I have often heard people say that politics is a dirty game. The import of this declaration dawned on me recently during the last campaigns and more so after the announcement of the result. How are the might fallen! It was unbelievable that the favourite choice of the people for the chairmanship, Alhaji Dr. Jumbo lost to a caricature of a politician called Alhaji M. Saka.

In spite of the rumours which went round the Sabe Local Government Area, it was obvious that Dr. S. Jumbo was the favourite choice of the people for the chairmanship post. He is educated, sociable, articulated, generous and had been an ex-councillor who had a good record of performance in his previous three-year term, Alhaji M. Saka on the other hand was a colourless politician who had the singular achievement of being the secretary of the aboriginal Ikoto Itira Community Development Association (CDA) within Sabo Local Government. In addition to this qualification, he was and still a religious zealot of the islamic religion.

During the campaigns, posters and radio jingles were visibly used to put their messages across to the electorate in the mosque and inside the house of members of the CDA.

At the general mosque supporters of Alhaji Saka openly reminded the worshippers why they should never vote for Dr. Jumbo as chairman. The chief reason was that he was a Christian, an infidel who should never be allowed to rule a predominantly muslim community. Another rumour which the party and supporters of Dr. Jumbo ignored at his own detriment was the wicked rumour that he hails from Kogi in spite of the fact that he was born and brought up in Sabo Local Government. So, the opponents and detractors of Dr. Jumbo reasoned that a non-indigene should not occupy such an exalted position of the chairman.

When the voting and counting of votes were done, the popular Dr. Jumbo scored only 509 votes, Alhaji Saka scored 5,600 votes. The green party of Saka masterminded a grand rigging against Dr. Jumbo. This was made possible by the the bribe they gave the electoral officers who agreed to the agents of Dr. Jumbo. At the time of swapping the box they were snoring like Jonah.

Though Alhaji Saka has been sworn into office, Dr Jumbo has gone to court to contest the result because the votes allegedly cast on the election day were and are more than the 5000 registered votes.