiting the voting population into the political war in Kogi State, resulting in the gathering of 188, 580 signatures out of the 360,098 registered voters in Kogi West Senatorial District to recall Melaye from the National Assembly.

The recall machination complies with Section 69 of Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as Amended) which stipulates that: “a member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives may be recalled as such a member if:-

(a) There is presented to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a petition in that behalf signed by more than one-third of the persons registered to vote in that member’s constituency alleging their loss of confidence in that member; and

(b) The petition is thereafter, in a referendum conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission within ninety days of the date of receipt of the petition, approved by a simple majority of the votes of the persons registered in that member’s constituency.”

As the recall machination scales through the first hurdle since INEC has acknowledged receipt, the major battle shifts to the polling units where the electorates will make the final decision, that is, after the signatures have been authenticated before the referendum.

Kogi West Senatorial District is dominated by the Yoruba nation and also accommodate the federal constituency that James Faleke represents in the House of Representatives. Governor Bello emerged from the Igbira nation.

Some stakeholders in Kogi State had alleged monetary inducement in the collection of the 188, 580 signatures for the recall of Melaye from the Senate, the stakeholders had contended that the degree of poverty in the state makes it facile for politicians to manipulate the conscience of the people, beguiling them to act contrary to their conscience.

The stakeholders further remarked that Melaye is, generally, popular in the senatorial district he represents and has also offended many political leaders in Kogi State; thus, the hypothesis that the voters might ultimately turn against in the referendum in the next 90 days.

Investigations by National Daily revealed that Melaye may not be standing alone in the climax of conflict. His close affinity with Senate President Bukola Saraki is a crucial factor many stakeholders in Kogi State has put into consideration. The senator is widely postulated as a metaphor of an adjutant of the Senate President, who stood steadfastly with Saraki from the crisis of his emergence as leader of the Senate through his travail at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. At the most intimidating and demeaning stage, Melaye vowed to stand and fall with Saraki.

National Daily gathered that Melaye’s election to the Senate was sponsored by Saraki whose political authority in Kwara/Kogi polar axis is said to be immeasurable. Stakeholders in Kogi express strong belief that the Senate President will not allow Melaye to go down, thus, may deploy his political machine to Kgoi West Senatorial District during the referendum, if it holds.

ALSO SEE: INEC receives signatures on Dino Melaye’s recall

Furthermore, several stakeholders in Kogi are also worried that James Abiodun Faleke, member of the House of Representatives, whose constituency falls within the senatorial district that recall of a senator is being mobilized, has maintained pacific silence.

Faleke was the Deputy Governorship candidate of late Abubakar Audu who died on the govern5roship election day after the two APC candidates have won the election with over 200,000 votes before it was declared inconclusive. Faleke had fought assiduously to inherit the votes and be recognized as the governorship candidate in the supplementary election but some political calculus by party leaders in Kogi and beyond resulted in the emergence of Yahaya Bello. Faleke withdrew from participating in the supplementary governorship election as deputy governorship candidate, making Bello go into that election without a running mate.

The lawmaker took the battle to the court to recover that mandate but was unsuccessful.

There are indications that the political climate remains hazy where Faleke will pitch his tent in a battle fought on his soil.

Sustaining the silence will give advantage to Bello, rising to intervene by rolling out his political machine may save the day for Melaye.

Apparently, the battle may extend beyond the bounds of Melaye which may push Bello into a sinking swamp, though he has the executive powers of the state at his behest and can do many things with them.

Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West Senatorial district had earlier reported Governor Bello to the Senate over clashes in Lokoja, a fortnight ago.

The senator had claimed that he narrowly escaped the governor’s killer squad who invaded the place he was protesting in Lokoja.

Melaye had narrated that he was on a routine visit to his senatorial district, interfacing with his constituents in Kabba and other places. He decried that the visit to Lokoja turned bloody where one of governor’s hit-man was killed while some persons in his group sustained injuries.

ALSO SEE: Saraki under pressure to save Melaye from Okun voters

“Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, you will agree with me that Yahaya Bello’s killer squad who were harbored in government house invaded with shooting for 30 minutes until one of them was killed with wounded persons on my own side,” he said.

Citing sections of Senate rules that empowers the upper Chamber of the National Assembly to declare state of emergency, Melaye contended that here was obvious anarchy in Kogi, thus, advocating the declaration of emergency in Kogi State.

The Senator further said that there was breakdown of law and order, including high insecurity as a result of militarization of the state by the governor.

On the other divide, the 188, 580 recall signatures (noted to constitute 52.3 per cent of voters) were said to be gathered from the seven local governments in Kogi West Senatorial District.

Adamu Yusuf, identified as returning officer who supervised the signing of the recall register, had classified the 188, 588 from the 360,098 total registered voters derived from the seven local government areas as follows: Yagba East – 18, 374 of the 35,331 registered voters, 52 per cent; Mopa-Moro- 9,186 of the 18,356 registered voters, 50.04 per cent; Kabba/Bunu -28,277 of the 60,522 registered voters, 46.7 per cent; Yagba West – 20,029 of the 35, 966 registered voters, 55.7 per cent; Lokoja – 63, 736 of the 116, 296, 54.8 per cent of the registered voters; Koton-Karfe – 24,703 of the 52,770 registered voters and Ijumu – 24, 238 of the 46,819 registered voters, 51.8 per cent.

The figures were acknowledged to have met the constitutional requirements of 51.1 per cent, leading to the declaration by Yusuf: “Senator Melaye has failed to represent Kogi West, so, we are calling him back home.”

The instrumentality of recall has not been popular in Nigeria’s politics, accordingly, expectations are high in the polity on the efficacy of the constitutional mechanism before Governor Bello.