Kaduna 2019 elections: Of intrigues, fireworks

For residents and stakeholders within and outside Kaduna, the 2019 elections in the state will go beyond the realm of speculations, considering the interesting fireworks that heralded the primaries of the various political parties. MUHAMMAD SABIU takes a panoramic view of the various candidates ahead the elections in the state come 2019.

Next year’s elections in Kaduna State will be very interesting given the many intrigues that have characterised the primaries of the various political parties in the state. One of the interesting dimensions to this is that for the first time in more than three decades, one of the political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be flying a Muslim/Muslim ticket. Many would obviously be interested to find out the various colourations that will imbue the governorship election. Apart from this, the Kaduna Central Senatorial District election between incumbent Senator Shehu Sani and the state governor’s political adviser, Uba Sani, will be a major spectacle of interest considering the dynamics that have attended the frosty relationship between Senator Sani and Governor Nasir el-Rufai. For long, the division between el-Rufai and Sani polarised the interest of the APC before Sani eventually dumped the party.

So far, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kaduna office, has released the names of 36 gubernatorial candidates, including the incumbent who is the standard-bearer of the APC. What this means is that 35 other candidates will be slugging it out with Governor el-Rufai.

Among the governorship candidates are Umar Uba of National Interest Party (NIP), Isa Ashiru of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rabiu Bello of Hope Democratic Party (HDP), Polycarp Danladi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Falalu Bello of People’s Redemption Party (PRP). Others are Fatima Mohammed of Restoration Party of Nigeria (RPN), Elias Yeyu of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Yahaya Alhassan of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and Ibrahim Suleiman of African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Going through the list and within the current political realities both in the state and the country at large, it will not be out of place to say the battle will be between the incumbent, el-Rufai and Ashiru. Ashiru, a former member of the House of Assembly and House of Representatives is a serious contender for the exalted seat of the governor. According to pundits, he almost emerged as the standard-bearer of the APC in 2015 before President Muhammadu Buhari thwarted his ambition and instead raised the hands of el-Rufai as his anointed candidate for Kaduna. That was how Ashiru lost out.

Having realised that the APC would not provide the needed platform to bring his ambition to fruition, Ashiru defected to the main opposition PDP to emerge as the party’s gubernatorial candidate. Even though his emergence was linked to Senator Ahmed Makarfi, political watchers believe that he is a very close ally of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Some have reported Atiku boasting that he would do everything possible to boot out Governor el-Rufai in the 2019 governorship election next year. However, findings by the Nigerian Tribune indicate that some governorship aspirants are still unhappy with the processes of the primaries. In days to come, the political dynamics in the state would take various twists and turns.

But again Governor el-Rufai has been regarded by many as a strategist and a shrewd politician in his own right. Many would argue that dealing with such a character demands tact and caution. He is running his own race to return as governor and expectedly he would use everything at his disposal to emerge victorious.

One of the old horses in the race is Polycarp of APGA. Polycarp, it will be recalled, contested in 2015 with el-Rufai and challenged the emergence of the governor at the tribunal. He told the tribunal that INEC omitted his name in the ballot paper. However, he lost at the appeal when the court ruled against him. Again, this time, he had declared his interest to contest on the platform of the same party. Like in 2015, the APGA candidate might not be a serious threat.

Falalu Bello of the PRP is a successful banker and a traditional title holder of the Zazzau Emirate Council. After spending decades as banker and in various boardrooms, many are yet to come to terms on why he decided to join the PRP. Also findings gathered reveal that many of the candidates are there to fill the gaps of the many unpopular political parties in the state.

According to Bello of Hope Democratic Party (HDP), “I am in the contest to represent the interest of the youths to answer the call of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run law.”

Speaking on her ambition, Fatima of the Restoration Party stated that “I am in the race first as a woman. I am here to demystify the claim that governorship is only for men. Women too can aspire to lead and be good leaders.”

As for the senatorial seats, the battle will be in Kaduna Central between the incumbent, Senator Shehu Sani of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), his childhood friend, Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a young businessman, Lawal Adamu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This is another battle that is too close to call. Two of the candidates have the comparative advantage to emerge.

While Senator Shehu Sani may use the power of incumbency, Uba Sani of the APC who is the Special Adviser to el-Rufai on political matters will ride on the governor’s back to clinch victory.  Lawal Adamu of the PDP may emerge if he gets the support of some power brokers of the party in the district.

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Another battle zone is the Southern Senatorial District where the incumbent Senator Danjuma Laah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will slug it out with Rijo Shekari of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the incumbent deputy governor, Yusuf Bala Bantex of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Many hold the view that the battle will be between the incumbent Senator Laah and Bantex. Laah, apart from breaking the jinx of getting the party’s ticket for a second term, is also to ensure that he emerges victorious at the polls. For the deputy governor who is also a politician in the zone, having been a local government chairman, former member of the House of Representatives and state chairman of the APC and with the support of the governor, many hold that the election would be a walkover for him.

While in the Northern Senatorial District, the battle is foreseen to be between the present senator representing the zone, Suleiman Hunkuyi and the state finance commissioner, Suleiman Abdu Kwari. Senator Hunkuyi who fell out with el-Rufai will like to retain his seat now that he is in a different party to prove that he is not only a grass-roots politician but one that could not easily be toyed with. In essence, the battle is between the governor and the senator.

Like the senatorial seat, the House of Representatives contest in the state will also have a blend of the old and new. For instance, in Kaduna North, there is Suleiman Samaila who is the incumbent lawmaker on the platform of the APC. He is running   for a second term on the platform of the same party.

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Also in Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency, Yakubu Barde is expected to run on the platform of the PDP. Barde who is the deputy minority whip in the House of Representatives, has been in the green chamber for over a decade. However, there is a new entrant into the race: 32-year-old Gabriel Haar Zock who, many believe, will spring a surprise as he emerged the APC candidate for Kachia/Kagarko federal constituency. He is expected to slug it out with Adams Jagaba of the PDP. It should be noted that Jagaba went to the House on the platform of the APC before he later defected to the PDP.

Also, there is Tajudeen Abbas of the APC seeking re-election to represent Zaria Federal Constituency. Gideon Gwani of the PDP is another old horse who has been in the green chambers for a long while. As the incumbent lawmaker representing Kaura Federal Constituency, he is running for a fourth term. He is being challenged by a new entrant: Joseph Afan of the SDP.

For Jemaa/Sanga Federal Constituency, Nicholas Garba of the PDP is running for a third term. While Philemon Kure from Zango /Jaba Federal Constituency will be running on the platform of the PRP.

In the state House of Assembly, there is a mix of both the old and new order. The present deputy speaker, Nuhu Goro Shadalafiya, representing Kagarko Constituency, is seeking another term in office. In Gabasara Constituency, there is Isa Hazo of the APC seeking a second term in office. Hazo desires to break the second term jinx. He wants to return to the House.  Also, the speaker, Aminu Shagali, is seeking a second term to represent Sabon Garin constituency on the platform of the APC.

The new entrants are Illiya Tumbuark, Zonkowa constituency on the platform of the APC; Dr Yusuf Mugu seeks to represent Kaura constituency on the platform of the PDP and Pastor Zugwai Chukwu of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) representing Zonkwa constituency, as well as Wilson Yangwe of APC, Kaura constituency. As the elections draw near, residents and stakeholders within and outside the state are only hopeful that the best representatives emerge.