Malam Ibrahim Shekarau

By Musa Sa’adu

Political parties remain the only vehicle or platforms for candidates/politicians to aspire for political offices. This, however, leads to the emergence of various interest groups within a party. The groups work harmoniously together to pursue their common goals. However, the success or otherwise of a political party depends mainly on how the stakeholders manage these interest groups in the distribution of party positions, party tickets, appointments and the traditional largesse as the case may be. Failure to do these for any reason has, on so many instances, led to the internal party crises.

The 1983 election that produced Senator Sabo Bakinzuwo against a well-performing Governor Abubakar Rimi, seeking reelection resulted fromf party crises. The PRP crises that metamoposed into ‘Tabo‘ and ‘Santsi‘ factions, led by Malam Aminu Kano and Rimi respectively, forced Rimi as a sitting Governor to dump PRP for NPP to seek reelection. However, this was one of the cardinal reasons behind his Waterloo despite his performance in office throughout Kano and Jigawa.

Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and, of course, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje are no doubt the principal actors of the Fourth Republic Kano politics. The three have benefited and suffered the consequences of internal party crises.

Our memories are still intact on how the political hullabaloo, shenaniganism and internal party wranglings ruined the reelection bid of Governor Kwankwaso during the 2003 Governorship election. The defection of Danhassan, crises between Kwankwaso and some members of the National Assembly, notably the then speaker of the House Of Representatives, Hon. Ghali Na-Abba and perhaps General Buhari factor were among the contributing factors that led to the Kwankwaso/Ganduje downfall and the emergence of Malam Shekarau.

Likewise, Shekarau suffered the repercussions of internal party crises; his anointed candidate Salisu Sagir Takai was defeated by Kwankwaso/Ganduje. The crises between Shekarau and his deputy, Abdullahi Gwarzo, popularly known as Ruwa Baba, the over fifty thousand votes garnered by him during the Governorship election, has smoothly leveraged the second coming of Kwankwaso and Ganduje in the 2011 election.

The current turmoil rocking the Kano APC is a cause of concern to any committed party member. The internal crises that paved the way for two parallel conventions that produced Abdullahi Abbas and Haruna Zago representing Ganduje and Shekarau led factions respectively will create a hole that will gradually sink the Kano APC ship, and neither the Ganduje nor Shekarau will survive the mishaps including their supporters.

In politics, number matters; everyone is important! Don’t tell me someone who’s Governor for eight years and a serving senator doesn’t have political influence, and these G-7 members, as they fondly called themselves, are blessed with sturdy supporters and resources to bankroll political movements that can make or mar an election.

With the Tuesday court verdict favouring the Shekarau-led faction and considering the nature of Nigerian litigation processes, I’m afraid that whichever faction the pendulum swings and even if they won the general polls, the replica of Zamfara 2019 is imminent.

Both Ganduje and Shekarau should tread with caution; there is still time. They shouldn’t listen to the sycophants instigating the crises. Let them sit, discuss and iron out the grey and problematic areas and find out political solutions; otherwise, Kwankwaso will send them to political oblivion.

By Salisu Uba Kofar-Wambai

By Muhammad Abdurrahman

Professor Umar Farouk of the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano and a former Kano State Commissioner of Information during the second tenure of Dr Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso spoke with The Daily Reality on the possibility of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau’s return to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the possible emergence of the Third Force before 2023 elections.

Prof. Farouk said that “Mal. Ibrahim Shekarau’s decamping to APC didn’t help him. They don’t respect him. Someone as eloquent as Shekarau is now missing in the headline tells you there is a problem in APC. His silence tells you he is not happy with the manner he is treated. He is just waiting for an opportunity to break his silence.”

“When he was at PDP, Dr Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso visited him, sought for his support and made him many promises when they form a government. But Shekarau thought differently and decamped to APC. Even though people see him as our arch-rival, look at how Kwankwasiyya supporters received him at the airport without any hard feelings. Look at how they escorted him to his car, and also those at Nassarawa Local Government look at their pictures with him. This is the discipline instilled in them by our “Jagora” [Kwankwaso].”

A similar incident brought Senator Kwankwaso and the Minister of Communication, Dr Isa Aliyu Pantami, at the same Malam Aminu Kano Airport in 2019. At that time, some Kwankwasiyya supporters shouted at the latter, a few others attempted to wrestle him. Recalling this regrettable incident, Prof. Farouk responded, “Dr Isa Pantami was only unlucky because of the political climate at that time. And that brawl was mainly premeditated by a lot of issues.”

Since 2003, supporters of Kwankwaso and Shekarau dominated political programmes on Kano radio stations with talks and counter talks on the two political giants. But it seems that is no longer the case.

Prof. Farouk argued, “To the best of my knowledge, it is infrequent now, that is if even it happens to see a bona fide Kwankwasiya supporter criticising Shekarau on both social media and conventional media. Considering how the leadership of APC in Kano and at the national level treats him, we sympathise with him. A Kano State governor for eight years; a former minister and presently a senator of Kano Central, but his party, APC, doesn’t see his worthiness.  He is not contacted about the party’s activities in most cases as he was not considered in the previous local government elections.”

“There is a possibility that both Shekarau and Kwankwaso will forget their differences and form a formidable alliance to bring the change people have been aspiring for because we all tested the bitterness of APC’s administration. Shekarau was from PDP, and certainly, he will return. We, the Kwankwasiyya bloc, have an existing structure that is waiting for him. It is not a shame if he comes back to his home, PDP. His return will certainly boost the strength of PDP,” said Prof. Farouk.

The Third Force is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria’s politics, especially when there are crises in the ruling party and things are not faring well. Both politicians and the governed look for an alternative. Prof. Farouk added, “Though it is a bit late, Third Force is inevitable considering the political unrests in the country. Both APC and PDP have internal crises with many cases in the court about the leadership structure and other issues.”

“There would be a lot of movements to and from both parties depending on where the wind blows. Therefore, governors, senators, and state and federal representatives need to be the third force to cause any change. Without these people, it is a futile exercise to talk about the third force. This is the reason why, often, some people stay in the ruling party because it has the resources to win elections, legitimately or otherwise.”

“But naturally, there must be an opposition. Those members who stay and nurse their ambition to fruition will win. This is what President Muhammadu Buhari did for many years, and in the end, APC won. So you must be patient,” Prof. concluded.