Except for those awaiting legal proceedings or party action, the candidates of state assemblies, House of Representatives, senate, governorship and presidential elections are now known and have kicked into full campaign modes as they try to gain the support of voters.
Depending on where the contest took place or who the candidates were, the processes have in turn, been incredible, ridiculous, rancorous, illogical, appalling, humbling, exciting and chaotically Nigerian.
Presidential primaries
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) used every trick in the book to intimidate potential challengers to the incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, though he would have won against any opponent. In the end, the coronation of the president suggested a fear of the unknown by the party apparatchiks.
The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) on the other hand, held a transparent presidential primary. In the end, General Muhammadu Buhari emerged as the party’s standard bearer. The biggest lesson is the performance former vice president Atiku Abubakar who came third. What happened to his famed deep pockets and organizational ability?
Failed ministers
Twice this year, some ministers resigned in batches to contest the governorship of their states. Among them were Caleb Olubolade, Peter Godsay Orubebe, Mohammed Ali Pate and Yerima Ngama. More recently, Nyesom Wike, Samuel Ortom, Labaran Maku, Emeka Wogu, Onyebuchi Chukwu, Darius Ishaku and Musiliu Obanokoro, also resigned.
Except for Wike who rammed down the throat of the Rivers State PDP allegedly by the overbearing and impatient Patience Jonathan, and Darius Ishaku who was railroaded on Taraba PDP by the overwhelming influence of T.Y. Danjuma, none of the other ministers – including those that supposedly had the backing of their state governors – managed to pick their party’s tickets.
The loquacious Labaran Maku has been silenced. The boisterous Musiliu Obanikoro has been caged. The well-oiled Peter Orubebe was not even on the ballot. The lesson here must be that federal might is good . . . as long as you remain in Abuja. The cunning Bala Mohammed must have seen this and quickly dropped his Bauchi dreams.
Ambitious deputy governors
It is said that if you want to be a governor, don’t accept to become a deputy governor. Except for Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano, who enjoyed the support of his boss, and David Umahi of Ebonyi who taught his boss a lesson in political scheming, no other deputy governor managed to secure their party’s ticket to stand for governor.
Among the biggest losers were Dameshi Barau Luka of Nasarawa, Bala Ngilari of Adamawa and Mukhtari Shagari of Sokoto who belong to the PDP while their governors are in APC. However, remaining in the same party still does not guarantee endorsement as Musa Ibeto of Niger, Ignatius Longjan of Plateau, Steven Lawani of Benue and Ibrahim Aliyu of Kebbi would know.
Reserve parties
The Labour Party (LP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) must be smiling all the way to the banks as disappointed politicians flock in from other parties to try to actualize their aspirations. The two most noticeable defections must be that of Alao Akala has become an emergency candidate of the LP in Oyo, and Umar Abdullahi Tsauri Tata who found himself the flag bearer of APGA in Katsina. APGA? In Katsina? Interesting times, these are.
Fading governors
Another interesting aspect of the just concluded primaries is the waning power of serving governors. With their absolute powers at state levels, the concept of lame duck was taken to another dimension with the failure of Sullivan Chime to actualize his senate dream. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta not only dropped his senate dream, but his preferred aspirant for governor, David Edevbie was roundly thrashed by Ifeanyi Okowa.
Even in Benue and Akwa Ibom states where Gabriel Suswan and Godswill Akpabio prevailed by wrestling the tickets from serving senators, banana peels remain. The list of governors, including Isa Yuguda, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Saidu Dakingari, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and others that succeed in joining their colleagues in the upper chambers would only be known after the elections.
Tunubu: Still the old fox
Apart from the bursting Obanikoro’s bubble in Lagos, the emergence of Bola Tinubu’s preferred candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode in the APC against others, shows that the Jagaba is still a wily old fox in politics. Some people may not like him, but it is difficult not to admire Tinubu’s understanding and use of power – that ever so fleeting enterprise.
Shagari: Out of touch
In the 2003 presidential contest between Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari, one of the chief supporters of Obasanjo and castigators of Buhari was Mukhtari Shagari. Despite his ardent support, Shagari was denied the PDP ticket in Sokoto state 2007.
He remained in the PDP after when his boss defected to the APC last year and continued to sing and shout his support for Jonathan and the PDP at every instance. Now that he managed to get just one vote at the PDP primaries, when will he realize he is out of touch with his people and stop the charade?
