gladiators who will shape kaduna in 2015

8/10/2019 Gladiators Who Will Shape Kaduna in 2015

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Gladiators who will shape Kaduna in 2015 Sambo, Yero, Makarfi, El Rufai, Ashiru,

Although the 2015 elections is less than a year from now,the actors to watch for the political contest are oiling their

guns for the battle ahead. IBRAHEEM MUSA examines the

political gladiators that will shape Kaduna State in 2015 Before now, the political equation was simple and predictable in KadunaState. Since 1999, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has held sway with



southern Kaduna largely providing the winning votes.

The opposition, almost always wins Kaduna North and South localgovernments, Z a r i a and Sabon Gari c o u n – c i l s , including Igab i area

council. Urban, populous and politically active, these local governments

have close to half of the registered voters in the state. However, in spite ofthis, PDP always coasted to victory owing to southern Kaduna‟s block votes.

In 2007, the zone demanded for power shift and the late Senator Isaiah Balat put up a good fight, but his best wasn‟t good enough. That time, Architect

Namadi Sambo, a relative dark horse, clinched the governorship. Naturally, the zone felt aggrieved but the people still stuck to PDP and voted

overwhelmingly for the party. Briefly, their turn came accidently, when Sir

Patrick Yakowa became governor in 2009. But two years after, he died in anair crash.

Figuratively, death robbed southern Kaduna of two terms and the people

were enraged. Significantly, for no apparent reason, Governor MuktarRamalan Yero has become the butt of their bile. In particular, they accusedhim of arrogance, marginalisation and insensitivity to the killings in their

area.

Instructively, from Governor Ahmed Makarfi to Sambo, including Yakowa,all governors stood accused of the same offences while in power.

Regardless, Makarfi got southern Kaduna votes, so did Sambo and Yakowa,

their son-of-the-soil. However, this time around, times have changed and thefalcon cannot hear the falconer.

The people, this time around, have decided to take their destiny in their

hands and the consensus, according to reports, is to either vote for a southernKaduna governor, or vote against Governor Yero in 2015.

As things stand now, defeating Yero at the PDP primaries is almostimpossible and Mr James Bawa Magaji, the southern Kaduna All

Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant is unlikely to win the party‟s

primaries. Yero and Hon. Isa Ashiru will most likely emerge the candidates

of PDP and APC respectively. So, southern Kaduna may vote against Yero,in pursuit of their plan B.

The governor, on the other hand, has been trying to woo southern Kaduna

and his northern brothers to his side. In addition, his father is pulling stringsfor the governor as the old man, according to reports, had reached out to

retired General T.Y Danjuma, the rallying point of northern minorities, in

order to prevail on southern Kaduna elders to ceasefire.However, the opposition from the youths and the elders, according to

reports, have little or no say in the “new struggle.” Significantly, the race forgovernorship, the jostling for vice presidency and the desire for power shift,



are all adding colour, intrigue and drama to the political scene in Kaduna

State. The following are some of the politicians to watch in the race for2015.

Namadi Sambo: Sitting on a shaky throne

In this dispensation, few politicians are as lucky as Namadi Sambo, the vice president. In 2007, his friend and business associate, Governor Ahmed

Makarfi drafted Sambo to the gubernatorial race, mobilised state machinery behind him and railroaded him to victory. In the primaries, Sambo defeated

professional politicians, old war horses and front runners like Balat.However, between Sambo and Balat, there was a runoff election to

determine the PDP flag bearer. Thereafter, from relative obscurity, Sambo

clinched the governorship seat of Kaduna. With time, Sambo and Makarfifell out and some political elites smarting from the earlier defeat, ganged up

against the then governor. Increasingly, Sambo‟s political naiveté, the feud

within PDP and the agitation from southern Kaduna for power shift, madehim vulnerable to defeat. At once, Sambo was seen as a lame duck that willfall in 2011 e l e c – t i o n . However, the happygo- lucky governor never

lost his cool and by divine intervention, Sambo moved up the political

ladder. On May 6, 2010, following President Umaru Yarádua‟s demise, thenVice President Goodluck Jonathan became presidency. Similarly, he picked

