Voters in Kogi state, central Nigeria, are poised to make a repeat decision at the polls, as Governor Idris Wada booked his ticket to slug it out with Prince Abubakar Audu in the governorship election scheduled for November 21 in the state.
While Abubakar Audu clinched his ticket in the All Progressives Congress primary two weeks ago, Wada, the incumbent won the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Monday night.
He defeated his main challenger, Alhaji Jibrin Isa Echocho, who conceded victory immediately it was clear he had lost the primary which held at the Lokoja Township Stadium. Wada won 709 votes to the 130 recorded for Echocho.
In the 2011 election held in December, Wada reportedly polled 300,372 votes, in contrast to Audu’s 159, 913 votes, according to the contentious result announced by Professor Shamisudeen Amali, the returning officer.
The result was rejected by Audu as a mere fabrication and went to court in vain to upturn it.
Mr Dino Melaye, the Chief Campaign Strategist to Prince Abubakar Audu, the party’s candidate in the election, alleged that the PDP had resorted to scientific rigging.
“The results released by INEC are fallacious, malicious, fabricated, totally untrue and do not represent the wishes and aspirations of voters as expressed. There is no way our party can accept it,’’ he said.
At that time, Wada’s party, the PDP was fully in control of the levers of power and was believed to have rigged the election.
Now the equation has changed. Audu’s party is now in charge of Nigeria’s affairs. Besides, Audu is credited with a lot of infrastructural landmarks in the state and feelers said the people want him to return to manage their affairs.
This perception makes some stakeholders believe that Wada is set for an uphill task in November, against the APC candidate.
However, some of his supporters hope he can make it: “Wada can win in November. I will work with him to ensure victory for the party. I remain in the PDP,” said Echocho, the man Wada defeated at Monday’s primary.
The governorship election in Kogi is scheduled for Saturday, November 21.
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