By Adamu Muhammad Dodo
“Not gossiping. It’s governorship we’re talking about here,” the electorates reflecting on party primary elections would say.
Tomorrow Friday is the day slated by the All Progressive Congress, APC, for the selected party members as delegates to decide the candidates that would fly the ticket for the 2023 gubernatorial election accros the country.
Some states, especially where is the ruling party and the governor’s are serving a 4-year first tenure, incumbency factor sets in to the point of popular endorsement with no opposition, referred to as unopposed candidacy; states like Borno, Yobe and Gombe in the northeast.
Unseating the governors; Prof Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno state, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State and Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, truly the Jewel of the Savannah that knows how to tame the cunning lion would clearly be an effort in futility.
Zulum, a man the citizenry refer to as governor of governors, who the electorates purchased expression of interest form for continuity, is simply unmatched.
Buni, a man and governor who also controlled the affairs of the APC, sailed successfully through hypocritical waters and conducted successful elections at the party level, would as a reciprocity be given the governorship flag to fly.
Yahaya, a man the Periscope Global has gathered, who purchased the expression of interest forms to the entire serving elected, with a view to recontest their elective positions, you can be sure that the strategy to have them work for the governor also to be returned elected.
APC, where they are in opposition like Adamawa, Bauchi and Taraba states, it takes credible primary elections to produce competent candidate with capability and capacity, to be able to turn the table; or as the opposition party members in Adamawa would explain, to reclaim and/or take over from the ruling party they considered as summarily ruinous, begging for speedy change before the state is reduced to a definitive republic of debtors.
To be able to achieve this, most of the governorship aspirants spoken to would say, there must be free, fair and credible primaries; a level playing ground.
Some of the delegates spoken to would disclose that most of them could not identify themselves with any candidates as doing so would reduce their earnings from the contestants.
“It’s a higher bidder proposition,” one of the anonymous delegates would say.
“We’re made to swear an oath holding the holy book that we’ll not betray the purpose for which the monies are given to us,” another anonymous delegate would explain.
What betrayal is considered worse than selling one’s conscience by mortgaging not only the electorates but the state over a miserable amount?
Tomorrow is the delegates day to decided the to be elected, whether the good, the bad or the ugly. We pray for the best.
Find below the listed categories of the accredited delegates for the gubernatorial primary election holding tomorrow:
1- Chairman and Secretary
2- 5 Adhoc State Delegates from each ward
3- State Executive ( Exco members)
4- National Executive members
5- Serving and Past Governors and Deputy Governor’s within the state
6- Serving and Past National Assembly members
7- Serving and National Assembly members
8- Serving Elected Chairman and Vice Chairman of the council
9- Serving Elected Councilors from each Electoral ward
10- Two selected women delegates each.