Sambo as vice president and since then, the duo‟s relationship has been a

rosy one. However, in recent times, fifth columnists are trying to put themasunder. In part, some hawks want Jonathan to replace Sambo in 2015. In

particular, they cite his light political weight, PDP‟s woes in the North and

the stiff opposition to the party in his constituency, as hur dles to Jonathan‟sre-election. Specifically, Sambo‟s Kaduna North Local Government, his

federal constituency and senatorial zone are all APC-controlled. In addition,Kano, Sokoto and Zamfara states, out of the seven North-West states, are

being controlled by the opposition. Similarly, PDP is not popular in the

entire North and rightly or wrongly, critics cite Sambo‟s alleged ineptitude

as reason for the party‟s poor showing in his primary constituency.Consequently, some elements are rooting for Barrister Ibrahim Shema, the

Katsina State governor, to replace Sambo as vice president. Largely, this

rumour has been denied but how Sambo will weather the storm, reversePDP‟s fortunes in the North and retain his vice presidency make him one of

the politicians to watch in 2015. However, the fact that Sambo and the

president are on good terms is the vice president‟s trump card. Muktar Ramalan Yero: In the eye of opposition

In a way, Governor Yero‟s trajectory is similar to Sambo‟s meteoric rise.Like Sambo, the governor of Kaduna State had little or no public service



experience before joining politics. In fact, after a five-year stint with the

Nigerian Universal Bank, he hitched on to Sambo‟s coattails. For several years, he worked at Nalado Nigerian Limited, an omnibus

business concern, owned by Sambo. In 2007, when Sambo became

governor, Yero joined government as Commissioner of Finance and part ofthe kitchen cabinet.

Two years later, following Sambo‟s elevation to vice president, Sir PatrickYakowa became governor and in May 2010, he picked Yero as deputy

governor on the influence of Sambo. Significantly, two years down the road,Yakowa died in a fatal air crash and naturally, Yero stepped into his shoes.

Yero, for over one year now, has been governing Kaduna in relative peace.

Specifically, the spate of bombings that rocked Kaduna town has abated.Conversely, gunmen have been on the rampage, killing at Birnin Gwari and

surrounding villages, including villages in southern Kaduna. On March 14,

Kaura Local Government was attacked and more than 100 people lost theirlives.The carnage added salt to injury in southern Kaduna and the „Concerned

Realists‟, a nascent pressure group, has vowed to mobilise against PDP in

the 2015 elections. Significantly, from 1999 to 2011, southern Kaduna has been voting solidly for PDP. In fact, its block votes have largely won

elections for the party.

So, the threat of voting against PDP in the south, including APC‟sincursions, will expose Yero‟s soft underbelly. Right now, Kaduna North

and South local governments, Igabi, Zaria and Sabon Gari councils are APC

controlled.These councils, going by the Independent National Electoral Commission

(INEC) figures, have close to half of the registered voters in Kaduna State.This electoral strength, coupled with the threats from southern Kaduna, a

predominantly PDP enclave, is bound to make Yero jittery.

The way and manner he wins the people‟s hearts and minds and get elected

in 2015 remains to be seen. However, APC may implode after its primariesand in the event of that, Yero‟s victory is assured.

Ahmed Makarfi: The beautiful bride

Perhaps, Senator Makarfi, former governor of Kaduna, can be called thedean of governors. From 1999 to 2007, he held sway as governor for eight

years. Thereafter, he picked Sambo, his friend and business associate, to

succeed him as he went to the Senate after serving two terms.Afterwards, by force majeure, Sambo became vice president and Yakowa,

the deputy governor, stepped into Sambo‟s shoes. Ironically, at differenttimes, Yakowa was deputy to both Makarfi and Sambo.



By extension, Sambo, Yakowa and to a large extent Yero, were part of

Makarfi‟s political dynasty. Calm, soft spoken and calculating, Makarfi isnot given to open altercation in a feud.

