Ahead of the Kogi State gubernatorial election, the Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Professor Salisu Usman Ogbo, has said individuals and groups clamouring for the Igala agenda in the state are doing so for their selfish interests.
Some politicians and other stakeholders in the eastern part of the state (Igala) have insisted that it is their turn to govern after Governor Yahaya Bello’s eight years in office.
In the light of this, majority of them have endorsed Alhaji Murtala Ajaka, the gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as the consensus candidate for the Igala agenda.
But Ogbo in an interaction with journalists on the sidelines of the adoption of Ahmed Usman Ododo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate by the Angwa Ogebe community in Ankpa local government area of Kogi State over the weekend, said any group or individual advocating for the Igala agenda is pursuing a personal agenda.
He said, “I don’t want to get involved in the issue to avoid being misunderstood.” However, he disclosed that there is no written agreement on power rotation, and those clamouring for the Igala agenda are using it as a cover for their selfish interests.
“If you think that you’re in agreement, you may wish to tender a copy of the agreement. People are saying we agreed that once it is done at this level, it goes to the other area. After that area, it goes to the other area. But when you go on your own personal and selfish agenda to negotiate on behalf of people, trying to impose it on behalf of the people, I think you won’t be fair to yourself, and you are not fair to the people.
“If you know you’re pursuing your personal interest, do not set a community on fire all in the name of the Igala agenda; it is very dangerous.
“Setting tribal or religious agendas is like setting a harmattan fire; you know where you set it, but you don’t know where it would go.
“The same people who said Yahaya is good in 2015 are the same people who say he is not good today. But Yahaya Bello contested against an Igala at that time, and some of us did support Yahaya at that time,” he said.
On his community’s support for the APC candidate, the rector said any other candidate who had visited the area was met with a “fake” crowd which should not be relied upon.
“My Angwa community was not part of the group that welcomed Muri recently in Ankpa,” he said.
He also generously donated a brand-new motorcycle to one of his dedicated supporters, distributed bags of rice to the community, and officially commissioned several campaign offices established to support Ododo’s bid.
