Northern Bureau Chief, Hassan Ibrahim, writes on the politicalintrigues and horse trading that characterized the 2011 race to Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, the official seat of power in Kaduna State since the colonial era.
GOING down memory lane, Sir Kashim Ibrahim House which attained modern status during the administration of the former governor, now Vice President Namadi Sambo, had the privilege of hosting the likes of Lord Frederick Lugard, first Governor General of Northern Region during the colonial era, Sir Kashim Ibrahim, first indigenous Governor of Northern Nigeria down to the incumbent state governor, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa.
The keen contest for the exalted seat in the state between Yakowa and others elicited so much interest and passion across the state and beyond, ever before the build up to the race culminated into the unfortunate crisis that left many dead or wounded.
The Northern Kaduna and the Southern part, forcefully but unofficially divided into the Muslim dominated North and the Christian dominated South, suffered loses of unquantifiable measure that could not be immediately ascertained during the mayhem. Sadly, the turmoil had also proved wrong those who earlier postulated that Kaduna had come of age and could rid itself of further sectarian crisis that caused religious and ethnic disharmony in the state within the last 10 years.
It is on record that in spite of the fact that Southern Kaduna is an integral part of Kaduna State and the people had produced bulk votes which paved way for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form government severally in the state, attempts by politicians from that part of the state to become governor, the likes of Senator Isaiah Balat and late Chief Madaki Ali, had not seen the light of the day. In short, no Southern Kaduna Christian had ever tasted the sweetness of the number one seat in the state until Yakowa broke the jinx when the then governor of the state, now Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo was elevated.
It then became clear especially to politicians from the Northern and Central zones, mostly of Hausa-Muslim background that the political permutations could be in favour of Yakowa. First came the story that was widely spread of how a former minister of defence of Northern extraction, allegedly used his influence in Abuja to ensure that Sambo was elevated as a strategy to emancipate the Southern Kaduna people through a Yakowa governorship. Not satisfied, a grassroots politician and staunch member of the PDP in the state, Alhaji Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi was prepared to challenge Yakowa at the PDP state primaries but was defeated.
The opposition party, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) came up with a Muslim candidate from Kajuru in Southern Kaduna, Alhaji Haruna Saeed, who was also defeated by Yakowa during the election. The candidacy of Saeed was shrouded in controversy as some alleged that he was used as a masterstroke by strong PDP elements in the state who were not comfortable with the rising influence and dominance of Namadi Sambo. In several political discuss on the matter within the period, a former governor of the state was fingered and alleged to have contributed huge sums of money to the opposition candidate while the political romance lasted.
But those who analysts referred to as genuine democrats were of the opinion that those opposed to the emergence of Yakowa had no reason to deny Southern Kaduna an opportunity to occupy the number position in the state. Although from a minority tribe in the zone, Kagoma, which had time immemorial showed allegiance to the Zazzau Emirate along with other tribes in the area, Yakowa was said to be eminently qualified to represent his zone and make history as the first Christian to be elected governor of Kaduna State.
Compared to others, particularly those whose credentials could easily be faulted or challenged in a local court of law,Yakowa was a career civil servant that rose through the ranks. He was a permanent secretary at the federal level. He was later a minister during the military regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar. In 1999, he became a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and was the Secretary to Kaduna State Government in 2003.
As fate would have it, when the deputy governor of Kaduna State, Engr. Stephen Rijo Shekari, died in 2005,Yakowa was made his replacement by the then governor, Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi. Yakowa held that position even under the Sambo administration until his elevation as governor of Kaduna State.
In 2007, Yakowa contested the governorship election, but lost at the primaries to Sambo. He was Sambo’s running mate for the election and together, they rode to victory. The PDP had declared that it had unanimously endorsed Yakowa, who is its leader in the state, for the 2011 governorship election due to his wealth of experience. During the election, the electorate were happy with his performance and decided that he was suitable for a continued stay in office.
