As
I write now, I am not too sure that I will be able to readily remember the full
name of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate – the major
opposition contestant in the November 16, 2019 gubernatorial election in Kogi
State. So, it should not be surprising that I probably wouldn’t have heard
about Natasha Hadiza Akpoti, the intelligent and courageous young lady who flew
the governorship flag of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in that election if
some fellows in the state’s murky political scene did not choose to attract
undue attention to the state by stretching their desperation and crude politics
to unimaginable extremes in their determination to run Natasha out of the governorship
contest.
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| *Natasha Akpoti |
Indeed,
my interest in what happens in Kogi had been so badly depleted by the
unedifying record of Gov Yahaya Bello whose most significant achievement in
office appears to be his successful de-marketing of the very outstanding
campaign undertaken by some young Nigerians to push for the greater
participation of the younger generation in the leadership of this country. It
is so demoralising that when anyone tries these days to applaud and strengthen
the case of this laudable advocacy (whose delicious fruit was the signing into
law of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill by President
Muhammadu Buhari on May 31, 2018), the predictable retort usually fired back at
one is: what of Yahaya Bello, is he not a young man? What is the guarantee that
other young people would not only replicate his dismal record if they assumed
leadership positions? It is as bad as that.
