Though likely Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants have remained calm and calculative, there is obvious tension in the camp of the main and other opposition parties as aspirants struggle to edge out one another ahead of the governorship primaries and election proper in Gombe state.
Ishaya Umar x-rays the situation and contending elements.
Between APC and Goje’s nPDP There is too much anxiety in Gombe State chapter of the All Progressives Congress.
The two chief reasons fuelling the frenzy are one; what becomes of the former governor, Senator Danjuma Goje, as his camp of the nPDP is divided on their continued stay in APC.
The other source of unease concerns the former governor’s boast that he would install the next governor after the incumbent, Dr.
Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo’s exit in 2019.
Governor Dankwambo has often said the question of who succeeds him depends on God and people of the state.
For now, all is ‘quiet’ in the camp of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party.
It is much like all PDP faithful are waiting for Dankwambo to give a signal before governorship aspirants would begin to show up, because the ruling party has remained focused in delivering the mandate they hold through Dankwambo.
Based on the near unanimity and poise in the PDP, Goje has been boasting that he would produce the next governor of the state, claiming also that with federal might on his side, whoever he nominates on the APC platform would surely become the next governor come 2019.
Goje’s boast has succeeded in throwing the state chapter of the APC into turmoil with a lot of pretenders, jesters and obviously unserious elements jostling to win the attention and support of the lawmaker.
At the last count, more than seven governorship aspirants have been circulating around Senator Goje, with each going about with the false confidence that if election was held today he is as good as the governor already.
Some of these aspirants with tall dreams include, Inuwa Yahaya, Habu Muazu, Dan Barde, Barrister Idris Hinna, Sarki Fulani, Faruk Bamusa and Dasuki Jalo Waziri.
Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo Waziri Dasuki’s major selling point is that he is Senator Goje’s brotherin-law.
However, despite being very close to the Senator, the young man is believed to have attracted some hatred to himself because of his being an inlaw.
Notwithstanding, there is a ‘grand scheme’ of sort to impose him as a compromise candidate after other aspirants had been set against themselves.
Faruk Bamusa Faruk Bamusa is one of the politicians believed to have sought shelter in the APC, not out of ideological resonance, but on account of his many contracts with the federal government.
Some are of the view that he joined the party out of the need to protect his business interests under the Buhari administration.
Based on the money he has made from the contract from federal government, the politician perhaps falsely believe he has all it takes to be governor of Gombe.
Umaru Kwairanga (Sarkin Fulani) If there is any Gombe politician that has gained notoriety for jumping from one political party to another, Sarki Fulani is one.
He is reputed to Waziri Idris Goje However, against the background of this crowd of governorship aspirants, Senator Goje is said to be very uncomfortable with the performance of the APC at the national level and would have preferred to come to the PDP.
be in contact with some famed international businessmen and does not miss any opportunity to take selfies or snap pictures with some Arab tycoons, which he displays unabashedly on Instagram and other social networking sites.
He has a very high hope of becoming the next governor of Gombe state by May 29, 2019.
Barrister Idris Hinna Hinna is another runaway politician in Gombe.
He was Minister of Transport under the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, but ran to the APC, possibly to evade the ravaging fight of the Buhari administration against corruption.
As a minister in charge of an otherwise ‘juicy ministry,’ many APC stalwarts in the state are of the view that more than anything, his war chest is the only reason he is seeking the number one office in the state.
Mohammed Dan Barde Alhaji Dan Barde is a former managing director of SunTrust.
It is believed, though contentious, that the aspirant does not command his people’s support.
Analysts are, however, of the view that the party leader in the state intends playing Dan Barde against Yahaya.
And in the ensuing fight, the coast would have been cleared for the emergence of Goje’s brother-inlaw as the APC flag bearer.
Habu Mu’azu He is remembered as Goje’s lackey.
Habu Mu’azu was the youth leader when Kalare, a notorious group of thugs held sway under Goje’s tenure as governor.
The group was reputed to have played a major role in the emergence of Goje as governor in 2003.
Inuwa Yahaya Of all those posturing to be governorship candidate of the APC in Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya is about the only one with strong academic background.
Apart from contesting the 2015 governorship election on the APC platform, Inuwa Yahaya served as Commissioner for Finance during Goje’s tenure as governor.
The common belief in Gombe APC is that Senator Goje would not support Yahaya for the APC governorship ticket due to some irreconcilable differences.
While some sources disclosed that Goje sees him as very unpopular, others claim that the former governor thinks that Yahaya helped to expose his looting of Gombe treasury, for which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was dragging him about.
Although Senator Goje has not come out to tell Yahaya that he would not support his ambition to contest the governorship again, sources close to the former governor said he plans to leave Yahaya to slug it out with Dan Barde, knowing both men do not have what it takes to stand for election.
However, against the background of this crowd of governorship aspirants, Senator Goje is said to be very uncomfortable with the performance of the APC at the national level and would have preferred to come to the PDP.
But the senator told close associates that Governor Dankwambo has made it impossible for his brand of politics to flourish in the state any more.
Goje is said to be afraid that whomever Dankwambo endorses for the governorship would defeat any of the aforementioned aspirants during the real contest in February.
How all that would pan out would be seen in the days ahead as political parties warm and their aspirants warm up for next month’s primaries.
Umar wrote from Gombe, Gombe state
