Kogi 2023 guber polls: The Charade of the Igala Bassa selection committee

By Meliga Akowe

As the Igala nation continue to grapple with the reality of the times, efforts at ensuring there is unity of purpose by streamlining the ambitions of its sons and daughters in the November 2023 guber polls has hit a crises end.
To achieve the set goals a meeting held earlier on Saturday 29th April, 2023 by the Dr Sule Odoma led Igala Bassa people’s Assembly, set up a selection committee headed by Alh Hassan Enape.
The committee had representative from. the nine Local Government and some stake holders as members.

However, amidst allegations of bribery and corruption, the Sule Odoma/ Hassan Enape selection committee saddled with the assignment on behalf of the Igala Bassa people failed to arrive at a conclusion in the process of selecting a consensus candidate.

It was gathered by the National Update that the venue of the selection process at the Wisdom Home, Ayangba was invaded by hoodlums while the computation of the score was ongoing at the committee meeting on Wednesday 3rd May 2023.

At a scheduled meeting which held same day the committee had drafted a procedure for selection by inviting the various Aspirants of Igala Bassa/ extraction.

The eight Aspirants who adressed the committee included
Alh Abdulraman Abubakar, Alh Muritala Ajaka, Dr Sam Omale
Alh Mubarak Musa, Mr Sunday Onaji, Mr Kingsley Idoko Ilonah
Alh Abdulahi Bayawo and
Dr Julius Elukpor

The process went on smoothly until hoodlums invaded the venue and disrupted the computation of the assessment of the Aspirants by committee members.

Despite the deployment of huge sums of money to induce the leadership and some members of the committee by one of the Aspirants, members were bent on giving the Igala Bassa people a competent Candidate to contest the November 2023 Governorship election.

The process was truncated and the meeting ended abruptly without any decision taken.

Many of the Aspirants have lost confidence in the process and have indicated their unwillingness to subject themselves to committee going forward.