In 2008, he fell out with Sambo, the battle line was drawn but Makarfi never

crossed the red line. In private, he mulled over the state of affairs, took potshots at Sambo but never went to the media. In public, the duo shook hands

and pretended that all was well while their supporters traded invectives.Significantly, Makarfi‟s political structure is alive and well and in southern

Kaduna, he is still being lionised. In addition, he chairs the powerful SenateFinance Committee, overseeing the national purse. This position and his

well oiled political machinery as well as his deep pockets are assets in

Makarfi‟s war arsenal. Right now, he is the proverbial beautiful bride as APC is trying to woo him

over. Last December, his political associates like Alhaji Yaro Makama

Rigachukun, defected to APC with over 2000 supporters.However, Makarfi is still in PDP but his heart is allegedly in APC. In 2015,may not contest any election but he will hold the aces of who becomes

governor and president of Kaduna and Nigeria respectively. However,

because he is sitting on the fence, neither APC nor PDP trusts him and hemay end up losing both ways.

Suleiman Hunkuyi: Guber aspirant of all times

A serial gubernatorial aspirant, Hunkuyi is a grassroots politician who hascontested the governorship of the state since 2003.

A former council chairman, Makarfi rode on his structure in 1999 to become

governor and Hunkuyi was made Commissioner of Finance. In that position,he dispensed financial patronage, sorted out political tangles and oiled the

party machinery in general. The Hunkuyi-Makarfi tag team worked well forKaduna State in the first four years of the administration.

Willy, politically savvy and open handed, Hunkuyi took care of politics

while Makarfi, an ex-banker and technocrat, concentrated on governance.

In 2003, the duo parted ways as Hunkuyi resigned his position and contestedagainst Makarfi, his friend and former principal. For that purpose, he crossed

over to the All People‟s Party (APP), as it was then called, grabbed its ticket

and took on Makarfi in the general election.After his defeat, Hunkuyi hibernated for a while but in 2007, he resurfaced

in PDP. In that contest, he came a distant third as Sambo was the front

runner while Balat, now deceased, came a close second. Yet again, Hunkuyivied for the governorship in 2011 but this time, he never went beyond the

screening stage.The committee, headed by Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, disqualified him on



the basis of irregular tax payments. However, Hunkuyi protested his

disqualification and the party headquarters allowed him to run. Hunkuyi, forthe third time, couldn‟t win the primaries but in the end, his support was the

game changer. Two days before election, Yakowa reached out to him and

allegedly sealed a deal with Hunkuyi for his support. The rest, as it is said, isnow history. Last year, Hunkuyi defected to APC along with his supporters.

Today, he has not indicated interest in the governorship but according toreports, he is waiting for Malam Nasir El Rufai‟s decision. El Rufai and

Hunkuyi are close and the two will never contest for the same position, asource confided in New Telegraph.

However, whether or not he contests, Hunkuyi‟s support is critical for the

emergence of Kaduna governor. His penchant for switching sides ordefecting to another party, is a blot on his ability to fight electoral battles

with all his sinews.

Nasir El Rufai: The „giant‟ of APC The strength, weakness and capacity of Malam Nasir El Rufai, formerFederal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, are too well known to Nigerians to

bear repeating. El Rufai, APC‟s interim Deputy National Secretary, is as

cantankerous as they come. Controversial, engaging and straight talking, thistechnocrat has crossed swords with the PDP-led government a few times.

However, like him or hate him, El Rufai gets things done and sometimes

with collateral damage. In Nigeria where billions are spent on projects onlyto be abandoned, El Rufai is like a breath of fresh air.

In Kaduna, his posters dot the whole town but according to a source, El

Rufai is not interested in being governor. Although Kaduna‟s decayedinfrastructure will need El Rufai‟s high technical delivery, the man doesn‟t

seem interested in local politics. „The giant‟, as his friends call him, isworking for General Muhammadu Buhari‟s emergence as APC‟s

presidential flagbearer.

Whether or not Buhari flies the party‟s flag, El Rufai will play a key role at

the centre. One way or the other, the ex-minister will raise the bar ofgovernance in or out of government. Specifically, his activism, international

exposure and derring-do will put him in good stead to achieve this.

