The Interview Editors
Ever so colourful, AbubakarAudu could move mountains with his sense of humour. To say that he was worshipped by the people of Kogi State would be restating the obvious. Not one to mince words, he would say, “I would rather be an arrogant success than be a humble failure”, partly to answer those who accused him of hubris and partly to taunt his chief opponent in the governorship election and outgoing governor, Idris Wada. As attested by the results of the first round of the governorship poll in Kogi last November, Audu was clearly the people’s choice, as he defeated a sitting governor.
A pity death robbed him of the crown he worked so hard to win. He passed on before his victory was announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). A lot has been said and written by associates and admirers by way of tribute to his memory. But what you surely have not heard yet is what the Kogi hero once said jokingly, but which now appears to have become a self-spoken prophecy. Apparently to put to rest speculation about who would be addressed as his wife in the event that he became governor for the third time (he was governor briefly in 1992/93 and 1999-2003), the sexagenarian had decided to settle for a relatively much younger wife (said to be an under 20-year-old). He had separated from the women with whom he had grown-up children. Shortly before the election, a circle of close friends had visited him at his country home in Kogi. Soon, the young wife came in, to the admiration of everyone. ThereAudu sat and romantically introduced her as “my last bus stop”. Obviously, he meant that with the young woman he had ended his search for a soul mate. How prophetic that turned out to be.
