ADAMAWA PDPS POLITICS OF NYAKOS SUCCESOR Billy Graham Abel Adamawa State is on the march again. The President is expected on a visit to the State and juggernauts of the opposition All Progressives Congress are expected to formally restore themselves in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It promises to be a tough hurdle for the PDP, having lost Governor Murtala Nyako to the opposition, and as is well known in Nigerian politics, the incumbent tends to determine the direction of the entire political entity. But Adamawa is different. It has a history of derailment of incumbents to humiliating defeats. In 1983, Bamanga Muhammed Tukur swept Gongola State then, like a hurricane and toppled Abubakar Barde. In 2007, Boni Haruna was not toppled but, power was wrested from the Boni Harunas camp in the PDP, in the well recorded feud between President Obasanjo and his Vice President Atiku Abubakar, whose confidant and protege then, Boni Haruna was. In deed that is how Murtala Nyako journeyed from his farm in Sebore, Mayo Belwa, to Dougirei Government Lodge. The scenario today seems to be of history repeating itself. The establishment is coming to Yola and it is like the empire is striking back at its prodigal who appeared to have kicked dust in its face. President Goodluck Jonathan is coming to Yola, to position the Peoples Democratic Party for restoring itself back in charge of the State. Then what? Then a Herculean task of determining the flagbearer that emerges from the pack of high pedigree contending political juggernauts now in the PDP, with their eyes on Dougirei. Let us look at the issues. The power brokers in Adamawa are faced with several challenges. Socially, and of fundamental bearing to the politics of the State is that the past years have served to infuse rancour and conflict among the people. The people of Adamawa State have suffered divisions along ethnic and religious lines, part of the criticism of the Nyako Administration, who included some and excluded a great many from his administration. The kingmakers would be looking for a unifier, a bridge builder, a charismatic that can cause the wind of reconciliation and rapprochement to blow. They in deed would be struggling to select one that will not bring any luggage of the different feuds that have for years characterised Adamawa Politics, some kind of acceptable dark horse. Also important is the despicable state condition on the development indexes. Admittedly, Adamawa lags behind even its younger counterparts of Taraba, Gombe, and Bauchi, and some add, even Yobe and Borno, long enmeshed in the Boko Haram conflict. Adamawa has uncomplimentary indicators by way of infrastructure of roads, health care delivery, and education. Its civil service has remained disgruntled over payment of emoluments and entitlements, if they do not begrudge the Nyako regime for having rendered the Ministries irrelevant redundant in the execution of policies of the last seven years. The stakeholders will be scouting for a gubernatorial hopeful with intellect, a service record of diligence in resource management, that needs no learning of the ropes, but one to hit the ground running, and given the expectation that the States coffers are empty, and the State heavily indebted, the stakeholders are faced with a glaring need with citizen that is well connected to the national and international community, specifically, finance and development institutions, to source development income. In Adamawa State, the solution to divides has always been found in Geographical political expression of the three Senatorial districts of North, Central, and South. Attempts will be made to solve the problem through a zonal appraisal. Boni Haruna was the erstwhile Governor and came from the North. Murtala Nyako from Mayo Belwa served from the South. It is expected that Adamawa Central would pitch for a zoning of the post to it, and for a consensus on a candidate. Against this background, one can briefly mention stars that will shine at the PDP rally. AUWAL TUKUR Firstborn son of the erstwhile chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and the general manager of the Daddo group, a company owned by his father. A graduate of the Birmingham University London, Auwal Tukur’s first stint with politics was in the 1990 when he contested and won elections into the federal house of representative where he served for a single term and went back into his usual old habit of running his father’s business. As soon as his father became the national chairman of PDP, the rumour mills became rife with the news of Auwal Tukur’s ambitions of becoming the governor of Adamawa state. The man has done a great job as a business man but his transformation into a successful politician will require a lot of effort as he is seen to have remained too long in the shadows of his father to be a man of himself. He is yet to prove his worth on the political turf. His political profile has been largely overshadowed by his father’s giant political image. His father’s overbearing influence was strongly displayed in the dismissal of the affair of his son with girl friend Joke. Auwal’s political followership in Adamawa is always connected to his father’s profile. He is young, enterprising, and successful, manages his father’s business very well and good looking and could be the much-needed alternative for the non-working Adamawa political system, which is in obvious need of a managerial repair, good manager like Auwal. Whether he will get the much coveted ticket to the PDP governorship candidate is yet to be seen but that his father was the immediate past national leader of the party is a huge factor, that the president reluctantly relived him of his duty will inspire the thought of a possible compensation and a governorship candidacy for his son will be highly returned favour. But being form the same zone with the incumbent