As the most awaited 2019 general election draws nearer, political permutations, alignments, and realignments are taking the center stages of political spheres of the country.
In all the zones, states and local government areas, the stories fuming out are unvarying and corresponding with diff erent political chemistries and magnitudes depending on the political plays adopted.
In Kebbi state, down history lane, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in overwhelming victory defeated Gen. Sarki-Yaki Bello (rtd) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the 2015 general polls breaking the jinx of the long regime of the PDP which many believe and agree has taken the state in a retrogressive pattern.
During the erstwhile regime, it an undisputable fact that Kebbi state was taken for an uneventful ride where there was alleged massive treasury looting, political excesses, and pathetically the most vital and critical sectors of the state’s economy were left in total shambles begging for immediate rescue and intervention.
In fact, the hitherto hapless and luckless people of the state who were living behind the eightball in the quest for good governance whenever they met to discuss issues bothering their lives, were heard proclaiming and unanimously clamoring for change and timely rescue.
Therefore, the coming of the Bagudu administration in 2015 to all Kebbians was the beginning of a new life, and a square peg into a square hole. It was, indeed, the best thing that had ever happened to the state throughout her sovereign history.
In an explicit justification of the people’s expectations, today in Kebbi state, Governor Bagudu has in less than three years of his stewardship achieved what previous administration has failed to achieve in 14 years and has demonstrated to the people of the state what good governance is all about.
For instance, in the education sector, Governor Atiku Bagudu has faced with vigour the issue of backlog of debts owed WAEC and NECO head-on by ensuring that the over N280 million owed those examination institutions is cleared thus enabling Kebbi state students to access their examination results that were withheld in 2015.
Further, various schools have been built and old ones have been renovated with state of the art education facilities. More also, about 900 million was extended into the water expansion project in Birnin Kebbi as it’s apparent that, rapid economic development is an impossibility without a stable water supply.
Even in the area of power, the purposeful administration of Governor Atiku Bagudu has been quite proactive ensuring the connection of major towns and cities with the national grid as well as the provision of hundreds of transformers to power residential areas, commercial centers, schools, universities, hospitals and the rest.
In fact, cross sections of the Kebbi populace have vigorously commended the governor for ensuring stable power supply which was previously a scarce commodity in the state.
In the road infrastructure sector, Governor Atiku Bagudu has similarly displayed ingenuity and creativity by applying scarce resources prudently thus ensuring that thousands of kilometers of urban and rural roads are either constructed or rehabilitated using direct labour system so as to avoid contract cost overruns.
While for those whose faculty is reasoning well and are equally aware of the happenings within the nation, they must know that, Kebbi state is the only state in the north that is synonymous with agricultural development as an alternative source of revenue generation and job creation not only to the state but the nation as a whole.
Indeed, other states have sent emissaries to Kebbi state to understudy the rice pyramids that are sprouting throughout the state all due to the foresight, sense of direction and purposeful conviction of Governor Atiku Bagudu; undeniably the man of the hour who is poised to take his beloved state to the proverbial promised land notwithstanding the minority voices of perennial naysayers, double guessers and malcontents within the system.
Therefore, it’s apparent and clear that, the people of the state are ready for the second time to subscribe and come through the continuity of the good governance they’re enjoying under the purposeful leadership of Gov. Atiku Bagudu with thousands of PDP members trooping to the APC in groups citing the unprecedented and remarkable achievements as their sole reason to toe the line of the majority and support Bagudu’s stewardship.
In preparation of the 2019 general elections, in June 2017 more than 25,000 PDP members including Alhaji Isah Muhammad Argungu who was the former director general of the campaign organization of Gov. Dakingari and the 2015 PDP gubernatorial candidate, Gen. Bello SarkinYaki (rtd) led by their former chairman, Alhaji Bello Doya had decamped to the APC.
To further gives Bagudu a political latitude cum green light to his re-emergence come 2019, the former governor, Alhaji Sa’idu Dakingari and his deputy, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu defected to the APC alongside other PDP bigwigs in the state, saying they decided to dump the PDP for APC in order to move the state forward.
Therefore, the prevailing political calibrations have further reassured the people of Kebbi state that 2019 elections will be the re-enactment and consolidation of the recorded progress, good governance and democratic sustainability.
And to the leftover PDP members in the state, they should either be part of the history and join what their fellow head for the hills members described as train for development, or watch the transformation of Kebbi to an enviable state unfolding without their contributions, because for us, Bagudu has proven to be our political guardian angel.
Bala writes from Damaturu, Kebbi state
