The sad demise and unexpected death of Prince Abubakar Audu, the All Progressives Congress flagbearer at the Kogi state governorship election was too bitter a pill to swallow. There are some big lessons every politician should learn from this unfortunate incident.

When the date of the inconclusive Kogi state governorship election of Saturday, November 21 was announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, no one could ever thought a tragedy of this magnitude was waiting at the corner for the front-runner in the election and the APC candidate.

Prince Audu had tasted power twice before as the executive governor of Kogi state. First, he governed the state under the defunct Social Democratic Party between 1992 and 1993.

On return to civil rule after the military interregnum that ended on May 29, 1999, the late Audu contested again and was elected governor of the same state under the defunct All Peoples Party for a single term in office. He lost his re-election bid to Alhaji Ibrahim Idris of the Peoples Democratic Party. Ibrahim Idris was succeeded by the incumbent governor, Captain Idris Wada.


The late Prince Abubakar Audu and the APC candidate displaying his ballot paper during the Kogi state governorship election of Saturday, November 21

As the election of Saturday drew nearer, Prince Audu never knew the cold hands of death were waiting to grab him and take him away just a day after the election to the great beyond. No one could ever prophesy that Audu’s time was up on earth. Although, a lot of speculations might be going round surrounding his demise, but the mystery of death is too great to be unravelled.

It should be noted that nothing of this nature has ever happened in the political history of Nigeria since 1960. This is the first time a governorship candidate who is leading by some thousand votes in an election he is actively involved in would die.

The death of the Kogi state former governor is a strong warning to everyone who vies for position of authority. It is a wake-up call to every political office holder to conscientiously serve the people they lead. This is because there is plethora of big lessons every politician should learn from this national tragedy.


1. Power is transient

Human beings themselves are in a temporary phase in this world. The only thing that unites all mankind together is death. Everyone will taste it. Prince Audu has just tasted his own only a day after his election.

Politicians who believe they always have to be relevant at the corridors of power should take a queue from the APC candidate’s death. For those office holders called All Government In Power, it is high time they desisted from acts that have brought untold hardship to the poor masses. The truth is that everyone will become history one day as Audu has now become history. It is now left for someone to choose either to leave a good and lasting legacy or a bad and villain-like history.


2. Politics should not be do or die

There was a time during this 4th republic and present political dispensation that a former president said that elections will be do or die. Statements like this are inimical to the political atmosphere of the country. It is capable of inciting violence among political parties contesting elections.

For instance, if the late and former governor had uttered something of such during his campaign, what would have happened now to him that he is dead? This is one of the big lessons every politician should learn and start using in their day to day political life.


3. Remembering the citizens always

Politicians should always see the people first before they think about themselves. They should sacrifice everything they have in order to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians. They should put the security of lives and welfare of the people as paramount. In doing all these things, peace and love will reign in the country. They themselves will live a life of tranquility.


4. De-monetisation of politics

Could anybody guess right how much went into late Audu’s electioneering process right from the day he indicated his interest to contest to the very hour he voted? The closer answer would be Billions of Naira.

The money spent include the distribution of certain amount of money to various interest groups in order to get support for Audu, the APC governorship form, the media team, organising rallies and campaigns, travelling round Kogi, feeding and accommodation, party agents, publicity and advertisement, canvassing for votes and other logistics. All these show that Nigeria’s democracy is too expensive.

The question now is where is Audu after dissipating his energy and resources to become a governor? He is no more!


5. The effect of a Supreme Being

“Man proposes, God disposes,” is a common saying.

The results that was released by INEC had the APC flagbearer polled 240,867 to the PDP’s candidate and incumbent governor votes of 199,514. Abubakar Audu proposed to become elected as governor, God however disposed Audu’s intentions. Even his personal physician hardly advised him against this great eventuality.

The lessons in this incident are so many which everyone should ponder over. Being a Muslim, the 2-time governor will be buried in his hometown on Monday, November 23 according to Islamic rites.

May God grant his soul a perfect rest as the nation mourns his departure.