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Abubakar Rimi; The P.D.P. Congress And Missing Relevance By Aminu Ahmed
The shocking revelation of what had happened in the recent congresses of Peoples Democratic Party (P.D.P.) especially in Kano State can be seen as the catastrophic political failings of one time political figure not just within the confined of old Kano State but nationally.
It was not totally a surprised, though excited when one had the way and manner Abubakar Rimi was celebratory humiliated and defeated in the last state congresses of P.D.P. in Kano. This caused serious embarrassment to his admirers. It would be curious twist of fate that Rimi would end up his political career in this demeanor. I was never under any illusion this would happen to him from the day he returned to P.D.P.
The situation was so bad that he might be regretting his returns. The humiliation Rimi suffers at the hand of H.E. Hon. Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Aremu Kerkere and Majidadin Obasanjo), the annointed leader, the Chief Conqueror and defender of Obasanjo’s hegemony and the Garrison Commander of Kano Cantonment of P.D.P. (power) this would be a cheering news to Obasanjo and it dawned as reality and pay back to political summersault.
This must have proved the critics of my article on the Sunday Sun of 18th November, 2007 “The Limit of Political Prostitution” wrong. In it I cautioned that only those with fickled minds could ignore my comments, the tragedy that follows confirmed that my assertion is not far from the truth. Rimi was only deceiving himself, if he believe that Kwankwaso will so soon forget his outrageous outburst that he led the team that stopped him (Kwankwaso) from winning the 2003 Gubernatorial election in Kano state “TAZARCE”.
Kwankwaso simply behaving truly to himself waited patiently for the right time and the event unfold in putting the new leadership of P.D.P. in Kano where Alh. (Dr.) Yusuf Kutama who was nominated by Rimi in 1999 to be the Deputy Chairman of P.D.P., subsequently used in 2003 as the then state Chairman not only to checkmated Rimi, but to subsequently forced him out of the party, now in a biggest political coup, he was returned as the new state Chairman of the party.
Rimi together with other leaders of P.D.P. in Kano, collectively decided that there is no need for any contest for party positions in the state since the Emperor “Kwankwaso controls the vast majority of party members and leaders in the state and when the likes of Rimi and Ghali Na’abba run away from the P.D.P., he was the major financier of the party and looking after the well being of its teeming supporters in the 44 Local Government Areas.
Therefore in the event of any election, be it free and fair or otherwise, there is no way anybody can defeat or upstage Kwankwaso’s planned.
They all agreed that though undemocratically and unintelligently, but as the only option left to satisfy their greed, they recognize him as their leader and pledged to fully cooperate with him in order to have a share in what will constitute the new state Executive Committee of the party.
Sequel to this, Rimi who reduced himself to bread and butter politician defied to the leader of Kano P.D.P. and to his wishes. That was clearly shown at the solidarity rally in the ABH building, the state party secretariat. It was termed “Unity Rally” and Rimi in his address apologized for his past misdeeds and he enjoined all his followers to accord maximum respect to the leader “Kwankwaso” thinking that paying such homage will add value to him in Kano P.D.P. and his political interest would be adequately protected.
At one of their meeting of the post unity rally a sharing formula for State Executive Committee was presented by one of the leaders and was consequently agreed on. The leader “Kwankwaso” was allocated Fourteen (14) positions including the State Chairman. Ambassador Aminu Wali was to bring Five (5) persons which includes the State Secretary. Ibrahim Aminu (Little) who joined the party about a year, for his loyalty to Leader and financial support to the party was requested to nominate three (3) persons including the State Deputy Chairman. Malam Dauda Dangalan, the Veteran Politician who is still holding forte for the late Mallam Aminu Kano cleavages was allocated two (2) posts.
Alh. (Dr.) Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi “the returnee” who defected from the party and was then going about with the candidate of the Action Congress (A.C.) on Presidential Campaign was also requested to submit two (2) names for State Executive Committee. Placing him a distance number five (5) in the hierarchy of leadership of P.D.P. in the State.
Umar Danhassan and Ghali Na’abba former Speaker House of Representatives, who was also with Action Congress (A.C.) but went back to P.D.P. after the Presidential election were requested to bring One (1) person each. Rimi tried to make case for Aminu Dabo, Yusuf Kibiya, Umar Ganduje and Isa Zarewa, who were all contestants in the last Gubernatorial primaries but the leader disagreed and argued that Dabo, Kibiya and Ganduje are all his boys especially Ganduje who was his Personal Assistant (PA) when he was a Minister and Sen. Zarewa is not only a close friend to him but political associate and former school mate, therefore their interest can be accommodated within his own slots.
Ironically, Rimi could not even be trusted to decide on who to represent his interest in the State Executive, Kwankwaso might be acting the script of the father of P.D.P. Obasanjo. The Leader had to personally decided among Rimi’s disciples, who to be in the structure of the party.
Muhtari Ishaq who for long had parted ways with Rimi and who was incidentally among the likes of Kutama who contributed money and bought form for Kwankwaso to run for the last Gubernatorial primaries was picked with one other person who Rimi claimed that he never heard of his name or known him in his life talkless of being his political associate who can represents his group interest in the leadership structure of P.D.P. in the state.
