By Usman Usman Dutse
Politics is a game of numbers. The number of people or followers clinging to a personality determines his influence and popularity in the society he lives in.
In a political game, like all games world over, no one likes to play and lose; for it is said, a winner has many fathers, but a loser is an orphan.
The lesson learnt from Birnin Kudu loss in the recent local council elections in Jigawa state in the polling units of some APC chieftains underscores the need for the appointments of political officeholders to take into consideration the popularity of the appointees.
What if the one appointed out of a galaxy of other qualified party members have no political influence in their constituencies? When such thing happens, the ruling party becomes a laughing stock in its supposedly stronghold.
In the last local government election in Jigawa state, the weaknesses of some personalities in the All Progressives Congress (APC), who should have been the roots and props of the party have been brought to the fore. How can you be a genuine party chieftain when you cannot deliver your area of influence in a crucial election? What has been your relationship with your people? Have you been communing with them or they only see you at times of need? Such is the story of some APC personalities the party had banked on but failed to deliver woefully.
It is disheartening to note that in Birnin Kudu local government area where APC suffered a loss in the polling units of its chieftains in the local government election, there are supposedly party members who should have changed the story but could not fly?
APC has the Managing Director of Hadejia River Basin Development Authority; Secretary to Jigawa State Government for six years; Hon. Da’u Aliyu representing Birnin Kudu/Buji federal constituency and former member, Federal House of Representatives, Farouk Adamu Aliyu, all from Birnin Kudu local government area. Also the Cimmissioner for Justice is from Birnin Kudu. What a shame for a chieftain not being able to deliver his polling unit!
People of the area should have seen how the government of Badaru favoured them by looking at the personalities he had given prominent appointments to in his government.
This investment by Badaru seems to have yielded no fruit. And no one would like to harvest losses in his business. In a political scene just as in business, such is also the case. The recent local council election in which these personalities lost in their polling units was a clear testimony that they are either anti-party agents or logs of wood which could not catch fire.
In future appointments in the state, Governor Badaru should consider the influence and clout of a party member. This is because at the time the above personalities were being considered, there were a number of qualified persons with higher political value, but they were not considered. So the council elections has thrown to the fore the weaknesses and strength of our APC members. Some are equal to the task in their local government areas while others are no force to be reckoned with. They are like ashes of once glorious fire. Why should opposition took away about 90 percent of votes leaving only 10 percent for the ruling party?
In some climes, it is better for the personalities I had earlier mentioned, who lost their polling units to opposition party in the crucial election to have resigned honourably. This is because the people have told them they didn’t know them. They were nobody to them.
It is also time for APC to beam its light on the activities of these men in relation to their communities. Have the people enjoyed any dividends of democracy brought by these persons. This loss raises a lot of issues; very important issues.
The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Abdulkadir Fanini Adamu, has work experience in both the private and public sectors. On assumption of office, Adamu, in a meeting with his staff, charged them on the need for dedication and commitment to duties and enjoined them to be honest and transparent in carrying out their functions.
He pledged to conduct his duties in line with the trust bestowed on him by the state governor pointing out that he will not tolerate dishonesty amongst his subordinates.
He described the office of the SSG as the “heart of the government” and assured of his commitment and honesty in the discharge of his new assignment. But he did not do to his superiors what he had preached to his subordinates. What an irony! The person who holds the heart of Jigawa state, refused to let his constituency breath.
If you have been good with your people why wouldn’t they pay you back with massive voting in a party they all are beneficiaries of its dividends?
On his part, Hon Magaji Da’u Aliyu, the lawmaker representing Birnin-Kudu/Buji Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, also is not influential with his people. In 2015, he was elected into the National Assembly to represent Birnin-Kudu/Buji Federal Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
As a legislator, he set up a 12-man education committee to give him a model of solving the ills in the sector. He had also sponsored several motions at the Federal House of Assembly such as one to establish a college of education in his constituency.
He should know that he was able to accomplish all this through APC which brought him to power. Now he seems to have bitten the finger that fed him.
Farouk Adamu, is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who had been hailed in the past but now.
His popularity in the past was made possible through the benevolence of his party (APC) hierarchy. So what is wrong after? what did he do to become a politician without clout? Now he is a liability to APC instead of an asset.
This is the man who wants to be elected the national chairman of our great party, APC. No, he cannot. He has no track record to be trusted with such an all important post. How will someone who cannot deliver his polling unit in a local government election talk of becoming a national chairman of his party? Hon. Adamu’s waning influence has shown to Gov Badaru, President Buhari and all party supporters that he is no longer a force to be reckoned with in APC.
All the APC chieftains mentioned above, who have put the party to shame should go back to the drawing board to identify the cause of their waning influence for better strategy in future. Or alternatively, they resign their positions to offset the shame they have given the party and its supporters nationwide.
Usman Dutse, a political analyst, lives in Dutse
