2015: Furore over zoning in Kebbi
With Governor Saidu Dakingari set to leave office at the expiration of his second term in 2015, politicians have started accusing him of planning to go against the zoning formula in the choice of a successor.
Alleged plans to crown the state chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Mansur Shehu from Gwandu Emirate in Kebbi Central as governor in 2015 is currently receiving heavy bashing from politicians in the state.
Politicians from Kebbi South are already saying it would be gross injustice if their zone is not allowed the governorship slot in 2015.
Former member of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Mohammed Abubakar Shindi who hails from Kebbi South is emphatic that the zone has all it takes in terms of human resources to rule the state.
His argument is that the state was created in 1991 and in 1992, Kebbi South produced the first democratically elected governor of the state, Alhaji Abubakar Musa; and in 1999, Kebbi Central took over with Senator Adamu Aliero as governor while in 2007, the position went to Kebbi North with Governor Saidu Dakingari as governor. He said it would be undemocratic, unfair and unjust to allow political intrigues to engulf the governorship election in 2015.
“As far as we are concerned, this is our turn. By the constitution and the agreement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it is our turn. So to me, if there is anything people are saying contrary to this, it is political propaganda. This time around, it is the turn of Kebbi South for so many reasons.
“We have credible candidates, seasoned politicians and civil servants who have been tested and trusted, who have contributed tremendously for the development of this state, who are capable of steering the affairs of the state. We have been a victim of Kebbi politics so this time around, Kebbi Central and Kebbi North should sympathise with Kebbi South,” he said.
It is gathered that among the prominent gubernatorial aspirants from Kebbi South is the incumbent deputy governor of the state, Alhaji Ibrahim K. Aliyu who hails from Yauri Emirate. Though he is yet to declare his intention, reliable sources close to him told our reporter that he is warming up for the contest.
There is suspicion however that the governor may support a particular candidate not from Kebbi South.
A source from Kebbi South told our correspondent that the governor may be grooming Mansur Shehu, the state chairman of the PDP, from Gwandu Emirate for the position.
“Be that as it is, Mansur Shehu is not a true democrat even though his election as the chairman was stage managed by the governor and his son simply to achieve their selfish interest. It is also a known fact that he has no political grip in his base. The bye election of the governor that followed confirmed this. Mansur lost his polling unit to the opposition as state party chairman,” he said.
It is alleged that while the governor’s son Lawali Na Allah Dakingari is working assiduously for Mansur to be crowned in 2015, the governor is making moves to field Maj Gen Bello Sarkin Yaki (rtd) also from Gwandu Emirate (Kebbi Central) as the next governor of the state, while the people of Kebbi South and others including the youths are highly against this.
There are text messages circulating round the state, one of the text also sent to our reporter reads: “We the youths of Kebbi State are against the planned imposition of Sarkin Yarki Bello as governor in 2015. He is a nonproductive member of Kebbi community who has no record of rendering any assistance to the qualified teeming youths of the state. He should stay in Abuja where he belongs.”
Similarly, Mansur Shehu incurred the wrath of politicians from Kebbi South when he in July, 2012, raised dust over the ministerial nomination of General Bitrus Ushe (rtd) when he (Ushe) was nominated as minister by President Goodluck Jonathan. The retired General from Zuru, the emirate forming Kebbi South with Yauri Emirate later lost out..
Consequently, some politicians in Zuru have rejected in totality what they termed “imposition” of Mansur or any other person of like platform as the gubernatorial candidate in the state warning that anyone who thinks he can thwart the zone’s aspiration should have a rethink or may “end up tasting the bitter pill of the Zuru people.”
Former Deputy Governor of the state and national organising secretary of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Suleiman Mohammed Argungu, who is from Argungu Emirate in Kebbi North warned against imposition of candidates on the people insisting that whoever emerges as gubernatorial candidate of any political party in the 2015 election should be a personality of proven integrity with experience and administrative techniques capable of delivering true dividends of democracy to the people.
Alhaji Suleiman Argungu, one of the top politicians agitating for power shift among the four emirate councils in the state with the position that Argungu Emirate should be given the slot in 2015, told our reporter that consultations among the four emirate councils – Gwandu, Argungu, Yauri and Zuru- are in progress as regards who and where the governor emerges. But former member of the State House of Assembly from Kebbi South, Hon. Mohammed Abubakar Shindi told our reporter that the governorship seat is not negotiable as he insisted that it is absolutely the turn of Kebbi South.
However, sources close to Governor Dakingari have said that the governor is ambivalent and yet to decide in clear terms who and from which zone his successor would emerge.
However, with intense pressure from the three emirate councils – Yauri, Argungu and Zuru- that the Gwandu Emirate is dominating the state political space with the emergence of two governors from it since the creation of the state in 1991, analysts believe that the pressure may alter the state gubernatorial race in 2015.
The former gubernatorial candidate of the defunct National Democratic Party (NDP) in the state, Salisu Isa Nataro stated vehemently in an interview with our reporter that “imposition of governorship candidate on the people will not work in 2015.”
Nataro who said that the former governor of the state, Senator Adamu Aliero was genuinely elected by the people of the state however, faulted what he called “imposition” of the incumbent governor Dakingari on the people attributing the state’s low level of development to Dakingari’s inability to deliver on his mandate.
“Somebody from Zuru Emirate who is credible and reliable can contest the 2015 governorship election, a reliable person from Yauri Emirate or Argungu Emirate can also contest and win if he or she can deliver dividends of democracy to the people. So we will not allow imposition of any candidate on the people of Kebbi State in 2015 because we are now very wise,” he said.
Nataro also asked governor Dakingari to jettison the idea of trying to impose candidates on the people in the interest of good governance and improved socioeconomic development of the people.