Triumph Of Progressives In Kaduna

There was every reason for the maximum attention that was paid to the gubernatorial election in Kaduna State which produced Senator Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the governor-elect. It was an exercise or process that, right from the time it commenced, provoked a lot of thoughts about the political parties and their respective candidates, necessitated varied actions on some fundamentals of such a contest and eventually  turned out to be a power struggle in which some interesting personalities were the principal participants.

  Kaduna, having birthed the other 18 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is not only the mother of the North, but is also one the most heterogeneous in the country where divisions amongst the peoples are unmistakably sharp. It is, unarguably, a microcosm of Nigeria to which every community or even every citizen, in one way or another, is attached.

  This explains the usual concern over who or which political party, at any particular time, governs Kaduna, because the kind of approach adopted by the government to issues about the unity and development of the state affects much more communities and individuals than can be imagined. A Governor of Kaduna State is always, by virtue of the history of the state, geographical location, demographic structure and some other features that have made it unique, more directly linked to the development and peaceful co-existence among the numerous Northern indigenous and settler communities than the governor of any other state in the region.

All of the divisions and identities that are the dominant features of the politics in Kaduna State manifested abundantly throughout the period of the gubernatorial campaigns. A lot of sentiments, some of which are clearly antithetical to the twin concepts of developmental politics and good governance, were freely expressed by some of the key candidates to the extent that the whole process was almost completely turned into a do-or-die affair.

Religion, ethnicity and, albeit to a much lesser degree, sectionalism became the biggest campaign tools with places of worship serving as centres of, as the case might be, the promotion and outright demotion of one candidate or another. It was such an unhealthy politicking or, more precisely, campaigns that permeated all nooks and crannies of the state which was the reason for the prevalence of the high tension that became most noticeable throughout the electioneering period.

  In other words, a lot of deceptive strategies were deployed by the various campaigners in a bid to garner support and gain ultimate victory. This was what resulted in the obvious uncertainties that generated huge concerns within and beyond the state with one contending group or another pushing one kind of divisive argument or another.

  The adoption of the same-faith (Muslim-Muslim) ticket by the APC, claim of monopoly over Southern Kaduna by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the open inclination of the Labour Party (LP) towards Christianity were the instruments that were, as the campaigns progressed, openly utilized for or against each of the individual candidates. The APC’s Senator Uba Sani, PDP’s Honourable Isa Ashiru, LP’s Honourable Asake and, to a lesser extent, New Nigeria Peoples Party’s (NNPP) Senator Sulaiman Usman Hunkuyi were individually either beneficiaries or victims of such campaigns.

  However, while such a dangerous agenda was being pushed by the divisive elements, some informed minds within and outside the political parties were insisting on the need to consider competence and readiness to faithfully serve the state as the most necessary credentials on the basis of which any of the contestants should be elected as governor. Such minds tirelessly spelt out the dangers of a choice of a governor of a complex State like Kaduna purely on the basis of certain narrow considerations.

  The victory of Senator Uba Sani of the ruling APC is, therefore, a clear positive response to such calls. All the informed and progressive minds considered it a fundamental duty to sensitize the voters on the absolute necessity of the election from among the candidates the one who has always appeared most equipped in terms of capacity for delivery.

  Even with the same-faith ticket adopted by his party and the reasonable quantity of public anger over some policies of the State Government, the Senator enjoyed the support of the people which has now translated into his emergence as the Governor-elect of Kaduna State. The outcome of the election is, undeniably, a triumph of the progressives.

  As a former Senior Special Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Special Adviser to out-going Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir Ahmed El-Rufa’i, political activist whose perseverance and generosity greatly helped towards the restoration of democracy to the country as well as the salvation of several families and currently a Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone, Sani was a contestant who has records that have been well known. This was what made the analysis of his past records and the subsequent formation of opinion on his contest quite easy.

  In most of the quarters where the ambitions of politicians are usually processed, the desire of Senator Sani and the other candidates for the governorship of Kaduna State was a big issue that was subjected to all kinds of interrogation. All those debates served as good opportunities for the progressive elements to draw the attention of the voters in the state to consider capacity as the strongest factor that should inform their choice of a governor.

  It is true that, just like the candidates of the other parties did, he also benefitted from the religious, ethnic and sectional politics that played out in the course of the campaigns as some people voted for him because of his either religious, ethnic or sectional backgrounds. His campaigners, at all levels, where and when it suited them lived up to their calling by appealing to the varying, nay conflicting, sentiments of the people in their bids to generate votes.

  But any other factor that informed the people’s preference for him was only contingent upon the basic consideration of his tremendous capacity by majority of the voters. Those who advertised him across the state and even beyond proudly mentioned that he is the best lawmaker that Kaduna State has ever produced having presented 32 bills, seven of which have been considered by the chambers of the National Assembly, while two have already become laws of Nigeria.

 Additionally, the Kaduna State Governor-elect, contrary to the erroneous belief that he got victory on a platter of gold, actually worked for it. He never simply relaxed and expected that as the candidate of the ruling party he would get it quite easily; he firmly connected with the right people and quarters at the right time and never rested up till the time when the right- thinking people of the state understood the fact that he is the best for the governorship and therefore concertedly worked for his well-deserved victory.