The sack last Tuesday of the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Bello is turning the political crisis in the state on its head. Bello, is refusing to go away easily preferring to fight a dogged battle against what he and some of his supporters allege to be an injustice.
At the heart of their misgiving is the allegation that only 12 out of the 25 members of the House endorsed the impeachment. They claim that five of the 17 signatures on the impeachment notice were forged.
Remarkably, many commentators are putting the former speaker’s problems at the door of the executive arm of government. It is not surprising given the animosity that has trailed relationship between Bello as speaker and Governor Idris Wada.
Idri: Former Kogi governor and Sacked Kogi Speaker
More incisive commentators, however, put Bello’s problems at the doorstep of the immediate past governor of the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris on one hand and with his kinsmen in Okene on the other hand.
Bello benefited from alleged political manipulation of the system by Idris to achieve his dream of becoming speaker as the position had been zoned to Kogi West and not Kogi Central where he hails from.
With Idris from east, his deputy Philip Salawu from Central political reasoning was that the third ranking position in the state should go to the West.
But three days to the June 6, 2012 inauguration of the present House last year, the House dramatically amended its rules to provide that the position of speaker and other principals officers would be according to seniority. Then it was unbeknown to the western flank that Idris was up to a game.
The general calculation at that time was hinged on the fact that the gubernatorial primary conducted in January favoured Alhaji Isa Jibril Echocho, who is Igala from the eastern flank, who had chosen Chief Clarence Olafemi(then the Speaker of the House) an Okun man from the Western flank as his Deputy. It was then believed that having a speaker from the central was the right thing to do.
Vanguard gathered that a day to the inauguration of the new House the former governor called all the elected legislators to his residence where he fixed positions for the principal offices.
Only two legislators, Nathaniel Taiwo of Kabba/Bunu constituency and Saliu Akawu of Kogi/Koto constituency, voiced opposition tothe move as others kept mute throughout the meeting.
However, once the Court of Appeal extended the tenure of Idris alongside four other incumbent governors, the chemistry between Bello and Idris began to break.
At the heart of the issue was Idris’ decision to replace Jibrin Isah, popularly known as Echocho with Wada as his successor. Bello on his part was already committed to Isah and refused to go along with his one time political mentor on the issue.
Vanguard gathered that when the National Working Committee of the party called them to Abuja to settle their differences, it was Bello who stood as chief antagonist challenging every move to have another primary until he was shot down by the acting chairman, Baraje.
Throughout the crisis that rocked Wada’s campaign and eventual victory, Bello failed to show up in any of the campaign rallies. Rather, he was alleged to have instigated a number of House members to follow him in scorning Wada.
Since then, the once rosy relationship turned to enmity between the former governor and Speaker Bello. After the December 3 election that produced Wada as the winner, , Bello failed to congratulate Wada over the victory.
From September when the new primary was conducted to January 28 when Wada was sworn in, there was a complete breakdown of communication between Bello and Idris and all efforts to reconcile them also failed.
Also Bello had his problems at home. Immediately, Bello became Speaker, he turned against the former deputy governor, Philip Salawu as the duo engaged in a supremacy battle for the political leadership of the Central Senatorial district.
When on January 28 the Supreme Court brought an abrupt end to the Idris regime the power play came fully into the open.
Bello’s move to be inaugurated as the acting governor was fully resisted by Idris, who was fully determined that Wada would succeed him.
Wada was eventually sworn in by the president of the customary court of appeal after the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Nasir Ajanah demurred. Remarkably, the Chief Judge later that evening swore Bello in as acting governor leading to the situation where two persons were calling the shots in government.
The situation lasted for two days with Wada and Bello countermanding each other on issues of state until Vice-President Namadi Sambo intervened with an order that Bello’s security details be withdrawn forcing a return to the status quo.
From then on, the enmity was extended to Wada, though both men made a show of cordiality in the public.
What finally brought a showdown between the legislator and the state executive was in June when the governor decided to appoint liaison officers for the 21 local government areas.
Bello it is alleged, expressed opposition to the appointment of Yahaya Karaku as the officer for Okene, his local government area. At the heart of the opposition is the fact that Karaku is a strong ally of Idris and could be a potential rival in the 2015 Senate race.
Bello had also long been at war with the former deputy governor of the state, Philip Salawu on account of past collaboration between him, Bello and Idris, who Salawu served as deputy.
Salawu was aggrieved that Idris with Bello in tow had initially favoured Echocho in the January 2011 primaries.
Following that, Idris as governor had also allegedly empowered Bello in the battle with his then deputy governor by giving the former speaker political leverage in such matters as appointments from Kogi Central.
Another internal problem Bello has faced is the alleged distance between him and many House members, who the then speaker is accused of looking down on.
The bulk of the Progressive Integrity Group, which launched the impeachment are believed to come from the group.
Some pundits are, however, calling on the Speaker to challenge the decision in the court of law, which is the only legitimate place to get his position back; a development the first school of thought also punched a hole at.
To them, the allegation of signature forgery is a criminal case that is difficult to prove. And they believe that before the case will be concluded, the crisis would have been given a political solution
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