Like Yahaya Bello, like AbdulRahman AbdulRazak by Onilemarun Abdulkareem
The recent developments in Kogi State, particularly the impasse between Governor Yahaya Bello and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), shed light on a troubling trend in Nigerian politics – the misuse of power to shield oneself from accountability. As the saga unfolds, with Governor Bello now a fugitive from justice, there are striking parallels with the situation unfolding in Kwara State under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazak.
When in 2023, Ex-Governor Bello brazenly imposed his successor, Alhaji Usman Ododo, only a few people would have thought that Bello would become a fugitive so quickly. Ododo’s impossition was a maneuver borne out of the desperation to consolidate power and shield Bello from the prying eyes of accountability. Yet, despite Ododo’s valiant attempts to shield his godfather from the probing gaze of the EFCC, the agency’s dogged pursuit of justice has resulted in Governor Bello’s ignominious designation as a wanted man.
This Kogi episode serves as a red flag for my people in Kwara; the governor, and the governed alike. First, the belief that installing a compliant figurehead guarantees immunity from prosecution post-office is a dangerous misconception that has now been successfully shattered by the EFCC. So, any hope that a pawny successor is an automatic immunity from criminal prosecution is now merely a mirage.
Secondly, it is all but obvious that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazak is bent on playing the Yahaya Bello playbook by foisting his lackey and godson on the people of the state. Consequently, Kwara may inadvertently be repeating the same mistakes made in Kogi.
The average Kogi indigene should naturally be very shameful of the ignoble attempts yesterday by their governor to impede the EFCC’s investigative mandate. It’s a clear case of impunity, and I am sure sooner or later, even Governor Ododo himself would answer for his actions.
The culture of impunity, godfatherism, and the normalization of the abnormal should never be allowed to take steam in Kwara as it seemingly has been in Kogi state. This is why we have to be eternally vigilant in Kwara state. As custodians of our collective destiny, it behooves the citizens of Kwara State to remain steadfast against the hydraheaded evil of godfatherism.
The parallels between the saga unfolding in Kogi and the potentiality of it in Kwara serve as a clarion call to action not just by the elite but the critical mass of the populace. Let us heed this call, lest we succumb to the same fate of impunity and malfeasance that has befallen our next neighbour in Kogi.
~ AbdulQuadri Onilemarun AbdulKareem