Attahiru Bafarawa, a former Governor of Sokoto State who was once addressed as Pro-Chancellor in the Institute of Nigerian politics. But however, what qualified him to be a political hero was his lack of political ideology and his deficiency in mathematical creativity.
Bafarawa became the Governor of Sokoto State in 1999 under the defunct All People Party (APP) which was later renamed All Nigerian People Party (ANPP). He was re-elected Governor in 2003 and ruled for another 2nd tenure of four years which ended in 2007. He broken a record as the first Governor of Sokoto State to stay in office for more than four years, carpeting the like of Alh. Umar Farouk who spent a period of less than four years in office.
As preparations for 2007 general elections geared up. Bafarawa decided to contest for Presidential ticket under the platform of ANPP, he was refused that opportunity by the Party leadership and asked to stand aside for General Muhammadu Buhari who enjoyed the majority support of Party members as a consensus candidate.
Bafarawa's dissatisfaction with the idea of Gen. Buhari's sole candidateship came to the fore as at the time he formed a new Political Party "Democratic Peoples Party (DPP)", in other for him to contest the Presidency. DPP was formed, sponsored and maintained single handily by Bafarawa using State resources all across the nation.
His then deputy Governor, Alh Aliyu Wamakko didn't only refused to honour his invitation to DPP but also resigned his deputy Governorship position and decided to contest for the gubernatorial ticket under ANPP while Bafarawa's DPP elected Maigari Dingyadi as it gubernatorial candidate.
Wamakko who was flying the flag of ANPP Governorship seat defected to the ruling People's Democratic Party where he banished his present deputy Alh Muktar Shagari and seized the PDP governorship ticket from him. Wamakko comfortably and amazingly won the 2007 gubernatorial election, he didn't only defeated Bafarawa's candidate but mercilessly hammered and humiliated Dingyadi with in a very sensational style.
It didn't stop here, Wamakko moves on to sweep all political seats in Sokoto State leaving DPP behind with just 7 State Assembly members.
An Appeal court in 2008 sitting in Kaduna, annulled Wamakko's election upon citing gross violation of the provisions of 1999 constitution of Nigeria and 2004 electoral act, and ordered fresh election to be conducted. Bafarawa and his co-travelers were rejoicing but tears followed immediately after their celebration as Wamakko was more comfortable in decaying Bafarawa than the previous election before it. Bafarawa and his associates were once again mulled and trashed in the re-run 2008 election.
As preparations kicked up for 2011 General Elections. Bafarawa's DPP lost all it directions as a political party, showing it ineligibility to participate in politics due to it nature of one man's affair. Originally, DPP was created just for Bafarawa's desire to contest the 2007 Presidential Election.
As a result, the unfocuses of Bafarawa resulted in abandoning his own DPP and defected to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to contest for Presidency. The leadership of ACN having critically examined Bafarawa's weak contributions to democratic success, he was once again rejected and shown the exit for Presidential competition. Having well-known Bafarawa's intention, ACN avoided him and gave their Presidential ticket to Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
He's called the Godfather of Sokoto State politics and claimed to be the best Politician in Northern Nigeria. It worth rejoicing as the best northern politician was crushed to the floor, loosing the gubernatorial seat, National Assembly, State Assembly, Local Government Chairmen and all councilmen elections. He was left barking, not knowing the direction to set his forehead. Wamakko has done it again.
As expected, Bafarawa dumped ACN for his old disowned ANPP, still with the hope of becoming the President. Having lost recognition within the ANPP Caucus, Bafarawa still struggled to be one of the top Political figures in the Party, challenging the likes of Senator Ahmed Yariman Bakura, Senator Ali Modu Shariff, Mal. Ibrahim Shekarau and the rest, whom are all familiar with the maneuvering tactics of Bafarawa's Presidential ambition.
In 2012, a Supreme Court ruling sacked Wamakko and ordered for fresh gubernatorial elections in the State. Another opportunity for Bafarawa and his co-travelers to prove their worthiness in Sokoto State Politics. Again, the re-run election saw Bafarawa's ship sinking to the bottom down as he was defeated, outclassed, overshadowed, outcast and eliminated in all political cycles.
