Ihima APC Concerned Group: An open letter to Governor Yahaya Bello »

Dear Sir,

A PASSIONATE APPEAL ON THE JUSTIFICATION FOR IHIMA DISTRICT TO PRODUCE THE NEXT HEADSHIP/CHAIRMAN OF OKEHI LGA

We shall begin this write up by congratulating our dear Governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello on his overwhelming victory in the last Governorship election. The victory was a reflection of the solid performance you rendered to the good people of Kogi State in the last four years of your first tenure.

We pray for Allah’s continued guidance and protection on you and your cabinet as you set forth for another four years of outstanding performance and delivery of dividends of democracy to the people of Kogi State.

Your Excellency Sir, permit us to make this passionate appeal to you on the appropriateness and justification on why Ihima district of Okehi LGA should produce the next Chairman of the Local Government in the forthcoming LG election.

As you are already aware Sir, Okehi LGA consists of two districts, namely Ihima District and Eika District. Ihima District has Seven (7) Wards namely, Obeiba I, Obeiba II, Ikuehi, Ohueta, Oboroke – Eba, Oboroke – Uvete I and Oboroke-Uvete II. Eika District consists of four (4) Wards, namely Eika Ohizenyi, Obangede-Uhuodo, Okaito-Usungwen and Uboro-Omavi-Ohuepe. From the last Voters Registration Exercise carried out by the INEC, Ihima District has a registered voters of 48, 459 and PVC collection of 45,000 plus while Eika district recorded a registration of 33,721 and PVC Collection of 30, 000 plus.

It is instructive to note that in spite of the numerical strength of Ihima district viz-a-viz Eika district, our past political leaders, in their wisdom, thought it fit, expedient, rational and mutually benefiting to have an unwritten agreement that the two domestic political positions of the Headship of the LGA and Okehi State Constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly be rotated between the two districts in every Election Season. This rotation is without prejudice to the Headship of the LGA, whatever name called, be it Chairman, Sole Administrator, Chief Administrator, Liaison Officer, Caretaker Chairman or Executive Chairman. These names or titles are regarded as mere Nomenclature.

Sir, permit us Your Excellency to recall that this mutual agreement was perfected in such a way that in every Election year or political dispensation, each district always has ONE of the positions. It is mutually resolved and agreed that the two positions shall not be intentionally voted in one district.

This mutual understanding and zoning have served to engender peace, cooperation, inclusiveness, sense of belonging and mutual respect for a long time in the LGA. No wonder, it is on record that the two districts have never engaged themselves in violent political struggle during elections for close to 30 years since the creation of the Local Government.

Your Excellency Sir, permit us to show you graphically in the table below, how this mutual understanding and cooperation has sustained for over two decades without any violation in the choice of the two positions for SIX ELECTION SEASONS.

GRAPHIC DETAILS OF ALTERNATION OF CHAIRMANSHIP AND ASSEMBLY POSITIONS BETWEEN IHIMA AND EIKA DISTRICTS

A brief explanation of the table above will suffice here sir.

When Okehi LGA was created in the early 90s, the political arrangement in Nigeria was still very fluid with no established/sustainable political system. The then military leaders experimented with Zero Party, Two-Party arrangement of SDP and NRC etc, without much success until when the 4th Republic commenced in 1999, with the existing Nigeria Constitution, as amended.

The major political development of that unstable period in Okehi LGA was the election of Hon. Ishaq Jamiu (Eika) as chairman of the LGA after our separation from Adavi District. This was during the first regime of Late Prince Abubakar Audu. The June 12 election of 1993 and the subsequent annulment put paid to the 2-party system experiment. Thereafter, Chief M.J. Ozovehe (Ihima) emerged as the Chairman of the LGA under the defunct DPN. In the then Kogi State House of Assembly, Ihima and Eika Districts each had a slot which were occupied by Mr. Dauda Ahuraka Momoh (Ihima) and Hon. Ibrahim Okaraga (Eika) respectively before the two constituencies were abolished in 1998 and a single slot was created for Okehi in the present 25-Member Kogi State House of Assembly structure.

Perhaps, this informed why the then Okehi political leaders thought it wise that the Eika district should take the next chairmanship slot in 1999 through the election of Amb. Alh. MK Ibrahim from Okaito Ward in furtherance of the mutual arrangement that the two positions shall not be located in one district. Chief JMJ Bello from Ihima was voted into the Kogi State House of Assembly to represent the LGA from 1999-2003.

This mutual arrangement between the two districts had sustained since then (1999) to date without any deliberate violation in SIX ELECTION PERIOD/SEASONS as clearly depicted in Table 1.

Perhaps, the major factor that could have affected/disrupted the mutual arrangement was the time variation in the tenure of the two positions. The Chairmanship position is for a 3-years term, while the Assembly position is for 4years. This apparent problem was accentuated through the creation of Caretakership position that usually lasts for between 6-12 months for the Headship of the LGA.

