TheCable

The Kogi state governorship election is a few days away and already the atmosphere is sated with innocuous tension over the impending titanic battle between Abubakar Audu and Idris Wada, incumbent governor of the state, on Saturday.

Although, there are 20 other candidates vying for the governorship seat of the coal-rich state, the real deal is the contest between Audu and Wada.

While Audu, a two-time governor (1992 -1993, and 1999-2003), may boast of his experience and credentials as a former governor, Wada may find it a “mouthful” to woo the Kogi people for votes on tangible achievements.

This is not to suggest that Audu has the candy already, because in spite of his clout and strong political architecture in Kogi state, he was walloped by Wada in the December 2011 governorship election.

In the election, Wada polled 300, 372 votes, winning in 18 out of 21 local government areas, while Audu secured 159, 913 votes, winning in three local government areas in the state.

One thing that counts against Audu is “pride” he supposedly displayed by changing the name of the Kogi State University to Prince Abubakar Audu University, which was later reverted by Ibrahim Idris, another former governor of the state.

However, this election may present the chance for Audu to atone for all his defeats. The reason is simple. The growing dissatisfaction of the Kogi people with the PDP government and the federal might of the APC are the two likely game-changers.

Wada has been criticised for owing staff salaries for months on end, a minus to his political points. Although, the owing of staff salaries is not peculiar to Kogi state, the sheer misadventure of it occurring in Wada’s administration is a downer.

Again, Wada has been flayed for not carrying out a landmark project in Kogi state since 2012, unlike Audu, who established the first polytechnic, the first state university, and attracted investment for the establishment of the Obajana cement plant in the state in his period in office.

Also, the people of Kogi state may not want to be detached from the centre; hence tuning into to the “change” karaoke, a typification of political bandwagoning.

All these portend a favourable outcome for Audu, but Wada may spring up a summer surprise. Let’s not forget he roundly defeated Audu before.

In addition, there is a new thinking in Kogi state. And that is the current challenges encumbering the government of Wada are not created by him. The argument is that the incumbent governor met a pile of mess – the ones created by Audu and Ibrahim Idris – on the ground.

Wada is believed to be doing a good job at cleaning up the mess created by the past administrations. Hence, it is safe to say he is in a relatively comfortable position of being returned as governor of the confluence state.

Here is a dossier on the two candidates.

IDRIS WADA

ABUBAKAR AUDU