The battle for state Government Houses in the 2019 elections has begun in earnest with the pool of aspirants swelling by the day. The gubernatorial contest would hold in 30 of Nigeria’s 36 states. In this second part of a series on the battle ahead, YUSUF ALLI (Managing Editor, Northern Operation), ADEKUNLE JIMOH (Ilorin), SULEIMAN ADAMU (Sokoto), BASSEY ANTHONY (Uyo), JOEL DUKU (Maiduguri) and YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU (Jos), report on the state of the race in some of the affected states – including an update on the contest in Kwara State.
KWARA STATE
More than most other states, the race in Kwara State is attracting a lot of attention, as it shapes up to be a battle between the status quo and would-be ‘rescuers.’ While the status quo is represented by the Saraki dynasty which has held the state by the jugular politically, those in the rescue club include technocrats, labour activists and the intelligentsia who believe things must change. The clamour for a paradigm shift has been buoyed by mass discontent in the state. As Saraki reinvents the wheel to preserve a political legacy he inherited, many aspirants feel it is time to end the hegemony of his clan. The electorate in the state will, however, have the final say.
For the first time in the history of the 51-year old state, many credible aspirants have shown interest in the gubernatorial race. As at press time, the PDP has 11 aspirants, the Labour Party two, while APC boasts of 10 so far – to make the haul 23
They are ex-Governor Sha’aba Lafiagi; ex-Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi; ex-Minister of National Planning, Prof. Sulaiman Abubakar; a former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Zakary Mohammed; a former Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Issa Aremu and the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmed.
Other heavyweights are a former member of the House of Representatives, Mashood Mustapha; a director with FCMB bank, Alhaji Luqman Mustapha; a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Shuaibu Oba Abdulraheem; Abdullahi Yanah, who is an associate of President Muhammadu Buhari; ex-governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Kwara State, Mohammed Dele Belgore ( SAN); Ahmed Mustapha Akanbi; Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki; Ibrahim Ajia, who was a former Aide-de-Camp to ex-Senate President Pius Anyim; and Femi Sanni.
The list also includes ex-Speaker Abdulrazaq Atunwa, ex-Chief of Staff, Toyin Sanusi; a member of the House of Representatives, Ahman Ali Patigi; a former National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje; the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission( NBC), Modibbo Kawu; Akeem Lawal, son of a former governor of the state, Rear Admiral Mohammed Lawal; Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazak; and a notable Rotarian, Dr. Mike Omotosho.
COMRADE ISSA OBALOWU AREMU: He is a noted labour leader with unblemished records. Were the ticket to be a free gift Aremu will be easily crowned because of his rich credentials. But he has to struggle for the coveted seat on the ticket of the Labour Party. He is a man of many parts: a columnist, a labour leader, a philanthropist, a delegate to the 2014 National Conference and an alumnus of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies. Aremu has devoted his life to the struggle for better welfare for Nigerian workers. Until he came out for the race, his image loomed larger in the country at large. Many never knew he was a Kwaran.
Strength: Eminently qualified if the poll is on merit
Weakness: Labour Party is virtually unknown in Kwara. He may not be able to match the financial war chest of other contenders.
MOHAMMED DELE BELGORE: He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) whose gubernatorial campaign in 2011 under the platform of the defunct ACN created sensation and shook the Saraki dynasty. But he lost the steam upon defecting to the PDP before the 2015 poll. A progressive by inclination, his romance with the conservatives landed him in court for trial for 2015 poll cash. His trial is certainly distracting him.
RATING: He may not have the resources to pull through an expensive gubernatorial campaign.
SHA’ABA LAFIAGI: He is a former governor of Kwara State whose name rings a bell till date because of his achievements. He changed the state with landmark projects. A graduate of Economics, Lafiagi has a knack for excelling in whatever task is given to him. He is also good at unifying all groups in the state. His tenure was cut short in 1993 by the coup which brought the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha to power.
RATING: He is a force to reckon with if PDP zones the governorship seat to Kwara North.
ABUBAKAR SULAIMAN: This ex-Minister of National Planning has been a loyal PDP member and a foremost critic of APC-led government. A professor, he is a grassroots mobilizer and an apostle of empowerment going by the number of jobs he facilitated for many Kwarans during his 10-month ministerial voyage.
