AJAOKUTA 2023 REPS: UNHEALTHY POLITICAL CLIMATE IN OKINOS FAMILY
By: Idris Itopa Isah
Arewa Trust Newspaper, Abuja.
The great race to 2023 House of Representatives election in Ajaokuta Federal Constituency, has already begun. As we speak, all contenders have positioned themselves on their awaiting the final whistle.…..GO! The truth must be told that when it comes to Federal House of Representatives election, it is not a tea party and it require most experienced politicians.
Interestingly, the good people of Ajaokuta Local Government, seem to have kept their faith with one personality, that is, Hon. (Alhaji) Lawal Idirisu, who is seen as a rallying point in realizing their socio-political emancipation in the next political dispensation at the Green Chamber of the National Assembly, Abuja.
Hon. Lawal on the other hand is considered brutish and suitable to be re-elected for a Third Term comes 2023 election, based on his usual stint with his people and his political exemplary leadership, might be an albatross to him in his Third Term bid. As the good people of Ajaokuta Local Government now realize that continuity in office form basis of consolidating the new face and direction in the political space and development. They now resolved to solidly support his continuity bid.
Meanwhile, there is also a political new page in the area, Ajaokuta Local Government that is presently playing itself in the public domain, where two cousin-brothers, Hon. Alloyious Adeiza Okino and Hon. Abdulraheem Sani Egidi, are slugging it out to the throne of House of Representatives contest to represent Ajaokuta Federal Constituency, at the National Assembly, Abuja. At the party primaries successfully conducted in June, 2022, Hon. Alloyious Adeiza Okino was returned unopposed as the flagbearer of the PDP, while Hon. Sani Egidi Abdulraheem, was also returned unopposed and declared winner as flagbearer of the ruling party, APC. It was unarguably believed that candidate of All Progressive Congress, APC for the 2023 House of Representatives election, Hon. Sani Eigi Abdulraheem and that of PDP, Hon. Alloyious Okino are cousin-brothers of the Okinos family; a presumed political war in Okino family over House of Representatives ambition.
Okino’s family, no doubt, is currently embroiled in Reps spat and Ajaokutans are in the middle of it, as the centre may not hold. That is the first signal the Okinos, despite their significance in Ajaokuta politics, isn’t adroit in the game. Yet, no lover of political decency would hoist the likes of Ubas of Anambra as a positive commentary on the nations’ political development as their deviousness in seeking the mandate was also on different political platform, same as Alloyious Okino and Raimi Sani.
There was also a peculiar issue that played itself in Katsina State, Daura precisely, where two half-brothers contested same political elective position, Senate 2019, but in different political platforms, APC and PDP respectively. They played the game maturely without fusion and rancour, and candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, came out victorious at the poll; eventually brought the electoral glory to the family and both the loser and winner collectively celebrated it.
Political observers in Ajaokuta Local Government Area, believe that this political development in the area, that is currently in public discourse, is a game of titan clash and a new page in the annal of the local government politics, and that there are so many ways this scenario can go without rancour and possible hostile exchanges; and that they believe Okino family of the two different political platforms would emulate the political maturity and understanding displayed by the two half-brothers in Daura, Katsina state, who played the game of sportsmanship without bitterness and rancour, during and after the election; that in every contesting game, there must be a winner and losers. They collectively celebrated the winner that brought electoral victory to the family, this healthy scenario is expected of the Okino family before and after the contest.
When talking about the corporate corridor, especially at the corners where very large sums of money often exchange hands, we say that it is a dog-eat-dog. For some reasons, we do not extend the same thought to politics. Maybe we all recognize that politics is a ruthless exchange at its core, and that family interests are almost and always trumped by personal interests cum inordinate ambition tendency.
Dusting their documents and readying their resources, money bags, for the battle, the mediocrities and sycophant’s interest groups in Ajaokuta local government are on the heels of finalizing and preparing to queue behind them to cause more unhealthy political divides in the family and in the area at large, for their personal gain.
Hon. Alloyious Okino, is not a stranger to the politics of Ajaokuta Local Government and Kogi State. He was immediate past Council Chairman of the area and Chairman Kogi state ALGON. In 2015 and 2019, he contested House of Reps election under the platform of the PDP but lost serially to the candidate of APC, Hon. Lawal Idirisu.
Meanwhile, it is interesting also to note that Hon. Sani Egidi Abdulraheem (SEA), has been a political follower of his uncle, Hon. Ado Moses Okino over time. His sudden part with his uncle’s political camp was seen as unhealthy scenario. By every indication, Raimi Sani, not only would be a big threat to his cousin-brother, Hon. Alloyious Okino’s ambition but would affect the solid votes always enjoyed by Hon. Alloyious Okino, in their traditional Wards and Eganyi district in general.
Some political observers in the area was of the opinion that one thing that may affect the success of Hon. Raimi Sani ambition at the poll, may not be unconnected to the alleged involvement in the percentage staff/pension salaries and allowances of the local government of the state.
One thing that may likely favour Hon. Alloyious Okino over his cousin-brother Hon. Raimi Sani at their traditional polling units, Adogo ward, precisely, is the political influence he has established within the Okinos family politics. With this network, it would be easy to convince the elders and the youths in the family for support and for block votes.
If the Okinos can ignore the messengers, there is togetherness message from the Ubas, even if it could be described as bonding in infancy. At least, they should not come into the open, tearing their cloths. They should manage their affairs inside and keep the putrid flow within. But just as the political analysts were trying to decipher the political situation in the family, they believe that Hon. Ado Moses Okino, former member, Federal House of Representatives, who is a respected father in the family before the unhealthy political backsliding and bickety by one of the contestants in the family; should overlook the unexpected humiliation meted on him but should display his usual endowed wisdom and exemplary good leadership, to intervene and ensure that there remain peaceful co-existence and understanding in the family, even before and after the election
Writing this piece on the mode of political activities in the area, Okino family current political new page in particular, obviously is challenging because having come from the area, it is apparent that the joy of my write-up is to be criticized or commended from good readers. Interestingly, I humbly reserved space for such, hence I had no grudges for negativity or otherwise.