As struggle to occupy Kebbi government house commences in earnest with 12 aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP) jostling for the number one seat, KABIRU DOGON DAJI captures the state’s political temperature ahead of 2015.
With less than 100 days to the upcoming general elections which will usher in a set of new leaders for elective positions at all levels of governance, the struggle on who to occupies kebbi government house next year has all along been very dramatic. The electorate finds the unfolding scenario interesting and memorable as they watch, with keen interest, how the gladiators are taking every step to ensure they scale through the hurdles.
It would be interesting to note that majority of the aspirants are new breeds of politicians who believe they should be given a chance to showcase their talents and the love they have for the people of the state. Equally, most of them were fielded by their mentors who selected them for the contest and stood beside them to ensure they fly the flag at all cost. Since the advent of the present democratic dispensation the party in the state has been known for its fairness in the conduct of primaries by allowing the people to choose whoever they would want from amongst the aspirants.
It was only in 2007 that things took a dramatic turn as a result of defection of the then governor Muhammad Adamu Aliero, from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and was authomatically alotted the governorship seat, wherefrom he selected, as successor, the incumbent governor Sa’idu Usman Dakingari at the expense of the former Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Malam Bello Gwandu – who in a clean contest – defeated four other aspirants at the primaries.
Amongst the top contenders and those that purchased the PDP nomination form for governorship contest submitted and undergone screenings were Dr. Sa’idu Samaila Sambawa, Alhaji Abubakar Malam, Alhaji Ibrahim Bawa Kamba, Alhaji Zubairu Abdullahi; the incumbent deputy governor Alhaji Ibrahim k. Aliyu, Dr. Musa Zaggi, Hon. Sani Kalgo and Professor Abubakar Gulma. Others are General Bello S. Yaki (rtd), General Muhammadu Magoro (rtd), Senator Atiku Bagudu and Alhaji Mansur Shehu.
The chances and acceptability of every aspirant, as gathered by Blueprint showed that Dr. Samaila Sambawa – a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and a politician – is a figure to reckon with, as he was the PDP governorship candidate in 2003 general elections, who contested but lost to Adamu Aliero. Again in 2007, he aspired for the same position. He also has the ears of the President as he was the Director of Campaign and Logistics for the Goodluck Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation between the year 2010 and 11. Having so many advantages over his rivals in terms of popularity and structure, Sambawa is being seen as the strongest of all the contenders. Considered a tireless philanthropist, he hails from kebbi central senatorial district.
Alhaji Ibrahim K. Aliyu, the incumbent deputy governor – who was unanimously nominated by his people in the Kebbi South senatorial district that comprise a Yauri and Zuru emirates – would have flown the party’s flag if at all the person whom he deputised has interest in him. Elderly and respected, a bearucract – who served for eight years as deputy governor – Ibrahim K. Aliyu is a potential aspirant but people believe that he might be defeated if primary elections were to be conducted, due to his financial constraints.
General Muhammadu Magoro a serving Senator representing Kebbi South Senatorial district has his military career and vast experience to show-case. This has earned him confidence amongst the people of the district but not popular and acceptable in some parts of the state.
General Bello S. Yaki, a former Niger Delta comandant and presently security consultant in the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) is completely new in the political game and before his retirement in the year 2012, people described him as inaccessible; coupled with unfriendly military, intimidating personality that tends to distance people away from him.
It was widely speculated that Governor Sa’idu Usman Dakingari is the brain behind General Bello’s foray into politics, with a grand plan to succeed him, but the idea didn’t go down well with the stakeholders of the party – who saw it as imposition and ploy to undermine other aspirants who laboured for the PDP right from inception.
Recently, the Association of All the 21 local governments PDP party chairmen in the state were at the government house Birnin kebbi, to warn the governor to drop the idea of imposing any candidate on them as it would be against the wish of the majority of the people in state – if he meant good for the members and the party.
The Chairman of the association Alhaji Muhammad Riskuwa Dakingari, categorically stated that the association cannot guarantee the party’s success if such things should happen and called on the governor to rethink and support only an aspirant with proven integrity, honesty and has the love of people at heart.
Barely two weeks ago, a 14-man committee of stakeholders under the Chairmanship of the former Minister of Defence Dr Bello Haliru, presided over by the former Minister of Sports – Alhaji Bala Bawa Ka’oje met at the chambers of the government house with a view to reconcile the 12 aspirants, in order to trim down the number. But the meeting was not fruitful as only six amongst the aspirants were invited.
The meeting was aimed at pleading with aspirants to withdraw their intents for the unity of the party but the six aspirants, namely Dr Musa Zaggi, Abubakar Malam, Dr. Sa’idu Sambawa, Senator Atiku Abubakar, Professor Abubakar Gulma, Ibrahim Bawa Kamba and Sani Kalgo. They were invited by the committee and asked to withdraw from the race, an idea they automatically rejected – aware of the plan by the governor to field a particular aspirant.
All the eleven aspirants have stood their grounds waiting for 8th December, 2014 when they will slug it out in the primary election, a situation that now confuses both the government and the party; coupled with the unprecedented popularity of the opposition APC and mass defection from the PDP to APC. Worrisome is the recent setback with the Speaker of the State Assembly Musa Habibu Jega, his deputy Garba Muhammed Bena, Majority leader Aliyu Mera and nine others abandoning the PDP to join APC. It is a clear indication that the party in the state is losing ground day by day. What this means to many observers is that only a strong candidate for the 2015 governorship ticket of the party can embark on a vigorous reconciliation process and bring back the decamping gladiators back into the party’s fold.
