Mohammed Danjuma Goje

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje, who represents Gombe Central Senatorial District, has opposed the consensus arrangement adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State ahead of the 2027 elections.

Party stakeholders had, during a meeting chaired by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya on Sunday, endorsed a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ahmadu Deba, as the consensus candidate for the senatorial seat currently occupied by Goje. The development was reported by Daily Trust.

In response, Goje distanced himself from the outcome of the meeting through a statement issued by his aide, Barrister Saidu Muazu Kumo. The senator, who is seeking a fifth term, described the process as flawed and not inclusive.

“The purported consensus meeting involved only Governor Yahaya and a limited number of aspirants, and did not include all duly recognised aspirants within the party,” the statement read.

Goje maintained that the arrangement did not comply with the Electoral Act, which provides guidelines for candidate nomination.

“The provisions of the Electoral Act have clearly stipulated two lawful methods for the nomination of candidates by political parties for submission to the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the 2027 general elections,” he said.

“These methods must be strictly adhered to in order to ensure legality and transparency in the electoral process.”

He also pointed out that several aspirants who had obtained the required nomination forms were not part of the meeting held at the Government House.

“It is further noteworthy that across the various electoral constituencies, several aspirants have validly purchased their Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms, and were not participants in the said consensus arrangement held at the Government House,” he added.

Kumo stressed that the party must follow due process as required by law. He said the appropriate method in the current situation is direct primary elections, which would be supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies.

“In accordance with the extant electoral framework, the nomination process shall be conducted through direct primary elections, which are to be duly monitored by INEC and relevant security agencies, on a date to be slated by the party,” he said.

The statement also warned against imposing candidates, noting that such action would violate existing laws.

“Any form of imposition of candidates by political parties is inconsistent with, and contrary to, the provisions of the current electoral laws in Nigeria,” the statement stressed.

The disagreement has heightened tensions within the APC in Gombe State over the adoption of consensus candidates.

Earlier, a governorship aspirant of the party, Isa Ali Pantami, rejected the endorsement of Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna as the APC’s consensus governorship candidate. He argued that consensus can only stand if all aspirants agree to it.

“Legally, there can be no valid consensus without involving the aspirants who have obtained or completed their expression of interest and nomination forms,” he said.

Pantami cited the Electoral Act to support his position, noting that only two methods are recognised for selecting candidates.

“In Section 84 (2), political parties are restricted to only two methods for selecting candidates. The two methods are consensus, where all aspirants agree in writing, and direct primaries,” he explained.

“If even one aspirant refuses, the party must revert to a direct primary.”

He also called on his supporters to remain calm while legal options are explored.

“We will not ignore what is a total disregard for the provisions of the law,” he said.

By Nazir Muhammad Saulawa

It has been about three years since the reconstruction project of the “Gadan Dauda” bridge began at the centre of Dadinkowa Town in Yamaltu Deba LGA, Gombe State. The project was started around 2019/2020 by the former Governor and the incumbent Senator representing Gombe Central, Alh. Danjuma Goje. He promised to address the problem of the constant water flood caused by the seasonal river, which, for over 15 years, led to the destruction of neighbouring houses and properties and eventually restricted vehicles, motorcycles and trekkers from passing through the bridge during every rainfall in the annual raining season.

In early 2020 after Sen. Goje’s intervention to rehabilitate the bridge, residents welcomed and celebrated the new development. However, it is unfortunate that the senator abandoned the project without notifying the people of the area of the reason for leaving it uncompleted. Since then, there has been no feedback from his aides or the contractor.

Moreover, after the demolition of the old one (more repairable), which people managed to repair and use for their everyday businesses, they were left with no choice but to unfollow the bridge or use its dilapidated sides to pass.

Gadan Dauda bridge is the shortcut road that people pass through, especially students of the Federal College of Horticulture, to go inside the town or merchants from different remote villages to reach Dadin Kowa Market quickly. Therefore, completing the project will ease the transportation of goods, save houses and properties and help the passers-by to go about their daily businesses without hesitation or infringement.

