Politics is a game of number and that is no news. To be a successful politician, particularly in the Nigerian murky political waters, you must be accepted by the people, especially at the grassroots. It has been observed that in politics there is no permanent foe or friend but interest. When the majority waves their olive branch to you, the sky could be the stepping stone but not the limit.
This is the case of Uba Sani, former senior special assistant on public affairs to ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo and now a Political Adviser to Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state.
Sani aspired to serve the people of Kaduna Central Senatorial District as senator in the 2011 general elections on the platform of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but intrigues and chicaneries prevented the noble ambition. As nature smiles at, he was taken to the nation’s capital where he served the Obasanjo on public affairs.
After a decade and still counting, the pressure for the grassroots politician to yield to call of the youths from his senatorial district to serve them in the Senate is still mounting, youths from Kaduna North, under the aegis of Youth Action for Peace Development in Nigeria (YAPDIN), is one of the groups.
Comrade Musa Gubuchi, leader of the group, in a statement made available to journalists said that the flamboyant representation needed in Kaduna North from the Senate could only be gotten from Uba Sani, whose performance as senior special assistant on public affairs to Obasanjo was legendary. He explained that since the administration of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the centre, it seems that Kaduna North is not represented in the Senate.
Gubuchi said that after Uba left office as senior special assistant on public affairs to Obasanjo, his performances are still wistful. His concern for the people is always his priority. “Fuelled by this zeal, he was one of the foremost politicians who called on the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to come and give vibrant leadership to the people of the state. His call to the governor is yielding fruitful results for the people. Roads in Kaduna that were impassable in the days of PDP are today being rehabilitated. All drainages are being cleared to ensure durability of the roads. Unnecessary traffic hold up due to reckless driving in the metropolitan towns is being addressed as CASTELA, a new traffic law agent introduced by the governor, has risen to the occasion. Uba Sani is a visionary
Uba Sani is a visionary leader that is why we are calling on him to vie for the senatorial seat of Kaduna North in 2019 to give the senatorial district the desired vibrant representation”,
leader that is why we are calling on him to vie for the senatorial seat of Kaduna North in 2019 to give the senatorial district the desired vibrant representation”, Gubuchi added.
According to the YAPDIN leader, Uba Sani and his organisation, the El-Rufai Support Group (ESG), before any supporter in the state settled for Governor El-Rufai as the most credible candidate. He explained that the reason Uba gave his support was: “El-Rufai has held positions at the highest level in Nigeria, and we are really concerned about what is happening in Kaduna State. As you all know, the PDP government as a party has failed woefully. The situation in the country is becoming worse on a daily basis and in Kaduna State in particular. A lot of states created recently have overtaken Kaduna in terms of development, infrastructure and social amenities. So, what is happening here is because of bad governance in the state, and El-Rufai has shown that he can do it better because, as a minister of the FCT, he did what no minister in the history of Nigeria ever did. We all know the complications of Abuja, but he came and restored the Abuja Master Plan. He brought sanity to Abuja, and he did it without fear or favour.”
The YAPDIN leader also said, Sani’s assessment of senators from state in one of his interviews with the press gives us more confidence that if given the chance; he will perform creditably because he knows the onions.
Comrade Musa Gubuchi particularly said that Uba Sani statement on his assessment of federal lawmakers from the state could convince even Pharaoh that to have him is the answer. He quoted Sani on that as “Assessing senators representing Kaduna State I may not necessarily assess them collectively but I can assess them individually. I tell you, in most of the places I have visited; they have not seen the incumbent since they were elected. You cannot solve the problems of the people if they not have access to you. I saw a lot of challenges in some local government areas especially in Birnin Gwari. When I went there, I was expecting to meet a few people, perhaps not more than 150 but I was shocked. The youths alone who were outside the hall were more than 500 and more than half of them were unemployed. It is really dangerous and it has to be checked. They told me that no other person could have come and left peacefully, including the senators and members of the House of Representatives. The youths were violent because they do not have anything doing, they are frustrated. We have a lot of problems in the state and they have to be solved.”
Gubuchi wrote from Zaria
By Musa Gubuchi
