THE WISE MEN FROM THE EAST

First, the leading candidate in Kogi State gubernatorial election, Prince Abubakar Audu, died while the electoral process was still ongoing. The electoral umpire had declared the process inconclusive - declaring that supplementary elections would be announced at a later date. Then we were thrown back into the biblical times as prophets, prophetesses, priests and others performed resurrection rituals on the remains of the departed leader a day after he had died.

Initially, it was only the election that was declared inconclusive; and now, wise men from the East told the whole nation that even Audi's death was likewise inconclusive. So they declared him resurrected even while grave diggers were still digging the six feet. After the priests had exhausted all their spiritual energies and failed to give us another Lazarus, the remains of Late Prince Audu was buried amidst crying, wailing and sounds of dirge. So even the resurrection was in itself inconclusive! The world seemed to move on as APC NWC met to fill the gap created by the departed hero in accordance with the relevant Laws. Then, as if our refusal to relapse into biblical times had met with a resistance, the national headquarters of the ruling APC received a visitation of wise men from the East proposing to give them their divinely endowed wisdom.

They demanded that APC "replace Audu with his son." In other word's, let the young man inherit his father. It's only normal - as Africans, especially in our male-dominated society that the eldest son inherits his father. So they were right to have asked for the right of passage to allow Muhammed Audi to succeed his father. What is wrong in that? Nothing! Only that he was asking for the wrong inheritance.

Could it have been possible for the son of the Senator from the East to have succeeded his father in the same circumstances? The answer is categorical "NO!", because if the Senator was from, say Dekina, interested persons from Ankpa, Idah, Ofu, Olamaboro and Anyigba would have asked if it was the birth right of the Dekina people. The question is: if the post of Kogi State Governor had been zoned legally to the East, would other Igala politicians have handed the throne to Audu's son just because his father had died before he was declared winner? Why was the late Attah of Igala, Aliyu Obaje, not succeeded by his son if it was part of their culture?

These wise men from the East either forgot that Nigeria was not some jungle entity without laws, or they were in a hurry to remember that Kogi State had two other sons who both had stakes in the management of the State. Greed and desperation for power can manifest in any form - including invading the sanctity of the dead to turn back the clock. How did we get to this point of wanting power at all cost?

Because of the ease with which the Igalas became governors using divide and rule tactics against Kogites of Kwara extraction, the Igalas never prepared themselves for the day when An Ebira or Okun man would occupy the Lugard House. And just when the "born to rule" were about to wake up to the reality of vacating their self-allocated throne, they resorted to the impossible and the unthinkable.

To the wise men from the East, it doesn't matter what you do with power. The Igala elite sees power as an end in itself - not as a means to develop the State. It doesn't even matter if the East is still a dusty countryside dotted with mud houses.

Back to the young orphan who wanted to succeed his father: I think he can still inherit his father by simply adopting the title 'Prince' which his late father had so much coveted.

Long live Kogi State!
Long live Nigeria!!