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Kebbi - Who Succeeds Aliero?(This Day (Nigeria) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) In Kebbi state no fewer than 12 Governorship aspirants from various political parties are now battling to succede Governor Muhammadu Adamu Ailero whose two-term tenure expires on May 29, 2007. In this analysis Saka Ibrahim examines the chances of the aspirants Kebbi State, tagged the land of equity, was created on August 27, 1991 by then administration of General Ibrahim Babangida along with eight other states in the country. The State has a population of 2.2 million people going by the 1991 population census and borders two West African countries, Niger and Benin Republics and has 21 local government council areas. Among the ethnic groups in the state are: Hausa, Fulani, Dukkawa, Dakarkari, Zabarmawa, Fakkawa, Kambari, Gungarwa, and Dandawa. The state has four emirate councils namely: Gwandu, Argungu, Zuru and Yauri. As the journey to 2007 is approaching, the battle for who will succeed the incumbent governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Adamu Aliero has began with no fewer than 12 governorship aspirants scrambling for the exalted position. Five of them are from the ruling All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and seven from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Those in ANPP are: Alh. Umaru Abubakar (Tafidan Kebbi) and Former comptroller of Immigration, Alh. Abubakar Malam (Shettiman Gwandu) Former Deputy Comptroller of Nigerian Customs Service, Alh. Saidu Muhammad Dakin Gari as well as Professor Muhammad Abubakar Gulma, the dean Faculty of Engineering, Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU ZARIA). The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is the only visible opposition party in the state and the party is parading contestants such as former Minister of Sports and governorship candidate in the 2003 governorship election, Dr. Samaila Saidu Sambawa; Col. Bello Kalial (Rtd) former Minister of Water Resources and PDP gubernatorial Candidate in 1999 governorship election; Mallam Bello Ibrahim Gwandu former managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); General Muhammadu Magoro Former Minister During General Muhammadu Buhari Regime and Chairman P.D.P Board of trustees, Alh. Buhari Bala Former minister for Foreign Affairs, Alh. Samaila Halliru a politician and Business man and Alhaji Kabiru Tanimun a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). The Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), the Action Congress (AC) and other political parties are yet to get aspirants . THISDAY gathered that DPP, AC, and others are waiting for the outcome of the ANPP and PDP primaries which political observers believe may favour them going by the crisis within the ANPP and PDP in the state. Both the ANPP which is the rulling party in the state and the main opposition, the PDP, are repositioning their parties for the challenges ahead. The ANPP in both 1999 and 2003 governorship elections defeated the PDP due to their lingering political crisis despite the fact that, the PDP at the beginning had enough followers than other parties in the state. During the 1999 election 16 out of 21 local councils while ANPP had just five. The incumbent governor, Alh. Adamu Aliero defeated the PDP governorship candidate Col. Bello Kaliel (Rtd.) in the election due to party realignment. One of the then governorship aspirant Late Alh. Abubakar Koko was aggieved after the PDP primaries and supported Adamu Aliero who eventually emerged the winner of the election. Even in 2003 election, Aliero also defeated the PDP based on two factors. His performance within the first four years and the disagreement between the PDP governorship candidate Dr. Samaila Sambawa and another defeated aspirant in the party Col. Bello Kaliel. During the election there was a protest vote by Kaliel supporters who prefered Adamu Aliero to continue in office instead of Sambawa. Besides the governor has transformed the 15 year old state into a modern state in the areas of water supply, electricity, education, health, rural development, agriculture and road network among others. As a result of the these dividends of democracy, ANPP won all elections at all levels including all the 21 local government chairmen and the 24 members of the State House of Assembly. The ANPP has five aspirants at the moment, The party recently banned its aspirants from using thugs and hoodlums during campaigns as well as trying to introduce consensus in picking its candidate. The party chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad Lamba in an interview confirmed that ANPP will introduce consensus in order to prevent what happened to PDP in the two previous elections. According to him, the ANPP has been meeting and tryng to create good rapport among the aspirants. The party has cautioned them to play politics without bitterness. Lamba believed primaries could cause parties disintegration which ANPP wants to avoid at all cost. Said the ANPP chairman "our intention is to introduce consensus. We have always believe in consensus. It has been yielding positive results. our