We appeal to Gombe State Governor, Alh. Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and Sen. Danjuma Goje to finish the project and, if possible, build a new road for more benefits.

Nazir Muhammad Saulawa could be reached via nazzhubby@gmail.com

By Kabiru Danladi Lawanti

After the modest stewardship of Governor Abubakar Habu Hashidu, may Allah rest his soul (1999-2003), Mohammed Danjuma Goje took over amid tremendous efforts made by patriotic Gombawa to move quicker to the mission and vision of the creation of the state. As Governor, Danjuma Goje realized early the challenges faced by the new state, especially in terms of 21st-century development.

As a Governor, Goje worked hard with his team in laying the foundation for a modern state, where critical infrastructure and development initiatives hallmarked his administration. As Governor, we have to give it to Goje because he remains an illuminating leader of modern Gombe. After his illustrious tenure, he showed the way for competitive stewardship and possibilities in Gombe State.

However, fast forward to his representation as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing Gombe Central. Much was expected from him as an astute politician, a political science graduate, and a two-term governor.

In August 2020, the Daily Trust newspaper listed Senator Danjuma Goje among senators who had only two bills to their names. Therefore, when he announced his retirement from active politics early last year, many thought Goje, an elder statesman, was paving the way for his mentees to replace him in the Senate Chamber. Albeit, a few months after the announcement, Goje ate his words.

According to media reports, Goje was compelled by a group of “stakeholders” to rescind his decision and threatened to take legal action if Goje refused to heed their calls to stand for future elective positions. In an article I wrote last year, I advised Goje not to allow some people, calling themselves “stakeholders”, to drag his hard-earned political reputation into the mud. However, I later learned he sponsored the movement.

Since Goje has decided to remain in elective and active politics, our responsibility as stakeholders is to call his attention to some fundamental issues he plans to do for his constituency. It’s already the 2022 fiscal year, as this may be his final tenure in the senate. It is also essential to remind Goje that he needs to be careful about his legacy to bequeath to those coming after him.

In the constituency projects I sighted, what drew my attention was his intervention in education. All the projects he listed and the amount to be spent on the projects is commendable. However, as someone who works in the educational sector, I think what was mentioned is far from the needs of his constituency. If I may come in here, and if electorates have a voice in the way projects are cited or allocated, I think what I saw in the submission made by Senator Goje is, to say the least disappointing.

For instance, Goje’s constituency project for the 2022 fiscal year included distribution, supply and provision of educational materials, textbooks, educational aids, writing materials, educational charts and fertilizer to schools and farmers across the constituency. The project will cost a whopping N3bn. But, what attracted my attention was the materials to be supplied, provided or distributed.

Since my concern is education, I did a small analysis, looking at the places these “educational materials”, “educational aids”, “textbooks”, “writing materials”, and “educational chart” are going. In that alone, Goje is to spend N2.2bn for this project. However, most of these schools receiving these do not need these interventions; instead, they need good classrooms, qualified teachers, and a conducive environment for learning.

Recently, the Punch newspaper report shocked the world when it visited a community in Akko Local Government, Goje’s constituency, where about 150 children learn under harsh conditions after a windstorm demolished their school years ago. I don’t think Goje or any of his aides is not aware of the plight of these communities. The community is a few kilometres from the NYSC temporary orientation camp at Amada, stressing that they were tired of promises.

It does not make sense for the Senator to put N200m to supply writing materials in Kembu when a whole community has children learning under the harshest conditions you can imagine. Also, even if there are no communities like Wui-wui, does it make any sense to put N2.2bn for the “distribution”, “supply”, and “provision” of educational materials (forget the repetition of one word in different synonyms) while most of our rural communities are without schools or drinking water?

As an elder statesman and a politician of repute, I think Goje ought to know better. History will not be kind to him if these are the legacies he wants to leave as a senator of the federal republic. Goje is not too late to review these constituency projects and channel our resources to where we need them.

Kabiru Danladi Lawanti wrote from the Department of Mass Communication, ABU Zaria, via kblondon2003@yahoo.com.