could be the curse that will fizzle his claim to the ticket. CHIEF JOEL HAMANJODA MADAKI Chief Joel Madaki is probably one of the biggest names when it comes to Adamawa politics. He is a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party in Adamawa. He has a long history of strong influence in Adamawa politics. His influence runs back to the time of the defunct Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP) as a founding member of the party that brought the government of Abubakar Barde to power, served as a commissioner in the government, and was later toppled by Bamanga’s government. Since then Chief Joel has continue to play a significant part in the politics of Adamawa. He is also a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa state and was its chairman until he resign to vie for the party’s gubernatorial ticket with the incumbent Admiral Murtala Nyako. His defection to Labour Party (LP) and his subsequent stepping down from the gubernatorial race can be described as his lowest political point for a politician well known for his political forthrightness. Madaki is seen as a decisive and strong willed politician who always carries his subject in his political decision. Opting out of elections did not go down well with his political followership. Madaki still commands a strong followership within the political circle and among the people, as he was the natural candidate to assume the party’s chairmanship in the state immediately Bamanga stepped into the party’s national office, leading to the tempestuous fracas that led to Nyako’s defection to New PDP and later to the All Progressive Congress (APC). As to whether he will clench the PDP ticket depends on a very strong power play. A friend of Bamanga but will Bamanga chooses him over his son? The ticket for Adamawa is a major interest of the presidency as the governor of the state is involve in a cold war with the presidency, so presenting a strong candidate is not an option. Joel Madaki is from the central zone of the state, so he is a formidable claim to the ticket. Is Joel Madaki a reflection of the aspirations of the people of adamawa state, or is he an extension of the endless feud that has crippled the state from going forward? If the decision for the choice of next governor of Adamawa state includes indices like a move away from what has become a war without end, then Madaki might be overlooked for the ticket. There is no doubt that Adamawa needs a respite from its endless conflicts handcuffing it charged towards infrastructural and economic progress. ENGINEER MARKUS GUNDIRI Engineer Markus Gundiri FNSE, mni, was the Director General and Commissioner in charge of agriculture, water resources and rural development between 1978 and 1991 in the defunct Gongola State. During that period, he designed, constructed and commissioned over 500 isolated rural water supply projects. Also to his credit are four regional water supply projects meant to provide potable water for 20 communities with an estimated population of 200,000 in addition to over 250 kilometers of rural feeder roads. The former ACN gubernatorial candidate was appointed Deputy Director and Director in charge of all federal government dams and reservoirs under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources between 1999 and 2009. During this period, he was in charge of monitoring of all on-going projects in the ministry until his retirement in line with the recent Federal Government policy. He oversaw the design and construction of the Gurara, Galma, Owiwi, Owena, Kontagora and other dam projects located in 22 states of the federation for water supply, irrigation and fisheries among other national assignments given to him within the period he was the director. For someone with a huge credential of public service like Gundiri his coming into politics was welcomed surprise. No wonder he immediately garnered a massive followership and became the official runner up in the elections leading to Nyako’s second tenure in office though he is widely believed to have clenched the ticket. Gundiri provided one of the fiercest and strongest electoral contests in Adamawa politics and therefore still remains a force to be contented with in Adamawa politics. His recent defection to the PDP added another factor in the equation of the gubernatorial ticket of the party, and probably signaled the downward spiral of APC’s opposition. Going by his last performance at the polls, he is undoubtedly a formidable choice. His major undoing will be his late entrance into the party with an already established structure, how much of his political structure moved from the APC and find its place within the PDP is crucial to his survival in the gubernatorial race. Gundiri’s chances to the ticket is slim but the kind of opposition his candidacy will bring to the table will be the temptation PDP staring PDP in the face in view of its desperate need to dislodge Nyako from what it considered its natural seat of power. If he will have any chance at all, it has to come from above i.e. the highest echelon of the party. His major undoing will be his geographical extraction i.e. the northern part of Adamawa, with heavy concentration of power of a minister Boni Haruna and the chief of defense staff Chief Air marshal Alex Barde and that the former governor Boni Haruna of the Atiku era was from the zone pose a major stumbling block to his claim to the candidacy of the PDP. GENERAL BUBA MARWA Mohammed Buba Marwa was former military Governor of Borno State (1990-1992) and Lagos State (1996-1999). The Kaduna born politician was born September 9, 1953. He attended the Nigerian Military School, Zaria and Nigeria Defense Academy both in Kaduna State. While in The Nigerian Army, he studied at Pittsburgh University where he obtained a master’s degree in International Relations and also obtained a Masters degree in Public