2015: Déjà vu in Katsina?

During 2011 general elections in Katsina State, the now defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), despite its split into two factions, was able to seize all the three Senatorial seats and twelve out of fifteen House of Representatives’ seats hitherto occupied by the PDP in the state.

Apart from that, all the political indicators were that the CPC had higher chances of winning gubernatorial seat and that the PDP of Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema would not win, looking at the fact that they have lost all their three Senators to CPC and twelve out of fifteen House of Representatives seats. In addition to that, there were aggrieved PDP members who were at loggerheads with Governor Shema; they felt that they were not carried along despite the role they played in his election in 2007. As such they were alleged to be undermining Shema’s effort to return to office.

Few weeks to the gubernatorial election, the Supreme Court gave a verdict that Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, who headed a CPC faction, was the CPC gubernatorial candidate recognised by law not Senator Yakubu Lado Danmarke of the other faction, because Masari was the candidate submitted to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the CPC. This decision by the apex court enraged Senator Lado and his supporters. Majority of Lado’s supporters and close political associates promised to work against the success of CPC and ensure that Masari did not win the governorship election. Not only that, Lado’s supporters and close political allies declared support for Shema.

To many political analysts, alleged anti-party activities and betrayal by Senator Lado and his camp was what led to the failure of the CPC to wrestle power from the PDP in Katsina State.

As we are moving closer to 2015 general elections, the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), which the CPC had become, in Katsina State should be mindful of what happened in previous elections in the state, with particular emphasis on 2011 gubernatorial election. The party should mend its fences, settle all its internal wrangling, be just to all and every member, conduct credible ward, local government and state congresses. Party members should put party interest above their personal interest and work towards the success of the party even if their preferred candidate fails to secure party ticket.

Mustapha Mammada Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State<mmdutsinma@yahoo. com>