Later after, the ANPP merged with other Parties to form "All Progressive Congress (APC)" a strong Political opposition that can compete with the ruling People's Democratic Party. Bafarawa joined the Van Wagon and claimed to be among the founding Fathers of APC.
When Governor Wamakko falls short of rapport with PDP's leadership and the Presidency. The oppression and discrimination in PDP led to Wamakko's defection to the opposition APC, joining Bafarawa in the party.
Unimaginably, as a Politician with Pivotal Certificate as his highest academic qualification, Bafarawa thought the leadership of APC will vested on him much more powers to lead the Party at State level ahead of the incumbent Governor Wamakko. Childish reasoning and stupid imaginations.
Before Wamakko's defection to APC, Bafarawa hadn't launched, fund or own any APC Party office in Sokoto even if built with woods. How on earth can Bafarawa claimed to have brought and popularized APC in a State where his presence always reflect his absence? A State where he governed for eight years but failed to win even his own Local Government under his own Political Party. Isn't that a shame? Or can it be a record worth celebrating?
He rejected the offer of a senate, two reps and 8 state assembly tickets allotted him by the dialogue committee and insisted on granting him the total control of the Party since Wamakko met him there. APC leaders told Bafarawa that for the sake of the “Change” the APC stands for, he should forgive and forget whatever Wammako may have done to him in the past and aligns together to save Nigerians from the stooge of PDP's forced slavery.
Bafarawa turned deaf and ignored the plea to embrace peace by the National leadership of APC. All he want is to rule, dictate and stir APC to failure similar to what he did to DPP in 2007. As a result, the leadership of APC told Bafarawa that his agitation is conventionally impossible as he wouldn’t have accepted such if he’s in the position of Wammako.
As a habit or tradition if i may call it, greedy Bafarawa surprisingly announced his decision to dumped the All Progressive Congress simply for refusing to vest on him the Party's total control despite housing an incumbent Governor. To many dismay, Bafarawa joined the ruling People's Democratic Party together with some expired Political Morons, the party he always called devilish and incites so much hatred on it since his adventure into Nigerian politics.
The only genuine reason Bafarawa gave in defence of his defection to PDP was one baseless and unlogical concussion that he decided to joined the party in order to put it back in the right place and correct it wrongdoings. If you can't win them, join them. Bafarawa has surrender, he has now giving up on the fight against Wamakko, he has undoubtedly accepted defeat. He's now up to shatter the dreams of Nigerian masses by joining forces with the popular corruption driving PDP to enslave the people of Sokoto State and as a whole.
Bafarawa's calculations are on the verge of disappointing him because PDP will be a living hell for Local Champions like him. If Wamakko (a retired permanent secretary and deputy governor for six years) can resist Bafarawa's threat and absorbed all his pressures to the point of whisking him away from a party when he was on power, tell me there's no possibility of Muktar Shagari (a federal minister for seven years and deputy governor for eight years) throwing Bafarawa out now that he's out of the system.
The motives behind Bafarawa's action reflect the unholiness of his intentions. What symbolized his desires is simply nothing but revenge, a retaliation to the people of Sokoto for the crimes he was punished for. All it can show is his agitation for power, his ignorance always lead him to regrets. His quest for leadership seems to attack his personality as a man and his hate toward the masses seemingly published his lack of reasoning.
Bafarawa has chosen to aligned with PDP to rig the 2015 general elections just to satisfy his born to rule antics and to continue the invention of democratic sufferings to the lives of over 170million Nigerians. His main target is to reinforce his artillery to dupe the State off it resources. I am waiting for the day when Bafarawa will bow for Muktar Shagari or the day Shagari will bow for Bafarawa. It can't be possible in anyway.
What i'll advice Bafarawa is to rest his case, nowadays Political calculations required a lot more than a Pivotal Certificate. We've left that era of sympathetic politics where people will support you purely on the reason you were once imprisoned by a particular regime. Those days when Politicians dictate more than the military will be no more as we have gathered courage and boldness to confront injustice and corruption.
Usama A. Dandare
@osadaby
National Coordinator
(Naija Revolt)
No comments:
Post a Comment