Category Archives: Opinion

By Abdul-Azeez Suleiman

The 2023 governorship race in most states feels like the most intense and controversial election to have ever been seen. And there’s plenty of action in races down ballot, too. This however, may not be the case in Bauchi State where the contest could be a workover for incumbent Governor Bala Abdukadir Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party who is challenged by a weak All Progressives Congress candidate, Sadique Abubakar, a former Chief of Air Staff.It looks like voters in Bauchi will have two distinct choices for governorship on March 11, each with his own personal traits and his own take on things. The two may have certain views in common, but each candidate has his own unique style and character.Siddique for instance, will be going into the fight from the position of obvious weakness having been far removed from the reality of the ordinary people of the state for much too long. And this is the constituency from where bulk of the winning votes are extracted.Saddique Abubakar is already having an uphill task relating with, and canvassing for votes at the grassroots, something that Bala Mohammed has been doing for long, including passing nights in communities while on campaigns. He also needs to work to gain the lost confidence of Islamic groups in the state who are powerful deciders in the governorship elections of Bauchi, as well as the Christian communities both of which Bala Mohammed has effectively done already. The religious leaders and groups are influential in the politics of the state because they have the pulpits and platforms to reach a large audience and send messages within a short time. Yet the APC candidate has not sufficiently utilised this platform with his refusal to visit them and it will seriously count against him going into the polls. Another weakness for Siddique Abubakar is that the electorate lament that he does not have a single project to show apart from the Airforce base and school he influenced to be sighted in Bauchi. He will therefore have a Herculean task to prove to the people of Bauchi State how he can be reliable when he becomes governor. Another major hinderence to Siddique’s chances of becoming governor is the issue of his identity with many in the Katagum zone where he hailed from disputing the claim he is really their son.Bala Mohammed on the other hand, has established himself as an experienced politician since 2007 when he first burst into the limelight by defeating then-incumbent governor, Adamu Mu’azu to become a senator. Since then, he has fought and won many political battles including a failed recall by his constituents, before being appointed minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by President Goodluck Jonathan. In 2019, he went into one of his toughest battles and defeated a sitting Governor. In the the current contest, Governor Mohammed, at the risk of overstating the obvious, has several strength factors going in his favour that are certain determinants to his success.In this regard, Bala will intimidate his challenger with the volumes of projects he has executed in the past three and a half years as governor. This is a major plus for the governor who has been widely praised for developing infrastructure across the state as has never been seen before within a short period of governance. Another area of advantage that Governor Mohammed will also bank on, is his excellent relationship with religious groups and traditional rulers in the state, which he established after his election in 2019. This cordial relationship with groups has been sustained by his administration as the 2023 general election draws closer. Recently, the Izala group came out to openly appreciate Governor Mohammed for doing a lot for them. The group said the governor built schools and mosques for them. The Christian Association of Nigeria also openly appreciated the governor for building churches for Christians in the state. The Christian body led its members in the state on December 26, Boxing Day to the Government House, to register appreciation to him, singing solidarity songs during the visit. The governor will reap immensely from this relationship with various groups in the state who won’t disappoint him when they cast their votes. Positively too, such groups would mobilise their members to vote for him.Beyond these obvious factors running in Bala’s favour, there are also a number of qualities or characteristics that make him a good candidate. Here’s a small sample of Bala’s personal characteristics that are relevant determinants in the contest for the Bauchi government house.According to experts on behavioural science, if we were to do a simple opinion poll, we will find that voters tend to often differentiate candidates in terms of their personal qualities. Why? Because character traits are deemed important. As is well known, a trait is an attribute associated with an individual. In other words, it’s the behavioural characteristics that can often be observed in a person.Most often, casual political conversations with neighbours and friends turn on the candidates’ personalities and believe it or not, when pressed to explain why someone supports Bala Mohammed, people often cite his personal attributes as a central reason.Some will say, “It is very simple, actually. He comes across as an honest and trustworthy person.” Another person may be more nuanced and say, “I don’t necessarily agree with him on all of the issues… I just want to see an honest candidate like him.”Fire in the bellyThis term, used in political circles to describe someone who has a desire to win and is willing to overcome obstacles, is one of Bala Mohammed’s major attributes.Someone who has “fire in the belly” always make a good candidate, especially if like Bala, he also has the courage to make unpopular decisions and demonstrate integrity and leadership in crisis management. At the same time, voters will expect stability and compassion from their chosen candidate which Bala possesses abundantly.Willingness to servePublic service, according to Bala’s perception, is about serving the needs of the people above the needs of one’s self which is why he shows compassion and inspires hope and is willing to serve and to lead. As a servant leader, Bala serves the better good of the people and the state, not the best interests and desires of himself.Hard workingRunning for the highest office in the land is not easy. A campaign will drain you of your energy and spare time, the realization that prepared Bala to always rise early and stay up late to get the job done. Bala Mohammed and his running mate have been doing exactly that for years. Ability to connect to votersBala has amply proven his ability to speak in public and be able to articulate a message, even in the face of adversity. He knows how to appeal to voters and rally them behind a common cause with a clear message. It is obvious that no candidate will be able to agree with all the voters. However, Bala happens to be willing at all times to listen to all sides of an issue, and is able to communicate effectively and connect with supporters and opponents.Knowledge of the issuesHe has proper understanding of national and local issues that are important to all groups in the society such as senior citizens, farmers, small businesses, worship centers, etc in addition to experience in running a campaign and knowing how to attract new and/or undecided voters. Hopefully, this will help the candidate and his political party to develop or formulate a strong vision of the Bauchi State’s future.On a separate and final note, it occurs to me that another simpler and more subjective set of criteria that you could apply well to both Bala and Siddique without bothering to look at which colour or party they each stand for, is ask yourself, which of them would be: more approachable, more experienced and more effective?Good luck, vote well and may the best person wins.

