By Ismail M. Kabir
Few days to the kick-off of 2011 general elections, political rallies have become dominant of events across Ebiraland. With teeming candidates contesting various offices from different political parties, walls, stakes and every vacant space in the community are donned with political posters and billboards regardless of the township defacement and environmental effect of the waste as they subsequently wear off.
In sharp contrast to 2007 when a common ambition of producing the state Governor on the platform of Action Congress (AC) reigned supreme in Ebiraland, the people of Kogi central have apparently succumbed to defeat sequel to the overwhelming loss their gubernatorial aspirants witnessed in the hands of their Eastern counterparts during the PDP Governorship primaries held at the Lokoja Township stadium in January, producing the embattled Alh. Isah Jibril Echcho from Dekinah in Kogi East as the party’s governorship flag-bearer.
With all sense of harmony, one is quick to acknowledge the peaceful atmosphere in which the 2011 political season is observed; another contrast to 2007 exercise when felony, chaos and all form of political offenses trailed the elections. Holding political rallies was almost suicidal as the slightest disagreement would trigger deadly gun battle that could last for hours recording lot of casualties. Now, political rallies have rather become carnivals where supporters whirl and dance to near stupor with deafening cheers in acknowledgement of their respective candidates, most of whom have turned professional singers overnight.
As the clock ticks and the ‘carnival’ spreads, one wonders if the best approach to a general election in Ebiraland is without a ‘common’ agenda. This is due to the obvious.
Major candidates are contesting for such offices as Senatorial, House of Reps/Assembly, Council Chairmanship and Ward Councilors from PDP, ANPP, ACN, APGA, CPC, DPP and NTP. Minority parties’ gubernatorial candidates from the Central Senatorial District seem irrelevant since none can find himself in same acceptable spot as was the instance of Senator M.S. Ohiare in 2007; the only Ebira bearer of governorship ticket for 2011, Nuhu Ozovehe Umar of APGA is unnoticed and dwarfed by mounting support for his famous and celebrated Kogi Eastern (PDP) Counterpart, Alh. Jibril Isah Echocho with other National and state Parliamentary candidates from PDP, ACN, ANPP, CPC, APGA and DPP.
It won’t be wrong to conclude that the current overwhelming support enjoyed by PDP fielded candidates in the Central is courtesy the broad recognition of Ebira (minority) race by President Goodluck Jonathan’s led PDP government of Ebiras through key political appointments and federal project allocations to the area.
Even as some aggrieved aspirants have defected to the opposition parties, their absence leave little or no impact compared to an all-out support given to the emergent opposition built on the platform of Action Congress (AC) to protest the humiliation of Ebira PDP members in the last dispensation. That common agenda produced the much touted ‘Ohiare for Governor’ slogan of 2007 which, with its attendant mayhem, left Anebira with nothing but crumbs of the national cake.
As the people of Kogi Central chant a brand new slogan ahead of 2011 general elections, it is apparent that the opposition era is gone and one can only hope that the ‘pro PDP agenda of 2011 may lead us to through the smooth path we missed in the Senators Ohiare/Ohize led ‘Anti PDP’ revolution of 2007, that we may get a bigger slice of the government cake this time until we are mature enough to baking our own.
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| Notable Ebira Candidates for 2011 General Elections |
In sharp contrast to 2007 when a common ambition of producing the state Governor on the platform of Action Congress (AC) reigned supreme in Ebiraland, the people of Kogi central have apparently succumbed to defeat sequel to the overwhelming loss their gubernatorial aspirants witnessed in the hands of their Eastern counterparts during the PDP Governorship primaries held at the Lokoja Township stadium in January, producing the embattled Alh. Isah Jibril Echcho from Dekinah in Kogi East as the party’s governorship flag-bearer.
With all sense of harmony, one is quick to acknowledge the peaceful atmosphere in which the 2011 political season is observed; another contrast to 2007 exercise when felony, chaos and all form of political offenses trailed the elections. Holding political rallies was almost suicidal as the slightest disagreement would trigger deadly gun battle that could last for hours recording lot of casualties. Now, political rallies have rather become carnivals where supporters whirl and dance to near stupor with deafening cheers in acknowledgement of their respective candidates, most of whom have turned professional singers overnight.
As the clock ticks and the ‘carnival’ spreads, one wonders if the best approach to a general election in Ebiraland is without a ‘common’ agenda. This is due to the obvious.
Major candidates are contesting for such offices as Senatorial, House of Reps/Assembly, Council Chairmanship and Ward Councilors from PDP, ANPP, ACN, APGA, CPC, DPP and NTP. Minority parties’ gubernatorial candidates from the Central Senatorial District seem irrelevant since none can find himself in same acceptable spot as was the instance of Senator M.S. Ohiare in 2007; the only Ebira bearer of governorship ticket for 2011, Nuhu Ozovehe Umar of APGA is unnoticed and dwarfed by mounting support for his famous and celebrated Kogi Eastern (PDP) Counterpart, Alh. Jibril Isah Echocho with other National and state Parliamentary candidates from PDP, ACN, ANPP, CPC, APGA and DPP.
It won’t be wrong to conclude that the current overwhelming support enjoyed by PDP fielded candidates in the Central is courtesy the broad recognition of Ebira (minority) race by President Goodluck Jonathan’s led PDP government of Ebiras through key political appointments and federal project allocations to the area.
Even as some aggrieved aspirants have defected to the opposition parties, their absence leave little or no impact compared to an all-out support given to the emergent opposition built on the platform of Action Congress (AC) to protest the humiliation of Ebira PDP members in the last dispensation. That common agenda produced the much touted ‘Ohiare for Governor’ slogan of 2007 which, with its attendant mayhem, left Anebira with nothing but crumbs of the national cake.
As the people of Kogi Central chant a brand new slogan ahead of 2011 general elections, it is apparent that the opposition era is gone and one can only hope that the ‘pro PDP agenda of 2011 may lead us to through the smooth path we missed in the Senators Ohiare/Ohize led ‘Anti PDP’ revolution of 2007, that we may get a bigger slice of the government cake this time until we are mature enough to baking our own.
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