By Mubarak Isiaka
According to a renowned scholar and critical thinker, Frantz Fanon; “every generation out of its relative obscurity discovers its mission, fulfills or betrays it”. In simple terms, Fanon was arguing that at any given epoch in human history, leaders are normally thrown up for specific purposes.
But, it is not often in all circumstances that leaders discover the missions of their generation, or that of fulfilling the missions even when they have been discovered.
The situation, however, appears different in the case of Yahaya Bello, the governor of Kogi State who ascended the saddle of political leadership in December last year through what one might call an act of providence.
Given the way and manner he emerged as the helmsman of the Confluence State and how he has strongly weathered all the challenges that have come his way ever since, it is beyond disputation that Alhaji Yahaya Bello is a child of destiny and a potent instrument in the hands of the Almighty Allah to turn things around in Kogi State.Only last week, the Court of Appeal at two different sittings in Abuja upheld the verdict of the Kogi Governorship election petitions tribunal which had earlier dismissed the petitions filed against him by Hon. James Faleke, a member of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Governorship candidate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu and Capt. Idris Wada, a former Governor of the State who were making separate claims to the governorship seat.
In a unanimous verdict delivered by Justice Jummai Hannatu-Sankey, the Court held that Bello was properly nominated by his party, in compliance with Section 33 of the Electoral Act 2010, following the untimely demise of Prince Audu who was the initial candidate of the APC.
In another judgment, the Court in a majority decision of four Justices to one, held that former Governor Idris Wada lacked the locus standi to complain against the nomination of Bello as the candidate of the APC in the supplementary election of December 2015 on the ground that he was not a member of the APC and did not participate in the APC primaries.
In the case of Faleke, the appellate court ruled that the issues raised were the internal affairs of the party, which were exercised by the party in the substitution. Justice Sankey said the petition was fallacious and ought not to have been entertained in court in the first instance because of the failure of Faleke to join APC as a defendant in the matter, having been the party that carried out the substitution complained against.
With this second string of electoral victories at the Appellate Court, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has decisively crossed the political Rubicon as it were in Kogi State. The landmark judicial ruling represents a ringing endorsement of the mandate given to the All Peoples Congress (APC) and Alhaji Yahaya Bello in the election. All said, it must be noted that the Nigerian Judiciary has again proved critics wrong with the Court of Appeal reaffirmation of Yahaya Bello as the duly elected governor of Kogi State. There had been speculation and fears in some quarters about the ability of the Courts to do justice in this particular matter in which certain powerful leaders of APC are said to exert influence.
These fears have been allayed with the landmark Appeal Court ruling that confirmed Yahaya Bello as not only duly nominated by his party, APC, but also duly elected Executive Governor of Kogi State. Barring any further judicial distractions, the coast is now clear for Governor Yahaya Bello to pursue with fervent fervor and steel resolve his determination to rebuild Kogi State and reposition it for greater development.
And this resolve is in consonance with his declaration to retrieve the state from the grips of greedy and selfish political godfathers who have before the new political dawn in Kogi cornered to themselves and their cronies the available scarce resources of the State.
On his inaugural broadcast to the good people of Kogi State, Governor Bello had stated as follows: “My Administration shall exist for the sole purpose of serving the superseding interests of the people of Kogi State to the very best of its capabilities. We also undertake to never lend our capacities to servicing the avarice of anyone or group–whether from Kogi State or elsewhere”.
Accordingly, Governor Yahaya Bello pledged to fight corruption and do things differently in the State. For him, a zero tolerance for corruption would ultimately free resources for infrastructural and human capital development.
And in his words: “There is no greater evil than Corruption and nothing champions that evil more than Impunity… Corruption and Impunity made sure our people repeatedly arrived at a promised future and found it bereft of substance, or the promised better life. “Let it be recorded today that future generations will not be given reason to count the incoming Administration among those which revelled in Corruption or Impunity. We will be different by the Grace of God. We must and will be that generation of Leaders who made the entirety of Kogi’s resources work for the entirety of Kogi People”. Alhaji Bello has lived through this mantra as anti-corruption has remained the focal point of his administration in the last eight months he has held sway in the State.
It is the fervent hope of all Kogites and lovers of peace in the confluence state that now the appellate court has clearly resolved the needless legal controversies, Governor Bello should be left alone to pursue with boundless energy and optimism his vision and mission to take Kogi State to the next level of development.
It is their belief that taking the matter further to the Supreme Court would not serve any useful purpose, as it would amount to an exercise in futility. All aggrieved parties must therefore join hands with Governor Bello to give Kogi State a new lease of life.
*Isiaka writes from Abuja