However, to some analysts, El Rufai is like any fairweather politician.To him, principals and principles can be sacrificed on the altar of

expediency. Significantly, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was his

godfather from the outset.Somehow, when Atiku and President Olusegun Obasanjo parted ways, he

sided with the latter. Although he was in Obasanjo‟s kitchen cabinet, ElRufai consorted with Buhari secretly. Sadly, this propensity to trade places,



is a baggage that will burden for „the giant‟.

In addition, his autobiography, “The Accidental Public Servant”, shows thatnothing is off limits for El Rufai. In the cloak and dagger world of politics,

politicians will always watch their backs where El Rufai is involved.

Isa Ashiru: The lone star in APC A relatively dark horse, Alhaji Ashiru represents Kudan- Makarfi federal

constituency. Young, amiable and generous, little is known about hiscontributions at the House of Representatives. However, Ashiru is the most

visible APC gubernatorial aspirant in Kaduna State.An accountant by profession, Ashiru was at the state assembly in 1999 but

after two terms, the young man moved up the legislature‟s ladder.

In 2007, he was elected to the House of Representatives and in the greenchamber, Ashiru is Vice chairman of Appropriation Committee. On

February 11, Ashiru defected from PDP and the next day, he went to his

Kudan hometown to register for APC. The event, for all intents and purposes, was like a campaign flag off as most APC bigwigs graced theoccasion. Specifically, almost all decampees from PDP turned out for

Ashiru‟s declaration.

In particular, Alhaji Yaro Makama Rigachikun, ex-PDP state chairman foreight years, was at the occasion, so was Alhaji Ibrahim Yaro, another former

state chairman and Ambassador Sule Buba, former Executive Secretary of

Kaduna Pilgrims Board. At the event, Ashiru was variously referred to asgovernor-in-waiting.

However, he is not relying on home support alone; all PDP decampees,

irrespective of senatorial zones, have rallied around Ashiru. Specifically, Mr.Felix Hassan Hyet, former Aviation Minister and a southern Kaduna

political juggernaut, is said to belong to his camp.Personally, on 10 occasions, Ashiru has gone to southern Kaduna to lobby

political stalwarts in the area. From 1999 to 2011, Southern Kaduna has

been a PDP enclave, but in recent times, the people have complained that

their support has not translated to dividends of democracy. Ashiru, like agood politician, has been engaging in retail politics in the area.

As at now, Ashiru is the lone star in APC‟s firmament, the politician with

the most extensive structure and generous amount of goodwill. In summary,he is the aspirant to beat in the APC primaries as at today. However, his

closeness to ex-PDP elements, to the exclusion of the legacy parties, may

elicit a gang-up against him at the primaries.Hakeem Baba-Ahmed: Odd man in the saddle

Going by APC‟s guidelines, Dr. Baba-Ahmed, the chairman of InterimManagement Committee (IMC), shouldn‟t have headed the party in Kaduna



state. The governor, in an APC state, is leader of the party and in a non-APC

state, the highest ranking elected official is the party leader.Similarly, where all these are unavailable, an ex-governor, gubernatorial

candidate or aspirant will suffice. However, in spite of this guideline, Baba-

Ahmed emerged chairman in deference to Senator Sani Saleh, the highestranking official in Kaduna State. Severally, Saleh had plotted for Baba-

Ahmed‟s ouster but the efforts have come to nought. On January 5, Saleh allegedly met with other elected officials, removed

Baba-Ahmed, after passing a no confidence vote on him. Promptly, thedecision was conveyed to party headquarters. The APC high command,

according to reports, asked Alhaji Umaru Dembo to take over Kaduna State.

However, Baba-Ahmed refused to handover, describing Saleh‟s action asnull and void. On February 12, other members of IMC met and passed a vote

of confidence on their chairman, daring Dembo to a power struggle. Quietly,

the latter disappeared from the scene and Baba Ahmed soldiered on.On his own, a few days to the registration exercise, Baba-Ahmed tenderedhis resignation, citing frustration from above. Party elders, stakeholders and

floor members prevailed on him and the chairman rescinded his decision.