THE PRESENT SCENARIO

Hon. Abdulrahim Ohiare assumed the Headship of Okehi LGA in May 2016 as Sole/Chief Administrator after the tenure of Hon. Hassan Yusuf from Ihima District. He would have occupied the position for four (4) solid years in less than 3months from now. He is from Eika District and rightly so since the tenure of Hon. Hassan Yusuf (Ihima) as the LGA Chairman ended in early 2016, despite some interventions from the Judiciary. The choice of Abdulraheem Ohiare (Eika) was in recognition of the existing rotation arrangement between the two districts.

It is note worthy to mention that the court nullified the election of Hon. Hassan Yusuf sometime into his tenure and that the Judicial intervention resulted in Hon. Isa Iliyasu (Eika) assuming Headship of the LGA for one or two months and Hon. Abdulraheem Danga (Ihima) taking charge as Caretaker for some three months. But all these were within the limit of Hassan Yusuf’s tenure of 3 years and no major alteration in the mutual agreement was observed.

Alh. Abdulmalik Idu acted in similar circumstance for about 9months in 2007/2018 before the assumption or the Headship of the LG by Hon. Abubakar Adagu Suberu (Eika) in January 2008.

As at the time that Hon. Abdulrahim Ohiare (Eika) assumed Headship of the LG in May 2016, Hon. Abdulkareem Kekere Sani (Ihima) was elected to the House of Assembly to maintain the political balance and equilibrium between the two districts, meaning that Hon. Ohiare reigned parri pazzu with Hon. Kekere Sni who ended his tenure in May 2019.

As a result of the mutual agreement between the two districts, Hon. Muktar Bajeh (Eika) was elected to replace Hon. Abdulkareem Kekere Sani in May 2019, meaning that the Chairmanship position should revert to Ihima District in the spirit of the mutual agreement so that the two positions ARE NOT domiciled in one district in an election year/political dispensation. This has never happened for over 30years since the creation of Okehi LGA. This is an indication that Eika District would be seeking to occupy the Headship of the LGA for 7 years at a stretch!

Your Excellency Sir, it may be argued that the mutual agreement is not written anywhere but everyone in Okehi understands it. The general political consensus between Ihima &Eika is that the Chairmanship should rotate every four years as well as the State House of Assembly Position.

Over the years, the true leaders of Eika and people of good conscience know and have honoured this agreement and have never willfully violated the unwritten political agreement. We respect and trust that His Excellency, Alh. Yahaya Bello, a beacon of peace, unity and inclusiveness will be the last person to lead in violating such existing agreements. After four years of Hon. Abdulraheem Ohiare’s tenure, it is only right & reasonable that someone from Ihima axis should ascend the Headship of Okehi LGA as the Chief Security Officer of the LGA to sustain the mutual agreement between the two districts.

Eika district has no justification to remain in power after spending four (4) years on the Headship of Okehi LGA. The Chairmanship position should rightly revert to Ihima district in the interest of Justice, equity and fair play. Putting the two positions in one district for four years will amount to a clear violation of the mutual political agreement between the two districts. This may breed rancor, acrimony, controversy and bad blood now and in future elections.

There is nobody whose political ambition and desire is more than that of the community he represents. We should all work to avoid anything that will damage the good relationship between Ihma & Eika which has sustained for over 50 years.

Locating the two positions in one district will amount to a declaration that there is no more zoning arrangement between Ihima & Eika and we believe strongly that His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello will neither be a party to, nor promote such controversial absurdity.

His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello is well known for his avowed stand on issues of equity, justice and fair play. These are the solid pillars on which his New Direction Movement rests and will be gladly remembered.

Your Excellency Sir, we wish to bring to your candid notice that the mutual respect an agreement between Ihima & Eika districts transcends the two positions of Chairmanship and House of Assembly. Important positions that mutually revolve between Ihima & Eika districts include the following:
LGA party Chairman & Excos
NULGE Chairman & Excos
DLG & Treasurer
NURTW & RTEAN
Education Secretary (ES)
Permanent Secretaries etc
Chairman of NUT
SIEC Membership
And many others positions

CONCLUSION

We appeal to your Excellency to carry out an in-depth investigation into the political relationship between the Ihima & Eika districts so that actions and decisions of this time do not constitute a time bomb that could trigger crisis between the two districts in future. Please Sir, we will appreciate an opportunity to have an audience with you to throw more light on the content of this letter.

Thank you Sir.
Yours sincerely,
On behalf of Ihima APC Concerned Group

Hon. Usman Oricha Zubair …………………… 07086006414
Hon. Dele Ononivami Moh’d ………………….. 08077257634
Hon. Abdulrazaq Badanga …………………….. 08184402880

CC:
The APC State Chairman Lokoja
The Distinguished Senator Oseni Yakubu
Hon. Joseph Asuku Bello
The Chief of Staff to the Governor
The Chief Whip, Kogi State House of Assembly
The Honourable Commissioner for Local Govt and Chieftaincy Affairs
The P.A to the Governor on Domestic Affairs
The APC Local Govt Party Chairman, Okehi