Administration from Harvard. Buba Marwa was ADC (Aide-de-Camp) to Northern rich man and oil block owner Theophilus Danjuma when he was Chief of Army Staff, Academy Registrar of the Nigerian Defense Academy and Deputy Defence Adviser in the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC. He was also one time Defence Adviser to the Nigerian Permanent Mission to the United States. As Governor of Lagos State, General Buba Marwa will be remembered for his “Operation 250 Roads” which he used to improve Lagos roads. Also, mosquito nets were shared to pregnant women during his era as Lagos Governor and public health care centers were built in virtually all LGAs of Lagos State. He stopped the “Jankara” methods of evicting tenant and made an edict to regulate rents, ensuring that due process is followed. Many Lagosians will remember Marwa’s “Operation sweep” (a joint police and military venture) that protected lives and properties. Marwa surprisingly has a great review for a military administrator. He has unsuccessfully tried to transform his impressive military profile into a successful political career. He unsuccessfully tried to pick PDP’s ticket with Yar adua and later ran for the governorship of Adamawa state where he fell far behind both Nyako and Gundiri, raising many questions on his understanding of the political turf. With a profile like Marwa’s, politics should be easy but some how it seems to elude him. Marwa should be an interesting candidate with a record of accomplishment in social revolution exactly what Adamawa will need, the point here is how to get to the ticket of the PDP? His recent defection into PDP marks his third exit and return to the party and present a complex puzzle into the race for the PDP gubernatorial ticket. Buba Marwa is a great person but getting the PDP’s ticket requires much beyond having a great personality. He like Gundiri, is a late entrant into the party, from the southern part of the state which is considered to have already saturated its quota of appointments from the state, so Marwa may not have a clean shot at the ticket but his presence in the party has already done some damage to the newly formed All Progressive Congress(APC). His is a major draw back to the APC claim of mounting a credible opposition at the polls come 2015. BALA JAMES NGILARI Honourable Bala James Ngilari is a prominent politician in Adamawa having served as a member representing Michika,Madagali and Maiha federal constituency at the house of representative. With a background in law from the Ahmadu Bello University, zaria, Ngilari practiced law before actively taking to politics as a career. He is the current deputy governor of Adamawa state and has been with Nyako right from the beginning of his sojourn as the governor of Adamawa state. His political career has been quite but remarkable, his accent into the deputy governor’s office was a surprise and a bigger surprise that he lasted this long by the side of Nyako in view of the political leanings of his people. He is generally viewed as a weak politician who lacks class, charisma and has not been able, whether as member of the house of representative or a deputy governor, to forge his own political identity, the quality many interpret as weakness. Ngilari seems to be indecisive, especially as he stood by his boss Nyako through his numerous controversies quietly without airing his views or taking sides. His quite and easygoing nature is often misinterpreted for weakness, so silence may be golden but it certainly is not for Ngilari. In view of the current political happenings, Ngilari seem to have proved his critics wrong after he refuses to defect with his boss to the APC. It, as a matter of fact, kind of score some political point for him against those who think he never has a mind of his own. Right now Ngilari is seen as president Goodluck’s arrowhead in the state. If loyalty has its rewards, Bala should easily emerge as the party’s ‘chosen one’ at the polls come 2015. The biggest question is whether he will be the formidable candidate, the party intends to field in view of the mounting opposition orchestrated by the governor Admiral Murtala Nyako. His slightly frail political image could be a major challenge to his claim to his party’s ticket, as PDP will not hazard the chance to be b eaten at the polls by Nyako’s APC and his northern local government of madagali could pose the question of the over concentration of power on the northern bloc of the state. IDI HONG Idi Hong can best be described as a true party member. He was the state secretary of the peoples democratic party (PDP) between 2006-2007, he had a stint as the minister culture and tourism,before he was appointed as the minister of state health and later foreign affairs. He has the advantage of being young, so the future still has a lot in stock for him. Hong as a politician has not yet caught the eye of the public. His attainments as a politician are always seen in the light of His godfathers influence professor Jibri Aminu, rather than his personal qualities and accomplishments. Forging his political identity from those of his bosses will lay some credence to his claim to the Dougirei job. His ambition to the highest seat of power in his home state, Adamawa, is an open secret, but the road to the tough job is not always easy as his godfather seem to have truly stepped aside, his is probably one of those who have benefitted from being a member of the PDP having served as minister during the Yar adua era. The dynamics of the current PDP composition and being drawn for the northern zone of the state will present complex riddle Aliyu Idi Hong would have to solve. In fact, the candidacy of Idi Hong will easily amount to the north asking for too much and undermining its partnership with other zones of the state. Being a political son of the professor Jibril Aminu means he cannot be underestimated