Significantly, Baba-Ahmed has built APC, from an amalgam of disparate parties, into a composite whole. In Kaduna state, all the legacy parties as

well as PDP elements, have been accommodated by the Baba- Ahmedled

IMC.According to analysts, this accomplishment is not surprising, given the

chairman‟s pedigree as a university lecturer, ex-INEC secretary and former

federal permanent secretary. However, Baba-Ahmed‟s ability is notunderlined by political considerations and for APC, a merger of strange

bedfellows, this may count against him.Already, there is no love lost between himself and the party‟s national

headquarters. But with or without political office, his intellectual capacity

will make him a leading light in APC, whether or not it forms the state or

central government.James Bawa Magaji: A pawn on the chessboard

For close to 20 years, Magaji has been out of political contention. In 1992,

he was deputy to Governor Dabo Mohammed Lere of Kaduna State.Two years later, the military struck and sent them packing and since then,

Magaji has been in political limbo. Severally, he had attempted to go to the

Senate but his ambition never went beyond aspiration.Magaji, in spite of this, still kept close to his southern Kaduna people,

without alienating others. Amiable and easy going, the man is not an ethnic bigot but during Makarfi‟s tenure, he was a vocal critic of the



administration.

In 2010, he became close to Yakowa but has nothing to show for it. Lastyear, the former deputy governor declared his gubernatorial ambition but

instead of PDP, he pitched tent in APC. Largely, his southern Kaduna people

are diehard PDP supporters but contesting in APC, given the discontentagainst PDP, will chip away at Yero‟s support base.

In this wise, Magaji will be a key player, in the build up to the 2015elections. Mainly, the draw back to his ambition will be lack of political

structure, a solid home base and vast resources to run an effective campaign.Umar Gana: Playing high stakes

Alhaji Gana threads where angels dare. In politics, his antecedents are long,

rich and controversial but largely, Gana plays in the local league of KadunaState. However, his adroitness, rabble rousing and connections are

remarkable. Severally, Gana and Makarfi had locked horns in the past but in

2009, the matter took an ugly turn.Makarfi, at that time, had left Government House and Sambo, his successor,was calling the shots at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House. With time, Makarfi and

his protégé fell out and Gana took sides with Sambo, took on Makarfi,

accusing him of corruption, cronyism and non-performance.However, three years down the road, Gana has turned full circle as he and

Sambo, now the vice president, are on opposite sides of the barricade.

Last year, Gana wrote Sambo an open letter on December 23, highlightingthe crisis in Kaduna PDP. Specifically, Gana had listed several concerns,

complaints and observations, especially on APC‟s incursion into K aduna

and North-West.Before then, he had met Yero several times, according to the letter, but the

governor didn‟t see the scary scenario. In frustration, Gana went public withhis complaint and in the letter, he called “for collective concerted effort to

salvage the situation. Otherwise, given our past experience, we have no

alternative than to either join APC or flee for our dear lives.”

Till date, Gana has neither joined APC nor fled Kaduna. However, onDecember 24, 2013, a day after the letter was published, 75 PDP chieftains

defected to APC, including Alhaji Ibrahim Yaro and Rigachikun, two former

state chairmen.A week later, from Kaduna North local government, about 2000 PDP

members crossed over to APC. Naturally, these defections rattled PDP and

the ruling party, from within and outside Kaduna, tried to down play theimpact. However, the vice president was devastated, first by Gana‟s letter

and the raft of defections.In particular, Gana‟s letter was orchestrated from Abuja, by powerful forces



in the presidency and PDP high command. Specifically, it was meant to

embarrass Sambo, disparage the vice president and portray him as irrelevantin Kaduna State and the North-West. The bottom line, according to reports,

was to prepare the ground for replacing him as vice president.

Shema, the Katsina State governor, would have replaced Sambo if the plothad succeeded. By taking on Sambo and Yero, Gana is playing high stakes

and if the move does not consume him, it will make him stronger in the runup to the 2015 elections.

Nemadi Usman: The golden girl of Southern Kaduna After graduation and the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, Senator

Usman‟s first job was Special Adviser in the Dabo Lere administration in

Kaduna State. In her 20s, the lady was a beacon of hope for SouthernKaduna and women empowerment in general.

However, the government was shortlived but in 1998, she got elected into

the House of Representatives but Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar, the newhelmsman following General Sani Abacha‟s death, annulled the entiretransition programme. In 1999, she bounced back to the political arena, first

as Commissioner of Women Affairs.