Strength: Age is on his side and popular at the grassroots.
Weaknesses: His EFCC case might be an impediment. The Saraki dynasty which is controls the PDP machinery in the state, may not trust him with the ticket because he is independent-minded.
MOHAMMED ZAKARY: A former Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Publicity, Zakary is an ardent loyalist of Saraki. He is gifted, sharp and a politician with a solid base at the grassroots. A quiet philanthropist and strategist, Zakary has age on his side and he is from Kwara North Senatorial District which ought to produce the next governor if the state if there is no political exigency.
RATING: A strong contender for the governorship ticket.
BOLAJI ABDULLAHI: An accomplished author and journalist popularly known as “Omoluabi” (a gentleman, a trusted hand). Abdullahi is an unrepentant loyalist of Saraki and he sacrificed his achievement-laden ministerial slot to stand by his political mentor. He was the success arrow of Saraki as a governor with his outstanding performance as the State Commissioner for Education. He floated a quality assurance project which addressed the rot in the state educational system.
Strength: He is respected and favoured by the Senate President. Other aspirants know that Saraki has soft spot for him despite the pretence that he will leave the race open.
Weaknesses: He is perceived as elitist, isolated from the grassroots, and not a believer in money politics in a state where ‘stomach infrastructure’ is the in-thing. He is an aspirant who is caught between being from Kwara Central and Kwara North.
RATING: A leading contender.
MASHOOD MUSTAPHA: Born in 1963 and popularly called MM, Mashood was a member of the kitchen cabinet of ex-Governor Saraki for eight years. He was the Deputy Director-General for his re-election as a governor in 2007. He later became a member of the House of Representatives in 2011. He is an investor in the state. He has gone far in growing his influence within APC.
RATING: He has the resources to give the Saraki dynasty a good fight in 2019. His albatross is his brother, Luqman Mustapha, seeking the same ticket.
SHUAIBU OBA ABDULRAHEEM: No Kwaran has contributed to the grooming of youths for the future more than Prof. Abdulraheem who was a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin. He has empowered many youths from poor homes and provided jobs for hundreds more than the present godfather of Kwara politics, Saraki. His leadership template is robust and visionary. But as an academic, his sojourn in politics has been negatively impacted – to the extent of his parting ways with the Senate President. He has miscalculated politically and that has set him back.
RATING: He has elitist following but no resources to change the status quo.
LUQMAN OLAYIWOLA MUSTAPHA: He is the Regional Head, Abuja and the North for the FCMB. An Associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Luqman is intelligent, highly resourceful, and a banker of repute who started his career in 1991 with Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria which was owned by the Sarakis before it went under. He is very close to the grassroots.
RATING: Strong. He can create an upset if he gets APC ticket.
KAWU BARAJE: A respected teacher, a disciplinarian and a pacesetting school principal, Baraje, was a former National Chairman of PDP where he made his mark. As a loyalist of the late Senate Leader and strong man of Kwara politics, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki, he has kept faith by standing with the scion of Saraki dynasty, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
Strength: He is a retired technocrat who has never contested for any elective post.
Weakness: Age is not on his side and he’s not too close to the grassroots.
ALI AHMED: He is a former member of the House of Representatives and the current Speaker of the State House of Assembly. He played a crucial role in mobilizing and lobbying the National Assembly to pass the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) which has strengthened the nation’s Judiciary.
A close ally of Saraki, Ahmed is an unassuming egghead but not independent minded. He is still battling to have a grip on the grassroots.
RATING: Weak
ISHAQ KAWU MODIBBO: He is the current Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC); a very intelligent journalist and foremost linguist who speaks about 10 languages. He was a former Editor of Daily Trust and a gifted staff of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). His entry into governorship race remains a surprise and a matter of much speculation. He is passionate about Kwara project, especially how to liberate the state.
RATING: His ambition is a hard sell because he has no resources. He only has a vision.
MAKANJUOLA AJADI
A former Special Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Inter-Parliamentary Matters, Senator Makanjuola Ajadi, is also said to be interested in the race. The former senator of Kwara South extraction is said to be planning to run under APC. Though, he has not openly declared for the party in the state.
RATING: Uncertain
MIKE OMOTOSHO
Dr. Omotosho was the governorship candidate of the party in 2011and 2015 in the state. He has been urging his supporters and Kwarans to participate in the continuous voters registration exercise.
