By Kabiru Danladi Lawanti
By May 29, 2011 the governor’s office in Gombe, as in other states of the federation, where the Governors served their second term of four years tenure, will be vacant. In a democracy, the process demands prospective candidates to come out and show their interest to contest.
This will usher in campaigns, primary elections and subsequently general elections. However, Gombe state has proved to be different. Five months to the governorship election, Gombawa are yet to see any serious contender in the governorship race for 2011. If you doubt me visit the state today and the impression one might get is of a state with no governorship aspirants. Speculations, outright lies and rumour, are what feel the political airspace. Gombawa are as confused as the candidates themselves. No one can say for sure who the real contenders are, and or the jokers.
INEC stipulated date for political parties to present their candidates is two months away, and if posters and billboards are anything to go by, in determining candidates’ seriousness, the people of the state will be counting their luck by May 2011. Posters and billboards inundated all the nooks and crannies of the state’s urban and rural areas with such messages as ‘Nasara Daga Allah’, ‘Ameen Tolba’ and gimmicks that say nothing about candidate’s campaign programme and policies.
However, one can understand the attitudes of these politicians. Gombe state politics in the last seven and a half years has dramatically changed. The incumbent Governor, Danjuma Goje has not only succeeded in silencing everyone around, but has ensured that he is the only one that can decide every political direction the state is taking. It is evident from the cat and mouse game the candidates are playing in their campaigns; even in the opposition, the fear of Goje is the beginning of wisdom. Everyone is afraid of Goje.
One thing that has changed in the state’s political culture was the fact that, no one can get an easy ride to the state house. The state’s exalted office will never be left at the mercy of opportunistic politicians whose idea of governance, is to be in power to steal public money. We have seen what they have done in the past and what they are doing now. In fact, we might say that majority of those who are parading themselves as governorship candidates in the next year’s general elections in concrete political terms are not even qualified in any way to be our leaders. What have they got to offer? It is not surprising to hear campaign messages like ‘am supported by Goje’ or ‘I have the full support of Oga’. The question is, is the Governor really behind any political candidate? Or are the candidates trying to ride on his popularity to garner support? The rumour was that Goje is said to be bent on anointing his son in-law to succeed him.
Even if this rumour was true, our hope is that the people of the state will be guided not only by the relationship of a candidate to the governor, but by his well articulated programmes and development driven agenda and a person that they believe mean well for the state. It is not enough for any candidate to rally buses and hired crowd to go round the state capital, shouting ‘sai yayi’ or go to the press and start granting incoherent visionless interviews to think that the people of the state will take him serious.
The future of the people of Gombe should not be left at the mercy of opportunistic politicians whose idea of governance, is to be in power to steal public money. We have seen what they have done in the past and what they are doing now. In fact, we might say these people are not qualified in any way to be our leaders. I may have loved to call them by their names and expose them for what they are and what they stand for, but I feel it is better to give them a chance to see, in the remaining days to come if they can present to the electorates programmes on how they can continue, or build on the foundation laid by the outgoing Governor.
Governor Goje on his part would do the people of Gombe state good, if he maintains the absolute neutrality he is known for and allow the people to choose their leaders. Gombe state is bigger than each and every one of us. We are not saying Goje is perfect, he has his own inadequacies, but at least he has recorded tremendous achievements incomparable to any of his predecessors. But he has to be very careful, and he knows fully well that any bad move from him might be catastrophic to the good foundations he has laid for the state. Today, majority of those shouting to succeed him are people whose sole interest is to be in power in order to revert the state to pre-Goje era.
I think it is time for the people of the state to take a new direction for the state, and take a leave from Goje himself. The contestants on their part should change from a non-ideological, loyalist and focus less on politics, to a more people and development oriented politics in which candidates present their programmes to the electorates and on the basis of those well articulated programmes, seek people’s votes. Let the people of the state do away with election rigging, intimidation of voters and political violence. It is also time for the political candidates in the state to start looking at poverty issues, unemployment, and water scarcity in the rural areas for both human and animals, agriculture, especially fertiliser sales and distribution. They should also come with a well designed programmes aimed at addressing the challenges associated with issues of maternal morbidity and mortality, education at the primary and secondary level.
Whatever happens before April 2011, depends on how the people in the state want their lives to be after May 29, 2011.
Kabiru Danladi Lawanti, Department of Mass Communication, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria-Nigeria.
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