Four years later, she relocated to the centre and became Minister of State forFinance, a deputy of sorts to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala. After Okonjo-

Iweala‟s exit in a controversial cabinet reshuffle, Usman became the

substantive minister. Somehow, her star dimmed in 2007.But in 2011, she went to the Senate, representing Southern Kaduna at the

upper chamber. Nemadi, according to reports, wanted to cross over to the

executive arm of government as minister, following Hajiya HadizaMailafiya‟s sack. However, she locked horns with Balat, her ally turned

political rival.The contest was fierce but as a compromise, Mr. Laurentia Malam, the

current Environment Minister, was selected in their stead. A Kagoro

Christian, the senator is married to Dr. Usman Saád, the chief of Jere in

Southern Kaduna. Ideally, she looks like the bridge between Muslims andChristians in the area.

However, the reverse is the case as southern Kaduna people, in a new wave

of ethnic nationalism, want a “full-fledged indigene” as their representativein 2015. This is Usman‟s albatross. But whatever happens, she will still

remain relevant as a stakeholder in Kaduna state, even if the opposition

clinches power.Laurentia Malam: Burden of a woman leader

Mrs. Malam, the current Minister of Environment, is Kaduna representativeat the Federal Executive Council. From 1999 to 2002, she was chairperson



of Zangon Kataf Local Government. Afterwards, she became woman leader,

North-West zone of the Obasanjo/Atiku Campaign Organisation in 2003.Eight years later, she also campaigned for the Goodluck/Sambo ticket in the

North-West. A grassroots politician, Malam is a staunch member of the

Catholic Women Organisation(CWO) and several Non GovernmentalOrganisations (NGOs).

Last month, after the contest between Balat, now deceased, and Usman wasdeadlocked, she became the tie breaker and emerged minister.

Significantly, Malam is a voice of reason and moderation in southernKaduna and across the state. According to reports, her ability to balance

contending forces as chairperson of Zangon Kataf was remarkable.

The council, located in southern Kaduna, is home to Katafs, Bajjus andHausa-Fulanis as well as a host of other tribes that are battling for

supremacy.

Malam‟s even-handedness was applauded. In 2015, PDP may be a tough sellin Southern Kaduna and the party will rely on her and other elected officialsand political appointees to market it. How she makes a success of this will

play a major role in the fortunes of the party in the state.

Abubakar Mustapha: Against all odds One of the longest serving Heads of Service in Kaduna State, Alhaji

Abubakar Mustapha is the current National Organising Secretary of PDP.

In 2012, his nomination caused a stir within the North-West zone asGovernor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State opposed the bid, so did Barrister

Ibrahim Shema, the Katsina State governor. The position, according to them,

was zoned to North-West but unilaterally, Sambo cornered it for Kadunastate.

Apart from National Organising Secretary, Sambo also fielded BarristerYakubu Abdullahi, also from Kaduna, as zonal secretary. These nominations

didn‟t go down well with Kwankwaso and Shema and the duo openly

protested at the zonal congress.

At home, Mustapha‟s nomination was also criticised as Sambo, withoutconsulting Kaduna caucus, had put his name forward. In the end, Sambo

sacrificed Abdullahi and gave up the Kaduna State chairmanship to southern

Kaduna.Subsequently, Mustapha‟s nomination scaled through. As the most senior

PDP official from Kaduna, Mustapha will fight the battle of his political life

for his party‟s victory in 2015. Although he has experience in the public service, Mustapha is not yet

political astute. How he reinvents and asserts himself in the potentiallyacrimonious PDP primaries remains to be seen.



Lawal Samaila Yakawada: Out in the cold

In the Yakowa administration, Yakawada, the Secretary to the StateGovernment (SSG) was the defacto deputy governor. Yakawada, on almost

everything, had the governor‟s ears and largely, the SSG determined who

got what at that time. However, times have changed and Yakawada is out inthe cold.