in the race for the gubernatorial ticket. If he wins the ticket, his youthfulness and grand ministerial experience will be his major selling points. BARRISTER JERRY KUNDISI Barrister Jerry Kundisi is probably one politician in Adamawa that has a mind of his own. At a time when politicians where making fat meals from the habit of defecting from one party to another, kundisi was probably one politician that stayed close to his constituency and remained a party faithful of the Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN). He whether intentionally or not has managed not to be in the same party with governor Murtala Nyako and when they do find themselves, he always never shares the same philosophy with him, so you can guess which he is now that Nyako is APC, of course the PDP. A principled politician and one of the few opposition voices in the Adamawa state house of assembly that managed to stay consistent to his beliefs. Jerry without mincing words in a class of his own as a politician and as an aspirant, as his profile is remarkably different from that of most of the regular aspirants, but his declaration of interest is a welcomed development. His chances to the ticket are close to none especially given the number of federal appointments given to his zone in favour of the state. If he gets it, it will be one of the biggest political miracles of this political era. DR. UMAR ARDO Dr umar Ardo is a historian and a political scientist and lectured at the Nigerian Defense Academy. He was one time adviser to the vice president on local government affairs and later became the vice president’s adviser on political affairs. He stormed Adamawa political stage with his characteristically fierce and boisterous style of politics. Dr. Ardo has showed consistency and thoroughness in his political views, judicial struggles and leanings. Despite the fact that he is a core PDP member he has however remained a fierce critic of the administration of Admiral Murtala Nyako. He is seen as the brain behind the formation of the Association of Local governments of Nigeria (ALGON) during his time in office as the adviser to the vice president on state and local government affairs between 1999-2003. This has come to underlie his self-styled kind of politics with law suits against Nyako’s election and viral media confrontations against Nyako’s policy’s and plans. He also criticizes the presidency on the imposition of the state of emergency on Adamawa state. He was an aspirant at the 2011 election and from all indications is interested in the seat at the Dougirei powerhouse. However, being from an aspirant from the same zone as the incumbent could be his major undoing. If the party tenaciously holds the view to concede power to the central zone of the state, Ardo will have no option but to settle for something else. DR. AHMED MODIBBO MOHAMMED The journey of Dr. Ahmed Modibbo Mohammed from a humble beginning as a teacher and form master at Borgu secondary school in New Bussa in Niger state in 1976, to the position of a graduate assistant at the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Dr. Modibbo gradually rose through the ranks to become a Senior Lecturer in the Department of History by the turn of 1988. Dr. Ahmed Modibbo is not only respected among his peers as a thoroughly bred academician but also as a functional member of the Zaria community. His outstanding qualities as an administrator led to his appointment as the Director/Chief Executive National Teachers Institute (NTI) in the year 2000, where he was involved in the training and equipping of over fifty (50000) thousand teachers nation wide. His sterling performance as the Director and Chief Executive of NTI led to his appointment as the Director and Chief executive of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), where he brought his training, experience and prudence as an academic administrator to the fore, as the commission under the leadership of Dr. Modibbo, established schools and provided instructional materials cutting across every corner of the nation, making one of the biggest marks ever made in terms of the provision of infrastructure and educational instructional materials in both primary and junior secondary schools in Nigeria. He oversaw one of the biggest injection of instructional materials and quantum infrastructural leaps in Nigerian primary schools and junior secondary schools across the nation, as well as, led one of the biggest eras of unprecedented school enrollments in Nigeria. Adamawa was one of the biggest beneficiaries of Moddibo’s reign the universal basic education boards. His interest in the job at Dougirei presents a new class and quality of candidacy to the PDP structure in its bid to dislodge its now feather weight opposition the APC. He is probably one candidate with a thorough understanding of the civil service structure, strong and firm belief in the promotion of education as a tool for the liberation of the people. Dr. Ahmed Modibbo is probably one of the candidates that is completely distanced from the exchange of fire among politicians drumming war beats in view of the 2015 elections. If Adamawa wants a respite from its war with itself, then Dr. Ahmed Moddibo’s candidacy must be an issue of state importance. Dr. Moddibo brings to the table of the PDP a unique interest in furthering developmental issues rather being involved a mouthy exchange in character assassination as is common among politicians in the state. Being from the central part of the state makes his claim vital and an imminent reality. If he is able use his experience to pull the political powers that be to his favour, PDP will undoubtedly be fielding a candidate beyond the political calculations and imaginations of its rivals at the polls.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 16:46:55 +0000
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