Suleiman, a journalist, wrote from Abuja

By Ibrahim Dangana

Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero, the former two-term governor of Kebbi State and three times senator representing the Central Senatorial District of the State recently won a pyrrhic victory when a split decision of the Supreme Court granted him the PDP’S ticket to contest for the fourth term.However, his return to the Red Chamber via votes remains even more uncertain than ever. He has been in the eye of the storm after allegations emerged that he serially cornered and diverted at least three gigantic constituency projects worth more than one billion Naira.The Senator representing the Central Senatorial District of the State now in his third term in the upper chamber of the National Assembly was alleged to have used his clout to corner the direly needed developments meant for the District to his farm and that of his crony.According to the list of approved Constituency Projects in the 2017 Appropriation Act executed by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, the projects include the construction of Feeder Road which was awarded to Aliero’s Great Northern International Company (GNIC) at Gante for evacuation of agricultural products from farmlands to towns and cities in Kebbi Central Senatorial District worth N200,000,000.Another project cornered by Senator Aliero was the supply and installation of Central Pivot Irrigation Pumps with sprinklers also in Gante village of Kebbi Central Senatorial District worth #264,000,000.The angst of people in Aliero’s Senatorial District is that Gante village is under Lafagu/Gante ward of Kaoje District in Bagudu Local Government Area of Kebbi State. Aliero’s Labana Farm at Gante is under Kebbi North Senatorial district of Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, the incumbent Senate Majority Leader.The questions on the minds of everybody in the Kebbi Central Senatorial District is how much will be enough to satisfy the Senator and his callous cohorts and when will the dividends of democracy begin to trickle down to the people for whom the projects were meant and who really need them?With the 2023 General Elections just around the corner, the hapless electorate are poised to show Senator Muhammad Aliero the way out. And unless he makes restitution, their next move may be to legally confiscate what rightly belongs to them. Only time will tell. He has been switching from one party to the other. For example, he re-decamped to PDP after spending about a year in CPC in early 2012.. He later moved from PDP to APC in 2014. He and some of his close associates since 1999, like Sani Zauro, who was also former State Chairman of defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) Board of Trustees (BoT) in Kebbi State also quit PDP for APC.Aliero’s futile political peregrinations may best be described by the Hausa adage: ‘shure-shure ba sa hana mutuwa.’ Desperate movements cannot stop death. It is not the court judgement that is important but the counted votes of the people.

Dangana writes from Koko Besse Local Government.

