|
It seems that the People Democratic Party (PDP’s) Federal Government is still hell bent on creating confusion a head of 2007 election in Kano. The PDP, in its characteristic defeatist tendency has been changing commissioner of police in the state. The once big and no longer relevant party has been substituting resident commissioner of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), all its bid to find the right men for its evil 2007 agenda.
Unfortunately for the PDP it is still searching and would continue to search for the right formula in vein.
Good people of Kano State had raised alarm when the immediate Commissioner of police of the state , Alhaji Ganiyi Daowudu was redeployed. The redeployment of the police chief came at the time when the state was enjoying great atmosphere of peace and tranquility owning largely to the efforts of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau’s administration, which has invested so much in the area of security (9000 Hisbah guards employed by the state government is a case in the point).
After Daodus’ politically- induced transfer, an indefatigable M D Abubakar replaced him in Kano. And at the time Kanawas are hailing Abubakar for the his untiring efforts to make Kano a more secured place to live, stories that are filtering out are that he too is on his way out of the state. Why is it that all these police chiefs are not allowed to settle in Kano? Politics. And Politics and politics is the only answer. As I said earlier the PDP wants Kano at all cost. No price is too high in the quest of the Federal Government to capture Kano again. Thus their machinations spare no sector, nor stone would be unturned. Hence from a reliable source, Daodu was removed from Kano after he appeared to be reluctant to use his men to aid PDP to win by lections conducted during his tenure. His predecessors therefore was said to have been sent with a clear mandate to come and reverse the trend. But as soon as he set out for the mission he discovered that what he was told was different from what was on the ground. First he was said to have been completely disarmed after discovering the state governor is not only progressive but is an embodiment of kindness and honesty. Certainly, the way the state governor received him with all warmness and kindness had an immediate impact on him as his mind was instantly changed. Secondly the CP was said to be surprised at the fact that unlike in the other places he worked before, the state governor was only after peace and stability in his state not how to win election. Those who know the Kano mallam very well know that he doesn’t yield to such pettiness. He came to power by the grace of God and he doesn’t have to politicking as a means of holding unto it. That is the philosophy of the new Kano magician.
Coming back to the no nonsense Abubakar, who probably didn’t know that he was in the eye of the storm. Perhaps he was carried away by the fact that he is doing the right things only in Kano, forgetting that part of his alleged assogment was to do a dirty job for the PDP with a view to mowing down the firm rooted ANPP in Kano state.
Then the litmus test came for the new boss of the Kano police command. Nassarawa by election was seen as a serous war between PDP and the ruling ANPP in Kano. It was a battle of supremacy that must be won by the side that is determined to dominate the future of the state polity. And what was the result again? The ANPP won despite the huge amount of financial resources that the PDP invested in the by election of the local government seat at the state House of Assembly. Indeed it was another round of defeat for PPD and a bitter pill to swallow by its out -of -relevant chieftains, who insist in out of favour party. Once beaten twice shy. The PDP is roundly beaten in all the by elections conducted since the coming of Shekarau’s administration. So it was victory again for ANPP bitter defeat for the PDP. But what was the ANPP’s victory meant for the new police commissioner and his counterpart at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prince Soyebi Adedeji Solomon? They have not done their jobs as allegedly mandated by the “almighty PDP”. So the heads must roll. Some one must pay the price. So Soyebi was the first casualty as Mr. Humphrey Nwange was posted to the state from Akwa Ibom to replace him. To the PDP anybody that was not ready to play along had no business staying in Kano. Certainly, the state is too important to leave a police commissioner and an INEC resident commissioner that are independent -minded. No. Somebody with right attitude had to come and finish this important assignment. And Abubakar and Soyebi could not fit in well. But the truth of the matter is that apart from the fact both Abubakar and Soyebi have built years of reputation for themselves and were not willing to soil it over night, the great men also found that Kano environment was not that conducive for such brazen rigging that the PDP used to rob electoral victory in 2003 . Such travesty is not done in Kano.
Not a few were amazed to hear the story of how for Anamabra state Governor Dr. Chris Ngige and his ex political godfather, the glorified thug that was made the king maker in the eastern region, Mr. Chris Uba. The unfortunate part of that story is the fact the testimony was given by no any other person than the nation number one citizen that made transparency, anticorruption and accountability as his supposed watchwords.
But that was the reality that faced the entire nation as political and electoral banditry was unleashed upon all of us. Some people that became democrats only at an hour when the spoils of war were to be shared are now at the helm of our affairs. Ironically, they are even the ones dictating how the best form of democracy should be won. To them election is not won but stolen forcibly. They sit on the table and draw the maps of the states that they want govern in the style of Berlin Conference, when African countries where partitioned and scrambled by the so called colonial masters.
All in all, the lessons of Kano politics is clear message that the people are not ready to allow such day light robbery in their state. The people got their political tutorial from the legendry Mallam Aminu Kano and they are passing it from generation to generation. Election riggers keep off our state.
Mandawari writes from Kano city
|