Though it is not clear where the interest of Nyako lies in the Adamawa South, the development in the Adamawa Central where Aminu is running is suggestive of a grand plot by Nyako to stop the return of the former petroleum minister.
Followers of Adamawa politics said it couldn’t be a mere coincidence that Nyako’s loyalists, including political appointees picked senatorial intent forms to challenge Aminu in a manner contrary to the unwritten tradition in the light of which members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hardly drag party ticket with him.
Of late, PDP in the state is polarized, and members loyal to Senator Aminu and Nyako have been at loggerheads over certain party interests in the state, a development which they said has pitched Nyako and Aminu against each other in a kind of supremacy tussle.
The confusion arising from the party polarity has led to what people describe as a crowded race for senatorial tickets. For instance, about 17 persons are fighting to fly only three available tickets in the PDP for the three zones.
ADAMAWA CENTRAL: THE JIBRIL AMINU TURF
In this zone, though contenders are not as many as those of the southern senatorial district, political intrigues and antics are said to be targeted at the incumbent senator, Professor Jibril Aminu.
Those lining up to slug it out with Senator Jibril Aminu include Nyako’s Chief of Staff and a former deputy governor, Alhaji Bello Tukur, Senator Abubakar Halilu Girei, Dr Halilu Hamman, as well as the former speaker of the state Assembly and then acting governor, Mr James Shu’aibu Barka.
Tukur who has earlier obtained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nomination forms to run for governorship election made a u-turn to pick senatorial form to challenge Aminu. Tukur’s entrance is said to have forced one of the front-runners in the race, Dr Halilu Hamman to drop his senatorial ambition to back Tukur against Aminu.
However it was observed that Tukur, a political son of the former vice president Atiku Abubakar might not find it easy in the race as he is said to have sour relationship with members of his constituency, particularly people of Fufore, Girei and Song the home town of Sen. Aminu. He also said to have a questionable EFCC records.
Reports also indicate that Governor Nyako’s recent romance with former speaker James Barka could be a prelude to his naming as the governor’s running mate, although he has already picked nomination form to contest as a senator.
It could be recalled that when the former speaker bagged the traditional title of “Magatakarda” from the Fombina Emirate, Governor Nyako threw a lavish dinner in his hononor – something unusual for Nyako.
Posters of the contenders with that of the governor with the exception of that of the senate committee chairman on foreign affairs, Jibril Aminu flooded the state capital and most of the contenders drop Nyako’s name when they go out on campaign.
Analysts said it would not be a smooth ride for Aminu at the party primaries despite the facts that the people liken him to a lion among the eagles because apart from being the person that single-handedly brought Nyako when the going was good, he was said to have influenced many things to the state.
In the words of Muhammad Abubakar Baba-Ladan, a onetime presidential aspirant under the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), it would not be easy to wrest power from Jibril Aminu, “a man who is capable of surviving any storm because there is no how you would fault Professor Aminu in almost every political game plan.”
Abubakar added, “His superlative achievements have been documented several times over by professionals; his honesty and uprightness are legendary,’’
Though Aminu appears to have lost hold of the party structures, observers said Aminu being a Fulani man like Nyako would find his way through the wilderness by at worst trading some of the aspirants.
SOUTHERN ZONE: GRACE BENT AND OTHERS.
Southern senatorial district is the largest zone in both population and land mass. The zone covers nine local government areas of the 23 councils in the state. Expectedly, it parades the highest numbers of the contenders among who are politicians who have been in government at various levels.
Some of them are the state Chairman of ALGON, Felix Tangwami, Shelleng local government chairman, Ahmad Barata, Rev. Habila Istifanus a former local government chairman and a former school principal, Mrs Bridget Zidon.
Senator Bent, a Yoruba by tribe is married to a Bachama man. She was elected in 2007 on the PDP platform to represent Adamawa South in the senate. Her election was said to have opened a new chapter in the zone.
She is very popular, having been able to impact on the constituents with some of her projects targeting the youths, women and children in the area and having achieved much visibility on the floor of the senate since he got the election.
But there are plots by some politicians in the zone to scuttle her second term bid on the ground that she is not an indigene of the zone by birth.
Speaking with Sunday Trust, Usman Garba Santuraki, a commentator said, ’’Senator Grace Bent has so far endeared herself to not only the people of the zone but the entire people of Adamawa State. In fact, she has opened a new vista on the political horizon of Adamawa State as people are now on the neck of their representatives at both the National Assembly and the State House of Assembly to borrow a leaf from her unparallel performance.’’
According to him, “with her sterling performance and the monumental support she enjoys among women and youth due to her empowerment scheme and the goodwill of the traditional council, her return to the Senate in 2011 is as good as being sure”
It was also gathered that none of the persons jostling for her seat has the support base and political goodwill to unseat the Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment in a free and fair contest.
However, it was learnt that she needed to work hard to neutralize the mundane politics of ethnicity and plot by some persons to frustrate her aspiration to return to the Senate. The plot is to deny her the PDP ticket, believing that nothing can stop her if she gets the ticket.
Felix Tangwami is the chairman of Demsa local government area of the state, and has been there since 1998. He is very rich and could match Bent cash for cash. But the only snag is that his case with the anti-graft agency would deflate the support for him.
Ahmed Barata is another contender. He was in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007 and now chairman of shelleng local government. He was said not to have impressed his people when he was in the national assembly. Besides, as a Muslim, it will be difficult for him to win an election in the Christian dominated zone.
Pascal Bafyau, a former NLC boss is also in the race. He is liked by his Bachama people. However, he has not really done much in terms of campaign because of lean financial muscle.
Bridget Zidon, a former school principal is of Bachama stock. She is new in the game, but would rely on her husband, a top military brass to make impact.
NORTHERN ZONE: BETWEEN MOHAMMED MANA AND BINDO JIBRILLA.
In the Northern senatorial zone, it was gathered that the race is not as tough as that of the other two zones. The race is primarily between Senator Mana and Bindo Umaru Jibrilla who is certainly new in the game.
Mana is a former Commander, Brigade of Guards and former Military Administrator of Plateau State. Despite his vast military experience, his critics say his performance in the Senate has not reflected his experience in nation building, while his supporters are of the view that his performance is average.
The serving senator has a hard way ahead in his bid to return to the Senate, as already there are formidable politicians showing interest in his seat. They include Bindo Umaru Jibrilla, a business tycoon and Zira Maigida, who was the former Managing Director of African Petroleum Plc and Sahara Energy Group; Mr Emmanuel Valhalla Tarihri, a commissioner in the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission who was also the former commissioner of finance in Adamawa; and Mrs Esther Wallabai, a Senior Special Assistant to governor Nyako on Inter Governmental Relations.
