Political Analysis of the two major political parties APC, PDP in Gombe State towards 2023 General elections
By Ben Ngwakwe, Gombe.
In politics, there is no permanent enemy but permanent interest, this political game plays out in Gombe state where solid political gladiators in Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had four aspirants for the forthcoming party primaries in their proposed calculations to defeat the incumbent Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of All Progressive Congress (APC).
Among them is an erudite scholar, Alhaji Abubakar Ali Gombe who is in Radiation and Clinical Oncologist at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, one-time minister of the Federal republic of Nigeria as well as an Associate Professor with Gombe State University, now aspiring to be a Governor of Gombe State under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023.
Another heavyweight politician and business guru is Alhaji Mohammed Danbarde who was a former aspirant of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and has now joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2023 Governorship election on the alleged grounds of “bad governance and misplacement of priorities”, as his reasons for leaving the APC.
According to the Danbarde since,” I picked my PDP card in February this year, since then, I have been a loyal and dedicated member”. He is a great politician, mobilizer and trailblazer but time will tell if he will secure the PDP ticket comes 2023.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Mohammed Danbarde was runner- up to Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya at the APC Primaries in 2019 which analysists hoped that the Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya will not defeat him the second time.
Another technocrat cum politician is Alhaji Jamilu Isiyaku Gwamma who was initially a Governorship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but later left the party because he was rigged- out in the Gombe State Governorship Primary Election and joined the All Progressive Congress, (APC).
In the release Jamilu Gwamma made available to the newsmen then titled, “the stolen Mandate, Gombe State Governorship Primary Election”, said the result was not a reflection of the delegates choice.
He alleged that, “the result is not a reflection of delegates choice”, “the result of this election is a disruption of the democratic tentacles upon which our party stands”.
These assertions made by the Jamilu Gwmma might be as a result of his defeat at the Primary election where Usman Bayero Nafada who was the major challenger at the election scored 1, 104 votes to defeat 12 other aspirants including Jamilu Gwamma that scored 147 votes then.
Recently, Dr. Jamilu Isiyaku Gwamma who was a former Governorship aspirant and chieftain of the All Progressive Congress APC in Gombe state resigned his membership of the party.
Because he is nursing Governorship ambition in the 2023 general elections, hence he has to tender his resignation letter to the APC chairman of Jekadafari ward on Thursday.
This aspirant who did not give reasons for defection explained that the decision was after wider consultation with his family, political associates and supporters.
Another political aspirant from PDP is Air Vice Marshal Shehu Adamu Fura,. He is retired Air Vice Marshal (AVM) who wanted to try his political luck in the political space as a Governor after defeating other aspirants within his party.
According to William Shakespeare, “but if it be a sin to covet honour, I am the most offending soul alive”.
While the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Gombe state has no other candidate for now except the incumbent Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya who is also the leader of the party, according to political pundits in the state.
The only “political Spoiler”, according to APC watchers in the state is Senator Idris Abubakar and his supporters who erroneously believed that they can defeat the Governor considering tremendous achievements made under the period in view.
The reasons advanced by some of APC watchers, although unconfirmed sources, are if anything to go by, is the good works of the Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and giant strides recorded within the period under review. They are enough physical evidences to win massively in the forthcoming Governorship elections in Gombe state.
Also, some political observers are of the views that the Governor had done well in infrastructural developments such as the construction of multi- million naira Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park where millions of Jobs would be provided, massive revenue generation to the state Government and expansion of social facilities to the host communities, network of 11-100 kilometers of roads construction in all the eleven local Government areas of the state while new ones are initiated.
On record, is the construction of new general hospitals and rehabilitation and renovation of existing hospitals and a host of massive developments like the solar streetlights scattered in the state.
These are few addendums of the achievements of Governor Yahaya which runs in volumes like the recent provision of 1000 tricycles, popularly known as Keke-Napep to youths in Gombe irrespective of political, religious or tribal affiliations. Also recently, the Governor approved the recruitment of 1000 fresh teachers by the Gombe State Teachers Service Commission as part of efforts towards consolidating on the objectives and gains of the declaration of a “state of Emergency,” on education and boosting human capital development in the state.
Also, the Governor has approved the transfer of 288 staff of the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) who had applied for transfer of service into the state Ministry of Education, secondary schools and technical colleges.
Apart from empowerment programmes that had put smiles to youths, women and vulnerable in the state, is the issue of people with disabilities (PWDs) that the Governor with his golden heart changed the negative narratives.
The leader of people with disabilities said, “you are the first Governor in the history of Gombe state to stand for good two hours under scorching sun to receive the community of persons with disability,” “we can also remember during Covid-19 pandemic, you gave special treatment to our members, Your Excellency, we say thank you”.
They pointed out that these achievements and other giant strides recorded recently will speak for him at the election.
These are few examples of the footprint of the Governor, no doubt the bible says, “where there is no vision, the people perish”, Proverb 20: 18.
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has no competitor as far as the general election 2023 is concerned if the tremendous works and explosive infrastructural developments are anything to go by except that some people within the political space accused Governor Yahaya of not spreading money around as well as promoting those civil servants who are due to promotion into different levels and grades in the civil service.
Other accusations leveled against the Governor are the crops of his political appointees who the political observers noted that they are “not serious appointees”, that can take him to the next level unless serious measures are taken to address it.
Another area of concern noted was the unhealthy rivalry with Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje which they said, “are not healthy for the party the APC in the state, attributing the crop of appointees as political sycophants who have nothing at stake when the heads are down”.
Apart from these sundry observations and comments from the political class in both parties, Vanguard reliably gathered that the coast is clear for the current Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya in 2023 Governorship election in Gombe state, although with a serious fight.
Another aspirant is Senator Idris Abubakar of APC if his post in Facebook aspiring to be Governor in 2023 is anything to go by. He was a former Minister of Transport under President Goodluck Jonathan and a one-time Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is a technocrat and has a stake in business community, a rural mobilizer and a Lawyer by profession but difficulty to win the Primary Election of the party as noted by the pundits in the state.
Those who spoke to Vanguard regarding his aspiration in 2023 said that Senator Idris Abubakar is a “political spoiler”, and “not a serious candidate” to challenge the incumbent Governor at the poll because his membership of the party is also in doubt and his romance with opposition political parties is noticeable.
Meanwhile, it could be recalled that Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya emerged APC Gubernatorial candidate after scoring 859 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mohammed Jibrin Barde who received 463 votes and he picked Manassah Daniel Jatau as his running mate while Usman Bayero Nadafa who was the PDP candidate picked Charles Yau Illiya as his running mate.
Incidentally, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya defeated them including other 32 candidates in the 2019 election.
