Politicians are like chameleon, which changes its colours at will. In 1999, to be precise, Alhaji Bello Tukur, was an unknown entity in the political spectrum of Adamawa state, but he became the deputy governor of the state for that administration’s tenure, courtesy of his political godfather, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
At the tail end of 2007, he ditched his political godfather and pitched his tent with Professor Jibril Aminu, and Admiral Murtala Nyako, because he was denied the ticket of the then Action Congress which picked Alhaji Ibrahim Bapetel, the then Secretary to the Adamawa state government as its candidate. Today, this gentleman after gaining the confidence of the link man that saw the emergence of Admiral Murtala Nyako as governor was appointed as the Chief of Staff to the Governor, and he wants to uproot the link man for the party in 2007, so as to get the position of Senator representing Adamawa Central senatorial zone in 2011.
The ambition of this lucky politician is vaulting in the sense that there was absolutely nothing that he did to curry favours for the Senatorial zone, as the Chief of Staff, or as a person who had the ears of the governor in the last four years.
Alhaji Bello Tukur, may not find it easy sailing through the primaries, to emerge as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Even if he does, he would have to contend with a big problem dangling on his head with the minorities of the state, because of the fact that he is perceived as anti minorities, due to some policies initiated by the present administration under Governor Nyako, which were attributed to him.
He is also alleged to be behind the seemingly, low esteem of the present Nyako administration, by a cross section of the state especially, the civil servants due mainly to his interference in the administrative running of the government.
Tukur is also in the black book of the civil servants due to his advice to Governor Nyako, which saw the stoppage of monthly running cost to ministries and departments for the past eight months. He was said to have made it a point to tell the governor that the running cost ended in the pocket of a certain few. Alhaji Bello Tukur will also have to contend with market men and women. This is because during the reign of Mr. Boni Haruna, he served as the deputy governor and Commissioner of Commerce and was behind the relocation of the modern market to what was known as Falluja market. He was the brain behind the composition of the relocation committee, where a lot of market men and women were denied stores by the committee and if they got one, they paid through their nose.
Alhaji Tukur, since the ascension of the present government of Adamawa state, behaves like the de facto governor.
His entrance into the race for the Adamawa Central senatorial zone was primarily to slight the incumbent Senator representing the zone, Professor Jibril Aminu, for obvious reasons. But we know that there is nothing to expect from his stewardship, even if he scales through, going by how he has fared in the zone. The people of the senatorial zone seriously need to shine their eyes and do the right thing by voting for people who will serve them better.
Shehu Dangirgiza, wrote in from No. 12 Sarkin Wuta street, Jimeta, Adamawa state
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