The outcome of last Friday’s Supreme Court judgment on the leadership crisis in the Kano chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the subsequent actions of the state Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje have put some bigwigs of the party in a tight corner ahead of the party’s primary election, Daily Trust reports.
The bigwigs, who include the leaders of the factional G-7: Senators Ibrahim Shekarau and Barau Jibrin, have had to contend in the last few days with making decisions that can make or mar their political journeys, it was gathered.
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For Shekarau, while his spokesperson, Dr. Sule Ya’u Sule, insisted that the former governor remains committed to the G-7 and has not decamped from the APC, talks have refused to go away that he may be concluding plans to leave the party.
This is because despite already picking up a senatorial form with the party, the former governor is said to be unsure of getting the ‘promised’ automatic return ticket to the Red Chamber.
Sources said the body language of Governor Ganduje was not convincing enough for Shekarau, especially with some associates of Ganduje having also picked the nomination and expression of interest forms for the same Kano Central Senatorial District. Analysts said the former governor may not want to take the risk of losing out at the primary election, a development that can signal a premature end to his political career.
Several reports had indicated that Shekarau was consulting with another political rival, former governor of the state, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is now the leader of the new but fast-growing New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
While Shekarau and Kwankwaso have never been in the same party during any election period because of their political differences, analysts said the duo may be considering the option of burying the hatchet this time to wrestle the control of the state from their successor.
Kwankwaso was also reported to have said in a political programme on a local radio in the state that he was willing to accept anyone into NNPP in Kano and that whatever differences he might have had with such person in the past would be forgotten.
Although the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement did not mention anyone in specific, recent development point to the fact he may be alluding to Shekarau. This is because Shekarau was also reported to have said before the Supreme Court judgment that should they lose at the apex court, they would stop over at the popular Yan Lemo (fruits) market in Kano, an allusion to the fruits symbol of the NNPP.
However, it was gathered that Shekarau is currently torn between ditching the APC (once again) and pitching tent with his political rival (Kwankwaso) or trusting in the promise of the national leadership of the APC and the gentleman agreement reportedly reached with Ganduje.
Barau torn between loyalty and political obscurity
Senator Barau, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation was hitherto seen as a frontrunner for the APC governorship ticket before Ganduje’s endorsement of his deputy, Nasir Yusuf Gawuna.
But Daily Trust gathered that Barau was prevailed upon to drop his governorship ambition by the National Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Adamu, and the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, and convinced to rather seek a return to the Red Chamber.
However, the senator now faces a huge dilemma in his planned return to the Senate after Governor Ganduje was endorsed by the party leaders to contest for the same senatorial seat. While Barau has insisted he will remain in the APC, observers wonder how he intends to defeat Ganduje, who now controls the party structure, at the primary elections. Also, the choice of Murtala Sule-Garo, who is an arch rival of Barau from the same Kano North, as the running mate of Gawuna is believed to be part of strategies to checkmate and send him (Barau) into political obscurity.
Other bigwigs in similar hard choices
Like Shekarau and Barau, the likes of House of Representatives members; Sha’aban Sharada (Kano Municipal), Alhassan Rurum (Rano/Kibiya/Bunkure), Abdulkadir Jobe (Tofa/Dawakin Tofa/Rimin Gado), Haruna Dederi (Karaye/Rogo), Nasiru Auduwa (Gabasawa/Gezawa), and a former member of the House of Representatives, Kawu Sumaila, among others face similar difficult choices.
While Rurum, a former speaker of the state assembly has dumped the APC after being overlooked for the APC governorship ticket, Sha’aban, who has bought the governorship form, faces a tough task being one of the members of the G-7. Jobe, Dederi, Auduwa (all members of the G-7) are also said to be considering their options as well as Sumaila, a former aide of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is hoping to represent the people of Kano South Senatorial District at the red chamber.
Shekarau-Kwankwaso marriage of convenience will be impactful – Don
Commenting, a political science lecturer at Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Dr Aminu Hayatu said the G-7 members have themselves to blame for the conundrum they find themselves because they left making concrete decisions too late.
He said with this mistake, those that will remain in APC among the group will be there at their own risk because, with the current structure of political parties in Nigeria, the governor now has full control of the party’s structure including the delegates that will vote during primary elections.
According to Hayatu, an analyst of Kano politics, only those with some form of national connection within the party who then chose to remain in the party will have some advantage within the group.
“Even if they lose at the primaries, which is almost certain they will, their consolation may be that they will get some form of compensation at the national level”, he said, adding that unless they find ‘salvation’ through another political party, they may well be on the verge of political obscurity at the local stage.
As for the proposed romance between Shekarau and Kwankwaso, Hayatu said it would not be strange because over time, both politicians when faced with a daunting common challenge have always resolved to a “marriage of convenience” and with the success of Kwankwaso’s candidate at the last election, politicians like Shekarau know the calculation that with a little more luck and political maneuvering, the new party (NNPP) may take over Kano politics come 2023.
Hayatu said he expected the “marriage” between the duo to go ahead and make the major difference in Kano politics. However, for other aggrieved members of APC that will stay put with the party, they may end up on the losing end because of the current structure of the party system in the country.
He lamented that the idea of a unity list, consensus candidates and delegate voting will continue to undermine democracy in Nigeria for as long as the state governor will be a party’s leader aside from the elected chairman of the party in the state.
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