Kogi As Theater Of Political Absurdity, By Yusuf Ozi-Usman

Even before the sudden death on November 22, of the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 21 election, Prince Abubakar Audu, Kogi state had been turned into a case study for absurd democratic practice.
The incumbent governor, Captain Idris Wada of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of all people, had raised an alarm that APC was planning to rig the election, as a result of which President Muhammadu Buhari had to invite the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the police chief and other stakeholders to a brief meeting to address the issue.
Indeed, it looked funny and strange to hear a governor of a state raising such alarm, whether false or real. For one thing, being the chief executive officer of the state and incumbent should have sufficed to make him (the governor) feel more comfortable with the election than the opposition.
Despite such overzealous executive hysteria, the election went on with some measures of peace and tranquility, except in Dekina local government and a few other places, incidentally, in Igala land where hoodlums were on duty.
The second absurdity was the declaration of the election as inconclusive by the electoral umpire when facts emerged to show that Prince Audu of the APC defeated Captain Wada by a little over 41,000 votes, whereas the number of votes cancelled or as a result of election not being held was over 49,000.
Just when political and constitutional analysts were about to flip through the pages of the constitution to determine the level of and the consequences of an inconclusive election, one of the major actors, Prince Audu of APC died.
The death of Prince Audu created one big emotional pent-up that snow-balled into a burst across the country, and in particular, across Kogi; a situation that had now led to all manners of absurd suggestions and even threats, mainly from PDP renting the charged air.
One of such suggestions came from the APC leaders from Igala land, the Kogi Eastern Senatorial area, that the 43 year old son of late Prince Audu should be allowed to replace his late father as the APC governorship candidate, and possibly, governor of the State. From out of blue!
Of course, the leadership from the Igala land cannot be faulted, but only pitied, for the simple reason that they are still struggling to come to terms with the reality that their beloved lion of the Niger was dead. And feeling giddy, they allowed emotion to take control as reason took flight.
In fact, their suggestion for Audu’s son to replace him can be located within the circle of love the Igala people had for the late politician, but completely runs out of political reasoning.
It was never known that Prince Muhammad Abubakar Audu ever participated in politics or campaign, or took part in any public function that had to do with APC. The Igala APC leaders might have been thinking out of the box: that political elective office is the same as succession to the traditional ruler’s throne or leadership. Yes, Prince Audu and, his son, emanate from royal system, but governing Kogi state has to manifest from political system, based on the relevant provisions in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the provisions in the electoral laws. There is no provision in the two legal books for the succession to the governorship through birth or even pure emotion.
Another absurdity was the national leadership of PDP, represented by a lone-ranger, Olisa Metuh, asking the INEC to declare Captain Wada of PDP winner of the inconclusive election. Though nothing much to say on this other than that such call ought not to have come from even an illiterate in the remotest part of the country. In fact, Metuh has always been quick to comment on political issues, lambasting, most times, the APC or President Buhari or both, so much that most times, it is arrant ignorance that he churns out to the dismay of even his few admirers.
Metuh needs to go back to political classrooms to learn the elementary side of opposition politicking, and much more, the political/electoral systems that are meant to produce leadership.
Not to be left out in the absurdity is the running mate to late Prince Audu, James Faleke. Just so that it would not appear as if he had been beaten into a corner by unnecessary noisemakers, Faleke wrote to the INEC, asking that he be declared governor-elect in an election that had long been declared inconclusive.
Indeed, the drama that played out where the Attorney-General of the Federation and minister of Justice indirectly asked INEC to call for nomination of replacement for late Prince Audu and the swiftness with which INEC moved to announce December 5 as a date for the conduct of the supplementary election were part of the entertainment side of the absurdity, which many Nigerians either for good or ill contend with, depending on which side of the fence you are sitting.
The fog that rose with the declaration of the election inconclusive and the sudden death of Prince Audu is likely to clear either by judicial pronouncement or the electoral process or otherwise, in the days ahead. Meanwhile, the absurdities are still playing out, either to entertain, insult the sensitivity of the sane ones or simply to display total ignorance.
We are watching.  [myad]