Following the just concluded primary elections conducted by various political parties in Nigeria in preparation of another election challenge that will produce another set of leaders or continuity of those seek for second term in their respective positions or intends to proceed for a higher place.
In Bauchi state the APC is facing an extinct following the gale of defection the party is facing immediately after the governorship primary election that produced the former chief of air staff of Nigeria, Air Marshall Sadique Baba, who is a novice in politics considering the time he spent with the Nigeria’s air soldiers before joining active politics after he was sacked from his position as chief of air staff by president Buhari alongside his co service chief before appointed to be ambassador of Nigeria in Chad. The APC is Bauchi state is a party that has initial structure that produced its pioneer governor in the state that failed woefully to make the needed change when he governed the state. MA. Abubakar has made a history as the least performed governor of Bauchi state and the first civilian governor to be removed by the Bauchians due to glaring evidence of failure amongst other reasons best known to the electorates that massively voted him out to the incumbent governor Bala Mohamed who us averagely performing in the areas of road in infrastructures. Until Sadique’s emergence as APC Gubernatorial candidate to wrestle power from governor Bala Mohamed who went to test his popularity and acceptability in the PDP’s presidential race, Sadique and his APC in Bauchi state is on the verge of making the party extinct as the major factor that help the party produced MA. Abubakar was Buhari’s tsunami in 2015 that may not work in the year 2023, as Buhari is finishing his tenure and age won’t allow him go round the country to seek for support of any candidates.
The party has so far loose many top heavyweight in the state and report have it that more are underway to quit the party due to their reasons why few others believed the party in the state have already lost focus and are not ready to grab power from a sitting governor who on many occasion rejig hope to reclaim his seat and he is ready to confront any contestants when the time comes. So far the immediate deputy governor of the state Architect Audu Sule Katagum left the party based on alleged lack of fairness and transparent in the party and above all allegation of being sidelined from the scheme of the party’s activities since exiting office in 2019, he felt said that the party is not going from its initial aimed of forming the party from the onset. And most of is the inability of the party to be giving him and his former principal a sense of relevance in discharge of its activities since leaving office.
Another powerful stakeholder is a serving Senator Halliru Dauda Jika who also penned his resignation from the APC after losing a bid to picked the party’s gubernatorial ticket ahead of next year’s general elections. Unarguably, Jika is material in the party and politics as they say” it is a game of number”, he has thousands of supporters across the state that would eventually help the party to wrestle power from the opposition if they are determine but; his sudden resignation and subsequent cross—carpeting is big blow to the party especially Sadique who need conjoin forces to approach a serving governor who is politically groomed and desperate to return to power. Honorable Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi popularly known as Wakilin Birni, left the APC as well. He is a powerful politician who stood firmed to be elected member house of representatives against the former governor MA. Abubakar who blocked his way to picks the party’s flag in 2019, reason that led him moved to another political party PRP to won election with wide margin against the governor’s candidate. When Yakubu returned to APC, the party’s supporters were overwhelmed and hope to have a strong politician at their midst that will led them to another victory from the government he is having a friction with.
Senator lawal Yahaya Gumau, an incumbent senator serving the southern part of Bauchi state the upper chamber left the party immediately after losing the APC’s ticket to regain his position on alleged gang-up by some elements within the party. Someone like Lawal that would be in the House of Representatives through the senate, shouldn’t be easily allow to leave the party. Latest one is serial APC’s aspirant Honorable Mohamed Aliyu, popularly known as Songuy, he is passionately love by youths and he has an influence in deciding the fate of any elected leader in his constituency. His exodus to the party is another set back at it is preparing to wrestle power from PDP. Songuy boldly said the APC Bauchi state is only interested in those that will give them money not those who firmly believed in its core principles, according to him “ its sad those of them that been in the party right from its amalgamation are not giving due support, the party in Bauchi state remained for the wellbeing people, even if they are dullards, this is akin to a grassroots politician Honorable faruk Mustapha, who is massively loved by the people of bauchi state across the divide, his shocking, exit in the APC unveiled lots of quagmires and the party’s new logo as come and give us money, and will give you a ticket. Attesting to this an the reality of issue at the stake is the I don’t care attitudes of the Babayo’s led state party that came on board through the support of the Education Minister and few others against the will of the party’s members who has the right to vote for their new leaders after the expiration of its pioneer chairman Uba Nana.
With the mass exodus of the party in the state, the APC is at risk of going extinction. At the moment the Kwankwaso’s rebirth NNPP is the top beneficiary of the development, it is the new home for the frustrated, expired and vengeance APC members including the failed former MA. Abubakar’s supporters publically declared to do anti-party in the forthcoming election especially to Sadique whom they thought had supported Governor Bala during his election in 2019 and they believed the new state party leadership has one-sided party loyalty and motive in driving the affairs of the party, while the likes of the former governor’s deputy governor is of the believed that the party they formed four years has deviate from its objective. In his media chat, he said “ since vacating office neither him nor his principal have been given accorded recognition in the party’s activities, when asked on why Bauchi state delegates didn’t vote for MA’s prepared candidate Yemi Osinbajo at the concluded APC’s special presidential elections, he “ yes, they didn’t vote for Osinbajo, against the will of MA. Information has it that the MA Abubakar is considering an exit soon and he may rejoin his initial PDP. If it happens then, Sadique will be the top loser of such development.
Apparently, the Babayo’s APC in Bauchi state is not doing anything to address the daily exiting of its top class members even the likes of Senator Jika who kept the party running its activities for years after it loses its historic first timer governor of the state. on the other hand, Sadique baba, is at the bid of losing his dream of Governing Bauchi state and it appears he is not making an extra move to avert eventual occurrence or return of the frustrated members may be they can help him with extra forces. The likes of Dr Musa Babayo and Nura Manu soro, Capt Bala Jibrin, and other top members of the party need to be giving extra sense of relevance and responsiveness for a smooth journey to Bauchi Government house. And Adamu Adamu, the current minister of Education need to unite the aggrieved members and help Sadique Baba, the guber candidate who is a novice in politics surrounded by pretenders and expired politicians who cannot even win their electoral wards, he need to engage competent and acceptable politicians that can help him actualize his dreams because the state leadership of the APC is not doing anything to help him, though information have it that; Sadique emerges through the handiwork of the party’s top echelon who openly campagn for him during the primary election against the likes of defected Senator Halliru Jika that keep the party active after losing a governor in the state.
Pundits questioned by the Babayo’s leadership in the party decided to remain mute despite losing people that will make the party regain its strength based on the realities of issues going on in the state by the Governor Bala mohamed’s government who is yet to engaged restive youths in the existing and exiting vacuum in the civil service despite serving lots of money from scrupulous element in the past.
The allegation by most of the decampees that APC in bauchi state become a safe haven for the highest bidder picks the party’s ticket no matter how much competent or dedicated or the contributions you made to the party, you will not scale through unless if you have money. No one expected the sacked chief of air staff to be the party’s standard bearer, he didn’t spent much time in the, he is the unpopular among the aspirants and a novice but it is clear to the public the factor that brought him against the pretenders and the bigwigs that was initially thought of.
No doubt, the lackadaisical attitude of the APC leadership in bauchi state is not taking the navigation to the promise land except to its buried land come 2023 if not hurriedly addressed. “ a stitch in time saves nine”.