Specifically, Alhaji Ishaq Hamza Danmahawai, from the same Giwa LocalGovernment, has now succeeded Yakawada as SSG. In addition, Governor

Yero, the marginalised deputy governor, has become the number one citizenin the state. Right now, Yakawada is in political Siberia but he is still in

PDP.

However, in spite of all odds, the ex-SSG is still defending Yakowa,explaining his policies and inclusive politics. This attitude, according to

reports, has angered many of Yero‟s loyalists, but southern Kaduna people

admire Yakawada‟s steadfastness. In particular, he is still close to Mrs Amina Yakowa, the ex-governor‟swidow. Significantly, with Southern Kaduna‟s open revolt against PDP, only

the likes of Yakawada can pacify the people.

Recently, Sambo allegedly met with him behind closed doors, especiallyafter the mass defection in December. Although he doesn‟t have the

resources to vie for any elective post, Yakawada will be an asset to PDP

during the 2015 election.Felix Hassan Hyet: The gateway to southern Kaduna

After the death of Mr. Stephen Shekari, the deputy to Governor Makarfi, Sir

Patrick Yakowa ascended the deputy governorship position. In the samemanner, Hyet became the Secretary to State Government (SSG), a position

that Yakowa had vacated.Politically savvy, Hyet is a member of Makarfi‟s political dynasty and a

respected elder in southern Kaduna.

In 2007, President Umaru Yar‟Adua appointed him Minister of Aviation but

a year later, he was given the boot, along with several others, in a cabinetreshuffle.

Sidelined, Hyet is still in PDP but reports indicate that, in a matter of

months, he will defect to APC. In the event of that, the opposition will havecaught a big fish from southern Kaduna as Hyet will sell the party in the

area.

According to reports, Ashiru may make him his running mate when theformer flags off his gubernatorial campaign. However, his dilly-dallying

over whether or not to remain in PDP is sending a wrong signal to hissupporters.



But Hyet‟s greatest asset is that he was SSG in a government that has so far

given southern Kaduna the best deal since 1999. This testimonial will comehandy when he decides to sell APC or Ashiru amongst his people.

Yaro Makama Rigachikun: The Adedibu of Kaduna politics

Rigachikun, like the late Chief Lamidi Adedibu, the strongman of Ibadan politics, is unlettered but has a “doctorate degree” in practical politics.

Rigachukun was Kaduna State chairman of PDP for eight years.In the Second Republic, he was a marginal player as he participated in

politics on the fringes, while he drove his trailer to earn a living. In 1999, he jettisoned the wheels and sat on the driver‟s seat of politics. As chairman,

under Makarfi administration, Rigachikun bestrode PDP like a colossus.

Rigachikun‟s reading of the political scene and gift of the garb are his majorassets.

In addition, he has the common touch as he can easily connect with the

people in their own “language”. On December 24, Rigachikun led about 70PDP topshots into APC, saying that more will follow.A week later, about 2000 defectors left PDP for APC, opening a floodgate of

defections. Quickly, Sambo rushed to Kaduna, met stakeholders and made

promises. For three days, Sambo was meeting endlessly as the North-Westzone converged on Kaduna. Right now, Rigachukun is one of the think-tanks

of the Isa Ashiru campaign team.

Significantly, while defecting, Rigachikun had boasted that wherever hegoes becomes the ruling party and he never backs a loser.

So, if the tables turn and APC wins in 2015, he will etche his name in gold.

However, critics point to the fact that PDP‟s victory had less to do with himthan government‟s power of patronage and coercion.

Whatever it is, Rigachikun is the Adedibu of Kaduna politics. Significantly,the above permutations will depend on whether or not General Muhammadu

Buhari, the APC leader in the North, runs for the presidency again.

In addition, whether or not President Goodluck Jonathan emerges PDP‟s

presidential candidate will be a factor in the race for the 2015 election inKaduna state.

Sani Sale: Mr. Consensus

In Kaduna, Senator Sani Sale is the highest ranking APC official and ideally,he should call the shots in the party but he is not doing so. Severally, the

retired General tried to assert his control but somehow, Sale couldn‟t pull it

off.Significantly, he was a distinguished military officer, having been the best

student at the Nigerian Military School (NMS) during his days, the bestgraduating cadet at the Nigerian Defence Academy(NDA) and the



Command and Staff College, Jaji.