By Abdullahi Bayero

On 25th February 2023, Nigerians will vote in a brand new president in one of the most politically charged scenarios since the return of democracy in 1999. On the surface, it seems like a simple four-horse race being run by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC), Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Peter Obi (LP) and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (NNPP). In reality, it is an election that could either substantially stabilize the federation or create more cracks in its unity.The choice of candidates in the coming presidential polls is the widest with 18 parties fielding formidable personalities for the top post. Apart from the aforementioned, contenders include Hamza Al-Mustapha (Action Alliance), Sowore Omoyele (African Action Congress), Umeadi Nnanna (All Progressives Grand Alliance) and Kola M.K.O. Abiola (People’s Redemption Party). However, the real race remains between APC’s Tinubu and the PDP’s Atiku.With 54 per cent of the 94 million registered voters in Nigeria, the North remains the key determinant of the winner of the ballot. Whichever way Northern votes swing, a President is always made but the constitution and even the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria requires alliance with at least one of the Southern regions for a clear victory at the presidential polls. This was clearly demonstrated in the First Republic when the Northern People’s Congress formed government in alliance with the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons and in the Second Republic the National Party of Nigeria aligned with the Southeast and South-south.Now Nigeria is possibly more polarized than at any time in the course of its history even during the civil war. The North-South dichotomy which derived from the 1914 amalgamation remains the fundamental fault-line. Separatists such as the outlawed IPOB and Oduduwa Nation have merely raised the stakes by deploying violence. As in the aftermath of the June 12 1993 electoral crisis, boosting the bridge of unity and cooperation across the River Niger is now a necessity and not an option.In the next fortnight, the North will choose between leveraging its votes to bring a desperate northerner to power or pitching its tents with some southerner who helped to return it to the presidency for the last two consecutive terms. In another dimension, northern voters will decide whether a party that played on the sensibilities of the region by jettisoning power rotation deserves to return to power so soon after a disastrous 16-year reign. In other words, voters in the North will be picking between mine-good-or-bad or the right and moral thing to do.Just as enterprising and industrious categorizes Southerners, intellectual and emotional intelligence classifies Northerners whether Christian, Muslim or even animists. It is not in the Northerner’s character to be selfish and self-serving and it is this sense of justice that has sustained the stability of the Nigerian state since its creation. At independence, the North formed the Federal Government not just by numerical strength but the trust and confidence it enjoyed across other regions.History has once more placed us in a perfect position to test our sense of accommodation and our commitment to truth, justice, equity and fairness. By voting for Tinubu and the APC, the North will be true to its grateful character. It would regain its full respect as a champion of national unity and be in a prime position to negotiate for power in the coming circles. With a win, the nation would also be finally rid of the obnoxious perception peddled by religious bigots that a same-faith ticket cannot work no matter the caliber of the candidates.We must not succumb to the temptation of eating our tomorrow today by denying the South presidency and frittering the solidifying political relations between the North and the Southwest. It is time to prove that we are neither hypocrites nor unjust. Nay sayers do not value trustworthiness, have no hope in the future and aim to obtain instant gratification at cost to citizens and country.We must also dismiss those demonizing the Asiwaju as a certificate forger, serial embezzler and an ethnic chauvinist. Some of these same strident missiles were hurled unsuccessfully against President Muhammad Buhari.Tinubu’s pan-Nigerian passion has been proven throughout his political career. In 1992, he led several aspirants from the Southwest to step down for the late Shehu Musa Yar’adua who won the SDP presidential primaries. In 2007, he offered the presidential ticket of his party to Atiku Abubakar and did same for Nuhu Ribadu in the 2011 presidential polls. His quest succeeded with support for the election of President Buhari in 2015 and 2019.The North now has no better strategy than sacrificing its selfish interest to simply retain power in the region. Furthermore, neither the PDP nor Atiku deserve to be rewarded after their inglorious regime destroyed the fabric, institutions and even the few industries in the region. Voting Atiku also means placing a potential threat to Nigeria’s full integration and progress just a heartbeat away from the Presidency.The 25th February presidential polls are a date with destiny. We must unequivocally elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next President of Nigeria. It is not just the North’s integrity that’s at stake. Our nation’s unity, peace and prosperity may depend on it.

Bayero is a Kaduna-based businessman

By Sani M. Lawal

I just stumbled on an article purportedly written by a certain Comrade Mashema claiming to speak for one Haruna Ibrahim who the writer said is a Bauchi state civil servant in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry with registration number PSN821312.

The writer said he was pleading on behalf of the said civil servant for the Governor of Bauchi state and relevant organs of government to intervene and facilitate the payment of his salaries withheld for 38 months.After reading the article, several questions jumped into my mind that called for care and caution and above all suspicions of the motive behind the article and of course the writer. Firstly, the writer, essentially obscure, could not have been pleading in good faith as he claimed by choosing the media option and not through direct contact with the officials concerned.

Secondly, the writer, evidently unschooled, went to town without the necessary background check that could have given him a solid ground to lay his claim upon; instead, of achieving the objective he claimed, he ended up dancing stark naked in the market square and exposing himself as one of those hatchet men at hand to do mischief for a fee. In order to avoid the kind of embarrassment Comrade Mashema subjected himself to with his slanted story, I undertook a fact check before venturing this response as a concerned indigene of Bauchi state.First, it does not require any deep search to recall that the Bauchi state government of Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed did indeed set up a committee under Adamu Gumba verification to verify staff strength for consolidation with the state salaries bill in order to sanitize the civil service. Every genuinely concerned indigene of Bauchi is as well aware that the Gumba Committee had concluded its assignment and submitted a report with far reaching recommendations.It was therefore the verification committee that discovered the said Haruna Ibrahim as a non-verifiable staff and suggested appropriate measures including the suspension of payment of his salaries. In that report, the said Haruna Ibrahim was uncleared as he was discovered to be redundant without defined schedule or even a duty post.

The committee also found fault with Haruna’s claim to be attending school which he failed to back up with evidence of official release issued to him at anytime.All these facts, Mashema overlooked in his writeup in an obvious haste to deliver his dubious assignment.It is important to place on record here, that Bauchi State had in a bid to boost the state’s workforce employed over 4,000 new staff, has been paying minimum wage, and has implemented consequential adjustments and implemented financial benfits of all employees that have been promoted since previous administrations. One wonders therefore, how much is Haruna salary’s could be, that the State cannot pay if not for reasons of his been found to be an illigimate staff.

It also beats one’s imagination that Haruna Ibrahim could only find his voice now after 38 months and even that through a proxy who turned out to be unprofessional. If only Haruna Ibrahim and Gulumba, his self-appointed voice were not up to some mischief, they ought to have taken the matter up with the ministry they claimed or the Office of the Head of Civil Service. Finally, alternatively, Haruna ought to have shown decent remorse by humbly apologizing for the detected misdemeanor and seek reinstatement by the State and the Governor rather than going the wrong way of unwarranted blackmail in the media.

(Lawal a bona fide Bauchi indigene, writes from Azare)