The battle of supremacy between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Kogi State, and the state’s chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), from all indication, cannot end now. This is even after the conduct of the governorship election, held on December 3,2011. At any available opportunity, the two leading parties in the state never failed to show off or display their might.
The stage is set for the final phase of the election, as the ACN, which fielded Prince Abubakar Audu in the poll, challenged the outcome of the governorship poll. So at any given space, both the PDP and the ACN never failed to prove that they are on ground.
Not even the vineyard of the Lord could be spared by the two.
Friday, December 30, 2011, will go down in history, as a memorable day for the people of Mopa, in Mopa/Muro local government area of Kogi State. That was the day the late Ojomu of Mopa and erstwhile National Planning Minister, Chief Silas Bandele Daniyan who died in the first week of October 2011, was committed to mother earth. Nigerians, in virtually all walks of life, came in thousands to pay their last respect to the departed politician. It wasn’t therefore surprising, that the First Baptist Church, Ileteju-Mopa, where the funeral service was held, was filled to capacity.
The executive governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, who came with the governor-elect, Captain Idris Wada set the ball rolling, after extolling the virtues of the late elder statesman. He presented the church with a cash donation of N1 million. Expectedly, the church came alive, with the entire congregation applauding the action of Governor Idris.
But the situation changed immediately, when the host minister, Rev. Olu Oyeniyi announced that the chief strategist to Prince Abubakar Audu, Otunba Dino Melaye has sent him a note, indicating that the former governor has donated N2 million to the church.
Evidently, sensing that the occasion was dominated by who is who in the ruling party, Hon. Melaye decided to take his seat at the reception ground, which is just a stone throw from the church. And the announcement by the host minister caused uproar in the church, sending the chieftains of the ruling PDP back to the drawing board. They started putting heads together to withstand the onslaught of the opposition.
Senator Smart Adeyemi, who represented the western axis of the state, led the operation to rescue PDP, in collaboration with Hon. Ayo Yusuf Tajudeen, the member representing Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency and Hon. Sunday Karimi, the member representing Yagba federal constituency. Senator Adeyemi signaled Hon. Eric Fiki, the special adviser to governor Idris on political matters, to tell him how to salvage the situation.
Hon. Fiki wasted no time in delivering a message to the host minister, for the church.
Rev. Oyeniyi subsequently announced a donation of N2 million, from Senator Adeyemi, in support of the earlier N1 million donation of governor Idris. The message came as a big relief to the teeming supporters and loyalists of the ruling party. A staunch member of PDP proudly boasted, that they can never be intimidated by anybody, saying the ruling PDP has no rival in Kogi State.
But the stalwarts of PDP were not done with yet. After waiting for few minutes without hearing any announced donation from an ‘unusual quarters’, Hon. Karimi, who was elected under the platform of ACN, but defected to PDP recently, also supported the governor with N500,000. Hon. Tajudeen followed suite, with a donation of N500,000.
The governor-elected donated N100,000. The secretary to the state government, Alhaji Musa Ahmadu and the speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Abdullahi Bello also supported the governor with N100,000 each.
No doubt, Chief Silas Daniyan, whom the general secretary of Baptist Convention, Rev.
Supo Ayokunle, who delivered sermon at the occasion, described as a good man, due to his service to God and humanity has scored another goal, even in death. Those who paid tribute to him, during the occasion, said he contributed in no small measure to the development of the church and mankind. And the teeming members of the church, cannot but be happy that even in death, the late philanthropist and industrialist has enabled the church to realise about N7 million under 20 minutes.
The question on the lips of those following political events in the state is-where will the battle between the two dominant parties shift to next time?