The position of the National Officer (Deputy National Treasurer Nasiru Aliko Koki) which was zoned to Kano was also nominated by the Leader, likewise the two posts earmarked for the state to produce for the North-West Zonal Committee were shared between Amb. Aminu Wali who gave the name of Wada Masu as the Zonal Organizing Secretary his trusted boy and Kwankwaso nominated Hadiza Adado his one time Special Adviser to filled the post of Zonal Women Leader.
In any case, Rimi should not expect a better treatment than this, may be he so soon forgotten the past, he was manhandled and chased out of the party by the same local forces, it is only a wishful thinking to anticipate any new way of doing things in P.D.P. as you cannot get what you know you do not legitimately own.
This builds up further frustration within the rank and file of his supporters, with feelings of dejection as their leader have been roundly molested and defeated.
The Late Martin Luther King once said that the worth of a man is not where he stands in the time of peace, but where he stands in the time of adversity, one will pity those political clowns who blindly cross over with him. They are blaming him of giving too much in order to remain relevant in Kano politics but end up getting nothing. But that is not even the most striking, one will be alarmed to the formidable odds against the political interests of the likes of Usman Riruwai, Ghali Na’abba, Sulaiman Manbo, Sani Gadanya, Umar Gano, Ujudud Shariff and few others now that their “LIMAN” was bluntly outsmarted crying like baby over his tales of woes at the hand of whom he one time called political upstart.
There is nothing inherently wrong in changing a political party, but when and how one does it makes all the differences, their enthusiasm and excitements have turned to contempts and indifference.
The KHALIFA of the then Kano politics has reduced himself to petitioner, he in consonance with others like Akilu Indabawa, at one time close confidant of Kwankwaso who ascended to power through him decided to write a petition against what transpired in the state selection (election) congresses. It seems nobody wish to listened or take them serious on his usual trade tackles of allegations and petitions.
Rimi has made himself a laughing stock, a man of his political standing and weight has resorted to petition and going to court for arbitration to challenge what can be considered a vengeful mission. The act of going to court on what is purely a family affair is a serious offence in P.D.P. and can earn him another expulsion from the party so dear to his heart.
People are waiting patiently to see how Rimi would overcome this battle for his political survival. I don’t know whether his usual unbridled threats will work this time as Kwankwaso who earn for himself the rare distinction of the Field Marshal in the act of political intrigues and as a former Defence Minister under the administration of devilish Obasanjo will be afraid of any war now.
Rimi might have overstayed his political usefulness in the scene, now screaming and shouting what he ought to have known which is normal and an acceptable tenet in P.D.P.’s conduct. Internal democracy was never in practice or respected, one should remind him here that in November 2001 National Convention, then he has some level of recognition and respect in that party, collected money from one of the aspirants for the National Office zoned to Kano, blackmailed and intimidated the same Kwankwaso who was then the Governor of Kano state to disallowed any contest in the position for your annointed candidate. Considering this hypothetical situation, there is signal that P.D.P. in Kano State is going to explode again. The unity rally appear to have been shattered with the recent happenings. Some of the renegade followers of Rimi are planning to team up with others who have been genuinely opposing the overbearing and political hegemony of Kwankwaso to create a parallel leadership structure in Kano State P.D.P.
Rimi’s penchant for power and vanity rather than service to people has ruin him politically, the much spirited rhetoric which earn him political heroism for his opposition to the third term agenda of the Obasanjo administration has been destroyed when he decided to entrapped himself with the party in power.
The moral disaster happened to Rimi again at the Special National Convention of P.D.P. at Eagle Square on the 8th of March, 2008 when Sule Lamido, the Governor of Jigawa State and one time his companion publicly refused to shake hand with him because of disappointment by Rimi’s unnecessary squabble with Kwankwaso to the surprise of many, there and then Rimi boldly voiced that nothing again will happens between himself and the P.D.P. leader in Kano, in order to continue getting the patronage from Sule Lamido.
Imagine being one of Rimi’s supporters watching him live among the Kano delegates at Eagle Square expressing obedience and subordination by saying “Kano sai Kwankwaso” instead of keeping his mouth shut, pushing his people into political disarray. He might have probably conceded to superior forces with more power and money.
Rimi should save himself from perpetually descending too low into the morass and needless crisis to quite, but then who will convince the old political war-horse that his time is up. It is only in so doing that he can relieve himself from his re-occurring illness and realize a stable health condition, this I see as a better wisdom than fighting a lost battle.
It will serve him better if he move quietly but quickly resign from active politics to save the little name that he made over the years. I wish he can summon courage, will and seriousness to surrender to the superior and mightier forces under the able Garrison Leader Kwankwaso before his total annihilation.
Rimi ought to have known that Kwankwaso do not tolerate any opposition or dissent under his command, neither does he share any political space with disloyal member and as protégé of Obasanjo he conquer to finish and does not relent in his fight, no enemy is small or big. The P.D.P. Kano is firmly under his control at least for now. The lesson to note from Rimi’s tragic political misadventure is that there is nothing like being principled and consistent. |