One remarkable political event that shaped the just ended 2018 in Borno State is the primaries held by the various political parties in the state.
The primaries exposed the intrigues and power play in addition to horse trading associated with politics as the various political parties especially the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) found themselves on the crossroad on choice of candidates.
While the ruling APC was battling over the choice of flag bearer for the 2019 governorship election with over 24 candidates who declared their interest and bought forms for the contest which later narrowed to 21 candidates after party clearance, that of the PDP was which of its factions had the legitimacy to hold primary elections that would be recognised by its national body, as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the battle for the APC governorship primary, the governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima, was himself in dilemma of a successor considering the number of aspirants that declared interest to occupy the Borno Government House.
But it later became easier for the governor to make a choice after 13 out of the 21 cleared aspirants following rigorous consultations, stepped down for his preferred candidate, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum.
The choice of Zulum for the governor was not equally an easy task because, Shettima having narrowed his choice between Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, the former Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RRR), who had toured the nooks and crannies of the state reconstructing and rehabilitating structures destroyed by the Boko Haram terrorists in various Borno communities, and the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan who has been working tirelessly for the progress of governor Shettima’s administration, including making sacrifice to ensure that the governor is free from distractions from perceived enemies, found it a hard task anointing either of the duo.
Making analysis of all the governorship aspirants a few days to the primary election, Shettima explained that both Professor Zulum and Barr Lawan are dynamic and special in their own ways.
The governor equally eulogised the loyalty of both finalists, and the extra ordinary loyalty of Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan and went ahead to say that in politics, absolute loyalty sometimes supersedes competence, and that nobody among the candidates can be said to be more loyal to him than the Attorney General.
But on another page, Shettima buttressed that he would love to hand over the affairs of Borno Government House to someone who is more competent and advanced in learning than him; who will consolidate on his achievements and surpass his records.
Thus, after a marathon of meeting with traditional rulers and elders including opinion leaders, Shettima on the eve of the gubernatorial primary election openly declared his anointing of professor Babagana Umara Zulum as his successor.
The governor said he endorsed the gubernatorial candidature of Babagana Umara Zulum to fast track rapid social and economic transformation of the war ravaged state.
Shettima made the clarification in a statement issued to journalists in Maiduguri and signed by him.
He said his decision was based on wide consultations with various stakeholders and communities for the overall development of the state.
Read Also:
According to him, all the gubernatorial aspirants have the qualities to serve the state but Professor Zulum had the fuller understanding of the context of the reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of post-insurgency Borno.
Shettima said: “All the aspirants have divergent qualities however, because of the situation we find ourselves, considerations for the next governor of Borno state requires specific quips tailored to our needs for now.
“From the generality of feedbacks, there is no doubt that what will define political debate in Borno 2019 governorship election will be promises in the aftermath of brutal conflict, deaths and destructions of communities.
“Everywhere in the world, post-conflict rehabilitation, restoration, reconcillation and resettlement are complex, composite and interwoven.
“With humility and absolute respect for all aspirants, I will like to say that from overwhelming opinions and feedback, the aspirant with an egde in understanding the peace development nexus of Borno’s post conflict future is Professor Babagana Umara Zulum.
“For our perculiar situation, Zulum has shown the potentials to take the state to the next level. His age is an advantage; at 48, he is in his prime, he is head and shoulders above me in terms of intellect, capacity and indefatigability. Zulum is without a slightest doubt, a workhorse,” he added.
Shettima maintained that his support for Professor Zulum’s candidature would not foreclose the possibility of other candidates contesting in the primaries.
While commending the aspirants and other party members, the governor tasked them to work together as a team, to enable the party win the election.
Even though the APC had settled for Professor Zulum as its candidate for the governoship election , the recent court action instituted by a chieftain of the party and one of the aggrieved aspirants, Alhaji Idris Mamman Durkwa , unsettled atmosphere of the capital city of Maiduguri which saw the action as resurgence of grievance that trailed the outcome of the APC gubernotorial primary in the state .
Durkwa had instituted an action before the federal High Court Maiduguri seeking nullification of the governoship primary of the party in the state.
He asked the court to nullify the nomination of Professor Babagana Umara Zulum as the party’s governoship candidate . Also joined in the case with file number: FHC/ MG/ CS/ 55/ 2018 are the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commision (INEC).
LEADERSHIP recalls that the APC National leadership had warned it would sanction party members who take the party to court, but President Muhammadu Buhari overruled the APC position, saying that aggrieved members have right to seek redress in Court.
PDP on the other hand produced two candidates in its parallel governorship primaries held at different venues with Muhammad Imam emerging winner in the Zanna Gadama faction of the party , while a former Minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Muhammmed Wakil emerged winner from the Usman Baderi faction of the party.
One remarkable factor in the separate primaries was the bearing of the pictures of both contestants on the ballot boxes at the separate venues with votes casted to candidates even in abssential.
But with the Maiduguri High Court ruling upholding Muhammad Imam as candidate for the PDP governorship candidate for the 2019 gubernatorial election in Borno, the coast can be said to be clear for the PDP to slug it out with the ruling APC if the party didn’t engage itself on further litigation.
