How Tunde Olusunle Emerged Kogi West PDP Consensus Senatorial Aspirant The meeting that led to his emergence was the Yagba/Lokoja/Kotonkarfe coalition co-chaired by Chief Samuel Akande and Senator Tunde Ogbeha. The Yagba/Lokoja/Kotonkarefe Coalition is an arm of the, Kogi West PDP Stakeholders Forum, initiated by Deputy Governor Yomi Awoniyi and co-chaired by Akande, Ogbeha and General David Jemibewon. Lokoja/Kotonkarfe axis having conceded the 2015 senate to Yagba and asked all aspirants from Lokoja axis to withdraw, the five aspirants fromYagba were made to chose amongst themselves and Tunde Olunsunle had three votes from amongst the five aspirants. Olusunle who remained speechless and broke into tears, said I was the least and never expected to be considered but this has overwhelmed me. BACKGROUND Kogi West 2015: Yagba, Lokoja Stakeholders Unite Against Third Term *Ex-SSG, Ahmadu Drops Ambition A coalition of politicians in Kogi West Senatorial District, emerging from successive meetings in Mopa and Lokoja, the state capital on Sunday and Monday respectively, has faulted the third term ambition of the incumbent Senator Smart Adeyemi describing the decision of the two-time senator to obtain nomination form as a violation of the existing zoning principle in the zone. Calling on Adeyemi and his supporters to forget the third term project, the leaders from Lokoja/Kotonkarfe and Yagba Federal Constituencies vowed to ensure the sustenance of the rotation arrangement in place since 1999. The zoning principle, the leaders argued favoured Yagba axis to produce the next senator for the zone. Adeyemi, who hails from Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency and on his second term running having been elected twice in 2007 and 2011, last Wednesday picked the nomination form for the Kogi West senatorial primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) slated for November. Alluding to Adeyemis ambition as an affront on the sensibilities of Kogi West people, which must be curtailed,, the Yagba/Lokoja/Kotonkarfe coalition co-Chaired by former Military Administrator of old Bendel and Akwa Ibom States, Senator Tunde Ogbeha and third republic deputy governor of the state, Chief Sam Ola Akande resolved to leave no stone unturned in its determination to use the 2015 senate race to further strengthen the mutual understanding and cooperation between the Okun-Yoruba and the people of Lokoja/Kotonkarfe fostered by the progenitors of the zone, dating back to the inception of the state. Speaking at the meeting in Lokoja, held at his Rekiya Abu Centre,Ogbeha who represented Kogi West in the senate from 1999 to 2007, said the position of his people in Lokoja/Kotonkarfe has been very clear with regard to 2015 senatorial election in the zone. He recalled that having served as senator for two terms of eight years using the quota of Lokoja/Kotonkarfe axis, he voluntarily opted out of the race for the 2007 polls to allow for rotation of the zonal senatorial seat to other axis. Following his exit, he posited that his successor and the consequent beneficiary of the rotation arrangement in 2007, Smart Adeyemi, must accept his current tenure expiring next year June as his second and last term as senator. He declared that the basis of the coalition was to see that the next senator emerges from Yagba Federal Constituency in the spirit of fairness, justice and equity As a mark of the sincerity on the part of Lokoja axis towards the project, he broke the news of the withdrawal by two aspirants from Lokoja and Kotonkarfe from the 2015 senate race. The former aspirants, former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Musa Ahmadu and the Galadima of Lokoja, Chief James Katugwa, were present at the meeting. Ogbeha while admonishing Yagba people to see the withdrawal of Ahmadu and Katugwa as a mark of sacrifice on the part of Lokoja and Kotonkarfe people, assured Yagba people of all necessary support needed from his axis in their quest for taking their place in the rotational order. Yagba people have our total support. Now the ball is in your court; you either choose to win what rightly belongs to you or lose it, he said, adding We must not make the mistake of conceding to a third term to the incumbent because third time eventually will lead to fourth term and fifth term which means bye-bye to any chance for Yagba and for those of us in Lokoja/Kotonkarfe as well in the future. Nothing that eight years were enough for any senator to prove his mettle, Ogbeha said said during Smart Adeyemis eight years, the incumbent did little to justify the two term mandates entrusted to him. He pummelled claims that sought to equate Adeyemis third term ambition to the senate president David Mark who is on his fourth term in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, pointing out that what obtained in Benue State does not apply to the situation in Kogi State because of the latters peculiarities. Admitting that although the constitution allows for multiple terms for legislators, Ogbeha contented that if at all conditions warrant more terms for any senator, such should emanate from the electorate and must be based on performance, negotiations and consensus and not for somebody telling us he wants another term because he has the blessings of the presidency to continue. The question is will the presidency come and cast the votes for him in Kogi West? Appreciative speakers from Yagba, including Akande and a former SSG in the state, Chief Shola Ojo commended the spirit and faith of their counterparts, with a promise not to let them down and also to return the gesture next time. The meeting called on the five aspirants from Yagba axis to meet with a view to trimming the number to one ahead of the PDP primaries so as to increase the chances of Yagba axis in the election. The aspirants who were present at the meeting include: former Assistant director, department of military intelligence, Major general Adewumi Ajibade, former Director, State security services, Toyin Akanle, former House of Representatives member and Commissioner for Local government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief TJ Faniyi and Special adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Tunde Olusunle. Also present were commissioners, State House of Assembly members and political appointees from the two federal constituencies.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 08:51:04 +0000
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