Governor Yakowa has continued to reiterate that he is not a governor of the Christians but governor for all, and had extended a hand of friendship to the opposition in the state.
This was demonstrated in his policies which impacted positively on the lives of many Muslims. During the Muslim month of Ramadhan, he directed all local councils in the state to organise free feeding centres. He also set up a committee on hajj and the result was that for the first time in many years, those who went on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia enjoyed subsidy.Most importantly, Yakowa, some said, was part of the team responsible for the implementation of the developmental programmes in Kaduna State for over 30 years.
It was therefore not a surprise when the Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, as the Chief Returning officer of INEC in Kaduna State, announced Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa as the governor-elect for Kaduna State.
Opposition parties in the state have however, continued to allege that the authorities under the influence of the PDP rescheduled the governorship election for Thursday, April 28, so as to have an advantage over others.
But for keen observers of political happenings in the state, the last straw that broke the opposition’s back in the contest was the last minute rapprochement between Yakowa and the Hunkuyi camp in the state.
An analysts in Kaduna said Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, who was in charge of the Makarfi political machinery, dragged Governor Yakowa to court over a campaign fund dinner and lost. “It was gathered that even while the suit lasted, Yakowa made several overture to Hunkuyi with the aim of reconciling with him and bringing him on board to join in the campaign to ensure that Yakowa and the PDP form government in the state.”
It was alleged that some top government officials almost misled Yakowa into believing that Hunkuyi was not important and could not influence any vote in the state. “They paid dearly for it as the party lost in areas where Yakowa could have made some impact. But there was a last minute move by the governor to reconcile with Hunkuyi. President Goodluck Jonathan reportedly intervened in the matter to fast track the reconciliation which led to Hunkuyi declaring his support for Yakowa on Tuesday, April 26 by asking his supporters to vote for Yakowa in the governorship election.”
At a remote location in the outskirt of Kaduna, the deal was sealed and Hunkuyi directed all his coordinators across the state to work for Yakowa. That singular act changed the tides and the PDP, once again, pummeled the opposition and cut short the celebration that had earlier commenced by the CPC in the state.
tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/the-polity/3918-yakowas-ride-to-sir-kashim-ibrahim-house
The keen contest for the exalted seat in the state between Yakowa and others elicited so much interest and passion across the state and beyond, ever before the build up to the race culminated into the unfortunate crisis that left many dead or wounded.
The Northern Kaduna and the Southern part, forcefully but unofficially divided into the Muslim dominated North and the Christian dominated South, suffered loses of unquantifiable measure that could not be immediately ascertained during the mayhem. Sadly, the turmoil had also proved wrong those who earlier postulated that Kaduna had come of age and could rid itself of further sectarian crisis that caused religious and ethnic disharmony in the state within the last 10 years.
It is on record that in spite of the fact that Southern Kaduna is an integral part of Kaduna State and the people had produced bulk votes which paved way for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form government severally in the state, attempts by politicians from that part of the state to become governor, the likes of Senator Isaiah Balat and late Chief Madaki Ali, had not seen the light of the day. In short, no Southern Kaduna Christian had ever tasted the sweetness of the number one seat in the state until Yakowa broke the jinx when the then governor of the state, now Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo was elevated.
It then became clear especially to politicians from the Northern and Central zones, mostly of Hausa-Muslim background that the political permutations could be in favour of Yakowa. First came the story that was widely spread of how a former minister of defence of Northern extraction, allegedly used his influence in Abuja to ensure that Sambo was elevated as a strategy to emancipate the Southern Kaduna people through a Yakowa governorship. Not satisfied, a grassroots politician and staunch member of the PDP in the state, Alhaji Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi was prepared to challenge Yakowa at the PDP state primaries but was defeated.