target now as party of justice is to put all our candidates on the analysis desk. We qualify them based on their competence, capability and their acceptability to the community". Of all the aspirants, only four are formidable in the two parties. They are Mallam, Dakingari both retired custom officers in ANPP as well as Gwandu and Sambawa, in the PDP. The other eight aspirants in the two parties although have supporters but they are yet to make serious impact in the governorship race. Although the PDP has all it takes to capture the state from the rulling ANPP but at present the problem of the party is compounded and the probability of the party winning the state in the next governorship election is doubtful because all the seven governorship aspirants are working and may eventually not work for the winner of the ticket. . The PDP in the state lacks cohesion ,the leadership is disunited. As for the ANPP, power of incumbency notwithstanding, the party's chance of recapturing the state depends on how the the party's leadership and Governor Adamu Aliero manage the outcome of their consensus primary option. Presently there are three major camps in the party, that of the governor, his brother Abba Adamu Aliero and the independent group. The governor and some ANPP stalwarts are said to be supporting the candidature of Mallam while Abba a power broker is rooting for Saidu Dakin Gari. One notable thing about Kebbi is that since the state was created, the two civilian governors so far have been retired custom officers. They are: Alh. Abba Musa Garkwan Yauri between 1991 to 1993 and the incumbent Alh. Adamu Aliero between 1999 to date. The success of the ANPP in 2007 will however depend on whether the people of the state will prefer another retired custom officer to take over the rein of government from Aliero. The party chairman Lamba however believed in the contrary, saying the people of the state would still vote for ANPP whether it picks another retired custom officer as it candidate or not. "There is no section of ANPP guidelines that says our governorship aspirants must be retired custom officers. It is just a matter of coincidence because that is how God designed it for Kebbi state. Perhaps these people have gotten something to deliver or offer for the people" Alh. Lamba stressed. The Aspirants ANPP - Alh. Umar Abubakar (Tafidan Kebbi) former general manager Nigeria Port Authority (NPA). Political Cum business. Born on May 1 1959, hails from Argungu town in Argungu Local government of the state. He has been in active politics since 1998. - Dr Hassan Suleiman Kangiwa former controller of immigration. Born in 1953 in Kangiwa, Arewa local government area of the state. - Alhaji Saidu Usman Dakingari, politician/administrator. Born in 1959 in Dakin gari town of Suru local government area of Kebbi State. Assistant controller general of Nigerian Custom Service in charge of operations. - Alh. Abubakar Malam (Shetima Gwandu) Administrator/politician. Born in Birnin Kebbi town in Birnin Kebbi local government the headquarter of Kebbi State former deputy controller general of the Nigerian Custom Service. - Professor Muhammed Abubakar Gulma (Makera kebbi) (Sarkin Arewa Gwandu) academics, politician and administrator born in Gulma town in Argungu local government area of the state dean faculty of engineering ABU, zaria. PDP - Malam Bello Ibrahim Gwandu. Born in February 2, 1951 in Birnin Kebbi (Turakin Gwandu) politician Arritrocrat and businessman, former manging director Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), President of Chartered institute of transport and a recipient of the national award of Members of Federal Republic (MFR). - Barrister Kabiru Tanimu Turaki Senior Advocate of Nigeria (Dan Masanin Gwandu) Politician and lawyer and secretary general of Northern Union (UN). He has been in active politics since 1991. - Dr. Saidu Samaila Sambawa Banker, politician born in Sambawa town of mayama local government area of Kebbi state. Former PDP governorship candidate in 2003 governorship election former minister of state for foreign affairs and former minister of sport. - Col. Bello Muhammed Kaliel retired Soldier, politician. Born in Bagudo local government area of Kebbi State. He was former minister of water resources and join politics in 1991. He was the PDP governor candidate in 1999 governorship election. He also contested the PDP governorship primaries in 2003 with Saidu Sambawa and lost. - General Muhammadu Malgoro (Galadima Zuru) soldier, politician. Borne in Fakai in local area of Kebbi State. Chairman PDP Board of Trustees in Kebbi State. Former minister of internal affair during Buhari regim. - Buhari Bala, Chatered accountant, politician and administrator. He was born in Birnin town of Birnin kebbi local government. Former minister of foreign affairs during Babangida regime. - Alh. Samaila Haliru (Dankasa) politician, businessman born in Birnin Kebbi local government area. He joined politics since 1998 and was the campaign manager of Dr. Samaila Saidu Sambawa in 2003 governorship election. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media. (allafrica.com) Copyright 2006 Accra Mail. Distributed by Allafrica Global Media. |