DEAR SOPHISTICATED VOTERS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS OF KOGI WEST, TAKE A BOW!

By Petra Akinti Onyegbule
Kogi West Senatorial District comprises of 7 LGAs:
Lokoja
Kogi/Koton Karfe
Kabba/Bunu
Ijumu (where both Senators Melaye and Adeyemi are from)
Yagba East
Yagba West.
Of these 7 LGAs, the last 5 listed above make up the Okun part. Let me list for you the government officials from the Okun part;
The Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly,
The Secretary to Kogi State Government,
The State Security Adviser,
Commissioners for Finance, Agric and Women & Social Development,
DG Media and Publicity,
SA Political Matters,
SA Youth Empowerment and Student Affairs,
And of course SSAs, so many of them.
Add the administrators of the 5 LGAs one of whom is the ALGON Chairman and LG Secretaries and other administrative members of each LGA.
You see the 5 LGAs? SENATOR DINO MELAYE WON IN ALL OF THEM. ALL 5!!!!
Let us come home to Lokoja LGA. The biggest ward in the LGA is Ward A with 23 polling units. SENATOR DINO MELAYE WON IN ALL 23 POLLING UNITS. And went on to win Lokoja LGA making it a total of 6 LGAs won out of 7. Leaving Kogi/Koton Karfe for Senator Smart Adeyemi.
Let me put this in a clearer context. Sen. Dino Melaye was not available for his campaigns. Let that sink. Just like he was unavailable during his recall. Yet the recall fell like a pack of badly stacked cards. As a matter of fact, that was when I personally told myself there must be something about Dino I have refused to see because I was disgusted by his many dramas and theatrics.
But his people stood by him. And what I find instructive is that all the top government officials in these LGAs allowed the wish of their people to prevail.
They are not afraid of being sacked.
They upheld the wish of their people. Not just for the Senate but even some seats for the House of Reps which went to different parties. I know the Yagba Federal Constituency seat went to the ADC.
In 2015, Senator Dino Melaye of APC beat Senator Smart Adeyemi of PDP with a margin of some 2000 votes. In 2019, Senator Dino Melaye of the PDP beat Senator Smart Adeyemi of the APC with a margin of over 16,000 votes. It is democracy. The rule is number.
This is how to play politics. Election no be war. Democracy is a game of numbers and choice. One won through the art of persuasion through performance and seduction to win new converts, not brute force.
Great People of Kogi West, take a bow. Take a graceful bow for you are the beacon of hope for our democracy in Kogi State.