The opposition party, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) came up with a Muslim candidate from Kajuru in Southern Kaduna, Alhaji Haruna Saeed, who was also defeated by Yakowa during the election. The candidacy of Saeed was shrouded in controversy as some alleged that he was used as a masterstroke by strong PDP elements in the state who were not comfortable with the rising influence and dominance of Namadi Sambo. In several political discuss on the matter within the period, a former governor of the state was fingered and alleged to have contributed huge sums of money to the opposition candidate while the political romance lasted.
But those who analysts referred to as genuine democrats were of the opinion that those opposed to the emergence of Yakowa had no reason to deny Southern Kaduna an opportunity to occupy the number position in the state. Although from a minority tribe in the zone, Kagoma, which had time immemorial showed allegiance to the Zazzau Emirate along with other tribes in the area, Yakowa was said to be eminently qualified to represent his zone and make history as the first Christian to be elected governor of Kaduna State.
Compared to others, particularly those whose credentials could easily be faulted or challenged in a local court of law,Yakowa was a career civil servant that rose through the ranks. He was a permanent secretary at the federal level. He was later a minister during the military regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar. In 1999, he became a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and was the Secretary to Kaduna State Government in 2003.
As fate would have it, when the deputy governor of Kaduna State, Engr. Stephen Rijo Shekari, died in 2005,Yakowa was made his replacement by the then governor, Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi. Yakowa held that position even under the Sambo administration until his elevation as governor of Kaduna State.
In 2007, Yakowa contested the governorship election, but lost at the primaries to Sambo. He was Sambo’s running mate for the election and together, they rode to victory. The PDP had declared that it had unanimously endorsed Yakowa, who is its leader in the state, for the 2011 governorship election due to his wealth of experience. During the election, the electorate were happy with his performance and decided that he was suitable for a continued stay in office.
Governor Yakowa has continued to reiterate that he is not a governor of the Christians but governor for all, and had extended a hand of friendship to the opposition in the state.
This was demonstrated in his policies which impacted positively on the lives of many Muslims. During the Muslim month of Ramadhan, he directed all local councils in the state to organise free feeding centres. He also set up a committee on hajj and the result was that for the first time in many years, those who went on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia enjoyed subsidy.Most importantly, Yakowa, some said, was part of the team responsible for the implementation of the developmental programmes in Kaduna State for over 30 years.
It was therefore not a surprise when the Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, as the Chief Returning officer of INEC in Kaduna State, announced Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa as the governor-elect for Kaduna State.
Opposition parties in the state have however, continued to allege that the authorities under the influence of the PDP rescheduled the governorship election for Thursday, April 28, so as to have an advantage over others.
But for keen observers of political happenings in the state, the last straw that broke the opposition’s back in the contest was the last minute rapprochement between Yakowa and the Hunkuyi camp in the state.
An analysts in Kaduna said Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, who was in charge of the Makarfi political machinery, dragged Governor Yakowa to court over a campaign fund dinner and lost. “It was gathered that even while the suit lasted, Yakowa made several overture to Hunkuyi with the aim of reconciling with him and bringing him on board to join in the campaign to ensure that Yakowa and the PDP form government in the state.”
It was alleged that some top government officials almost misled Yakowa into believing that Hunkuyi was not important and could not influence any vote in the state. “They paid dearly for it as the party lost in areas where Yakowa could have made some impact. But there was a last minute move by the governor to reconcile with Hunkuyi. President Goodluck Jonathan reportedly intervened in the matter to fast track the reconciliation which led to Hunkuyi declaring his support for Yakowa on Tuesday, April 26 by asking his supporters to vote for Yakowa in the governorship election.”
At a remote location in the outskirt of Kaduna, the deal was sealed and Hunkuyi directed all his coordinators across the state to work for Yakowa. That singular act changed the tides and the PDP, once again, pummeled the opposition and cut short the celebration that had earlier commenced by the CPC in the state.
tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/the-polity/3918-yakowas-ride-to-sir-kashim-ibrahim-house