The pharmacist-turned politician has been a politician of ideas and philosophy.
His banner dots parts of the state capital. It reads: “To bring Kwara out of the wilderness. Omo to sure 2019 Support Group.”
RATING: Uncertain
ABDULRAHMAN ABDULRAZAK
This Abuja-based businessman has been a serial aspirant. He was a PDP aspirant in 2011 and 2015 in the state. He is an indigene of Ilorin and the son of the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) from the North, Abdulganiyu Abdulrazak.
At the public gathering to celebrate his father’s 90th birthday anniversary in Ilorin, one of the preachers at the event urged him to take a shot at the seat once again. His platform not yet known
RATING: Uncertain
RAZAK ATUNWA
Razak Atunwa is currently a member of the House of Representatives. He was once the Speaker of the state House of Assembly. The UK- trained lawyer is a loyalist of Saraki.
RATING: Uncertain
IBRAHIM AJIA: He is a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police and former ADC to Sen. Anyim. He is close to some PDP stalwarts . He is inexperienced in politics.
RATING: He cannot make much impact.
TOYIN SANUSI: He was a former Chief of Staff to at the Government House he is now aspiring to occupy. He was also a former chairman of Ilorin West Local Government Area. He is a loyal Sarakite. He is not grounded politically, he operates within the shadow of the Saraki dynasty.
AHMED MUSTAPHA AKANBI: He is the only neutral and apolitical aspirant . He obtained his LLM from the University College, London. A son of the late President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, he was one of the eggheads who contributed to policy on the “Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria.” He is highly multi-talented.
YOBE
Yobe State is practically a one-party state, ruled by the APC.
Although the incumbent, Ibrahim Gaidam, is in the last lap of his second term, not much is happening in the party to show that an election to replace Gaidam is only a matter of months away.
This much was confirmed by the party hierarchy at a recent press conference in Damaturu when it said it was yet receive any written request from any aspirant for the APC ticket.
The Nation gathered that the governor has instructed the party leadership to mitigate political activities in the state until the leadership of the party decides who flies the APC ticket next year.
The ’embargo’ has instilled fear into many of those eyeing the ticket on the platform of the party.
Some of them, sources said, are appointees of the governor.
But there is an exception in Sidi Yakubu Karasuwa, a House of Representatives member from Nguru/Machina, Yusufari/Karasuwa constituency, who has reportedly met the governor to inform him of his aspiration.
Others also said to be in the race include Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan, Lawan Shettima Ali, Alhaji Saleh Abubakar, Abubakar Ali, Mai Mala Buni, Ibrahim Bomoi and Aji Kolomi.
Senator Lawan has been a member of the National Assembly for 19 years and enjoys a good relationship with Gaidam. He is from Yobe North (Zone C), which has never produced a governor. RATING: Strong.
Lawan Shettima Ali, the current Commissioner for Works, Transport and Energy in the state is also a former National Secretary of the defunct ANPP. His biggest weakness is that he is from the same senatorial zone as Gaidam. RATING: Zoning may be his major headache.
Alhaji Saleh Abubakar retired from the State Civil Service on Thursday as Head of Service (HOS). He was Chief of Staff to the late Gov. Mamman Ali. He served in the same capacity for Gaidam for eight years before his appointment as HOS. RATING: Fairly strong – having served in a role usually reserved for loyalists and those who can be trusted.
Abubakar D. Ali is the current Deputy Governor and younger brother to the late Governor Mamman Ali. Some observers believe that Gaidam may decide to compensate the Ali family by supporting his deputy. RATING: Strong.
Mai Mala Buni, the current National Secretary of the APC may not have declared his intention yet, but many in the state are tipping him for the governorship seat in view of his excellent relationship with the governor. RATING: Strong.
Alhaji Ibrahim Bomoi is one of the few who have openly declared their interest in the seat. He is a former Director of FCT Treasury. He is from zone B where late Senator Mamman came from. There are also speculations that “Bala Bursar, as he is popularly called, also enjoys a cordial rapport with the governor. RATING: Aspirant to watch.
Aji Kolomi, popularly called Ajiko, is a retired Permanent Secretary and has also declared his intention to run for the seat.
Battle for governorship seats heats up in states (2)
