This analysis focuses on the elective public office holders that have disappointed in delivering dividends of democracy even as young people of not up to fifty years of age in Nigeria. It seems that the advocacy for ceding of political leadership to the young people of Nigeria is fast becoming noise as majority of such people have failed to deliver or outperform their aging folks who had in the past clinged to power, but delivering minimally from the abundant resources available for them to perform wonders.
1. Yahaya Bello: This Ebira-born political figure became governor of Kogi state at the age of 39 arising from the death of the winner of the governorship election, Abubakar Audu. Yahaya Bello who came second at the primary election in the APC assumed that office since the Constitution of Nigeria supports it that way. There was high hope on his emergence as he became the second youngest governor in Nigeria after Senator Orji Uzo Kalu who became governor of Abia State in the year 1999 at the age of 36. Bello in summary disappointed not only the people of Kogi, but the entire youth population of Nigeria as his abysmal performance was too obvious to be hidden from spotlight. He’s currently facing a corruption charge of N105 billion of public fund he allegedly stole when he was governor nine years ago. The federal high court in Abuja two days ago remanded him in the custody of the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pending the next date of appearance in court to entertain his bail application. Bello upon completion of his eight years tenure brought in his younger brother as governor, Alhaji Ododo who’s from Bello’s family in Okene, Ebira clan of Kogi state. This development sparked wide range of protest at the poll, but he had his way even at the election petition tribunal.
2. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi: Gburugburu as he was fondly called which means ubiquity was a House of Representatives member for a period of twelve years and heading the House’s committee on maritime. That was after he had held some other positions during the reign of Sen. Chimaroke Nnamani as governor of Enugu State. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi became governor of Enugu state in 2015 when he was at the very tail end of his forty years of age. He completed his eight years tenure in 2023 only to be widely addressed as the worst governor that Enugu state has produced ever. This dissatisfaction was punctuated during the 2023 general election where he contested for the Enugu North senatorial seat on the PDP platform but lost early in the morning to a Labour Party candidate who wasn’t in government, Barr Okechukwu Ezea. The people of Enugu state till date call Ugwuanyi the worst of the Governors of Enugu state so far. They accuse him of wasting eight years on land acquisition for himself and attending events that added nothing to the economy of the state.
3. Dr Okezie Ikpeazu: He was the general manager of the Abia state waste management agency in Umuahia, a position from which he became governor of the state in 2015 on the platform of PDP. During his tenure, Abia state was left in the lurch on many grounds. The Ngwa people his kinsmen voted him out in 2023 when upon completion of his tenure contested for senate position. He lost out to a serving senator, Dr Abaribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). This also led him into failing to install a successor as Dr Alex Otti of the Labour Party, a newbie in politics defeated Ikpeazu’s candidate and emerged as governor of the state at clean sweep. The mockery of Ikpeazu was huge such that virtually everyone he supported during the poll lost elections. Dr Ikpeazu became governor in his very early fifty years of age.
4. Hon. Francis Nwifuru: This 49 years old former speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly became governor at the age of 48. Still serving his first term in office, Nwifuru is said to have not commissioned any known project one year and six months that he assumed office as governor of Ebonyi state. Most Ebonyi people liken him to an accidental public servant due to the very slow pace of performance. Upon not delivering a single project, he’s still delivering personal projects like a seven star hotel project at the Katampe area of the Nigeria’s federal capital territory, Abuja, a mega fuel station in Abakaliki, a factory in his village among others. According to many people in his state, if care is not taken, he might become the worst governor the state has ever produced. He was elected in 2023 on the platform of APC. He’s from Agbaja, Izzi LGA.
5. Dr Sylvester Ogbaga: Sylvester Ogbaga became a local government chairman in Abakaliki local government area in 1999 on the platform of PDP. In 2003, he was elected into the House of Representatives. He spent sixteen years at the House of Representatives representing Abakaliki/Izzi federal constituency of Ebonyi state. He’s the longest serving National Assembly member of the House of Representatives in the entire Southeast, only at par with Dame Nkeiruka Onyejiocha who also spent sixteen years at the House of Representatives and now minister of state. Dr Sylvester Ogbaga is styled as wasting sixteen years that should have been used to better the lots of the people of Abakaliki/Izzi federal constituency. Upon leaving the seat in 2023, he opened a personal hotel in Abuja as a retirement benefit.
To be continued…
