Usman Garba Santuraki

JIMETA-YOLA

From all possible intents, the fierce battle is going to be between the two formidable political parties- AC and the PDP each headed by known politicl gladiators, that the state is proud. These two politicians are the former Vice-President of Nigeria for good eight years during the reign of Chief Obasanjo as the President of this country Alh. Atiku Abubakar Turakin Adamawa and Prof. Jibrin Aminu a serving Senator.

The great battle has undergone several transformation in the eyes of the people of the state in the last couple of weeks since the Court of Appeal in Jos uphld the nullification of the election of the former Governor of the state, ho hold forte for a period of nine months Admiral Murtala Hammanyero Nyako.

What really made the recontest so interesting is the amount of indices, that has crept in the political scene of the state since the court of appeal has delivered its judgment about one and half months ago.

These indices kept a lot more of people into suspense and at the same time, pondering about how the election was to be won by the leading political parties of Action Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

Beneath the surface and outside, some indices such as disenchantment by some cross section of the people of the state over the conduct of the administration of Admiral Nyako of the move and attempt of foisting a kind of hegemony over and above the other ethnic groups of the state has rear its ugly face, unprecedented spending of public funds on mundane things by some officials of the then government as baazar made a lot of people gasping to have a fresh air, confrotation with some traditional institutions of the state etc. The political permutations of the state as at this material time is skewed. But, despite this, there were behind the scene intrigues by some pretenders in the race and their surpporters. The opposition party(ANPP) was divided in the state with the party's state Chairman Alh. Abdurahama Bobboi and some selected executives of the party going for the ruling party and the party's candidate for the Governorship Alh. Abdurahama with virtually all the leading light of the party going for the opposition Action Congress for the 12 April, 2008 re-run election. Information at the disposal of this writer, was that the surpporters of the Labour Party are vigorously campaigning for the opposition Action Congress for the election and speculation was ripe, that the party's candidate Chief Joel Hamman Madaki would very soon, publicly display and show his support and solidarity for the Action Congress. The candidate for the Progreesive Peoples Party Mr. David Barau since denounced his earlier support, he gave the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the election of 2007 and there is the likelyhood, he may swing his support for the Action Congress. Also, there is a very strong indications that the minorities of the state from different locations of the state may preffered to go with the Action Congress due largely to incomprehensible policies, that recognises only a fraction of the state. There is also the thinking in some quarters, that a lot of the leading lights of the PDP may disparage the ruling party and commit anti-party behaviour because of the way and manner, they were treated after the election of 2007. These indices have to be taken into consideration as the final D- Day is fast approaching and each of the leading political parties is quite desirous to see, that it occupied the seat. The coming election is an opportunity offered to the people of the state to made a critical look into the way and manner of how the people of the ruling party conducted themseves within a span of short time in office and the former administration in the state for eight years. No matter the consequences, the people of the state are more determined ever than before to caste their votes for the people, whom they believe would delivered the dividend of democracy and for the benefit of others. May God in his infinite mercy give us the courage to caste our votes in a peaceful atmosphere that at the end, would be beneficial to not only us but, for the generations coming behind us. Amen.