In-between, Sale also bagged a Higher National Diploma (HND) fromKaduna Polytechnic. However, in politics Sale has proven to be a square peg

in a round hole. Specifically, his landslide victory in 2011, according to

reports, was largely due to „the Buhari hurricane.‟ At that time, almost everyone on the Congress for Progressive Change

(CPC) ticket coasted to victory and Sale was one of them. Recently, Sale andBaba-Ahmed, his sparring partner and chairman of the IMC reached an

understanding. On March 30, Governor Kwankwaso convened aconsultation meeting ahead of the congresses.

Afterwards, Sale and Baba-Ahmed signed the resolutions as co-chairmen.

Significantly, the duo had locked horns in the past because, according toreports, Sale and other elected officials were against primary elections to be

held.

However, Sale and Baba-Ahmed seem to be on the same page on this issuenow as the latter prefers consensus to elections during the congresses.The duo, owing to self interest, may have entered a quid pro quo and this

may boost Sale‟s chances at the primaries. However, other aspirants may

either decamp to PDP or work against him from within. Right now, hiscloseness to Buhari is his selling point but his political naiveté may do him

in.

Namadi Musa: The political engineer Engineer Musa is a grassroots mobiliser. An agricultural engineer by

training, the man rose to the post of Director in Kaduna State civil service

before opting for politics in 1997.Significantly, he won the state assembly election during the Abacha

transition on the platform of UNCP. However, the entire programme wasscrapped and Namadi and his co-travellers were never inaugurated. In 1999,

he contested for Kaduna North local government chairmanship but lost over

technicalities in court.

In 2007, he was made the chairman of Kawo Development Area, fromwhere he built a formidable structure in Kaduna town.

However, the Sambo administration, including Yakowa and Yero

governments sidelined him. Consequently, he remained in the politicalwilderness for over five years. Sometime last year, Namadi defected to APC

and a few days later, Yero personally lobbied him to return but the engineer

stood his ground.Last week, Mr. Sam Nda Isaiah, a presidential aspirant in APC, visited his

home to seek Namadi‟s support and asked him to join his campaign train. Right now, he is a member of Ashiru‟s think tank and APC in general will



benefit from his political acumen.

In particular, he knows all the dirty tricks in the bag and he can match PDPevery step of the way. However, the consensus arrangement which APC is

contemplating may thwart his state assembly ambition.

Sule Buba Ambassador Buba started out as Sambo‟s political associate.

In 2011, he was the Director General of the Yakowa campaign Organisation.During the postelection violence, his Zaria home was razed to the ground by

an irate mob. However, he got appointed the Executive Secretary of KadunaPilgrims‟ Welfare Board.

Voluntarily, he threw in the towel and for sometime, he hanged around the

vice president‟s circle. Last December, he left for the APC, along withRigachikun and others. Now, Buba is one of the seasoned politicians around

the APC gubernatorial aspirant.

Zamani Lekwot Although he is not a card-carrying member of any political party, Gen.Lekwot (rtd) is one of the elders of southern Kaduna who articulates their

grievances.

Last year, he led a delegation of his kinsmen to Aso Rock, complaining thathis people were marginalised in Kaduna. A delegate at the ongoing confab,

Lekwot represents the league of retired Generals at the National Conference.

Definitely, the elder statesman will play a key role in determining who becomes governor of Kaduna because of his ability to sway southern

Kaduna block votes. However, some young Turks like Dr John Danfulani

have dismissed him as too close to the establishment to lead the newstruggle.

Muhammad Musa Soba Wherever he is, Barrister Soba is always in the opposition. In the former

Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) he crossed swords with Senator Bola

Tinubu and other party bigwigs.

In the long run, they expelled him from the party but the lawyer is still incourt, challenging his removal as state chairman and expulsion from the

party. As at now, Soba is in APC but he is both a thorn in the flesh of the

government and his party.Although his pressure group, the Kaduna Salvation Movement has been

holding government to account, Soba‟s ever -changing loyalty is casting

doubt on his mission. However, the lawyer has a large followership amongstthe masses, especially in his Soba hometown.

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