POLITICS OF god- FATHERISM AND THE WAY IT CRUMBLES IN KANO
BY:
MUDASSIR ALIYU
YUNUSA
mudassiray@gmail.com
It is often said 'No
permanent friend and no permanent enemy in politics'. This is really true considering
how political coalitions, alliances, god fatherism used to fall apart particularly
in Kano. In Democratic system, election, appointment or selection is what determine the power of
politician, a successful politician is the one who either won election or
secure political appointment, and sometimes for someone to win or acquire
appointment one has to be anointed by somebody who is powerful within the
political circle, either a President, a Governor, party chairman or any other
influential person who posseses high political sagacity and whose political
decision and wisdom to some extend became always respected and unquestionable
by the community.
For long the politics of god fatherism became order
of the day in Nigeria, Kano not an exception. This type of politics in Kano can
be traced back to the time of second republic when Mallam Aminu Kano was the
overall political father who dominated the political scenery of Kano with
massive support from talakawa, at that time most of the elected or appointed
political office holders are loyalists
of Malam Aminu mainly from NEPU down to PRP. In 1979 Abubakar Rimi, the
first civilian Governor of kano who won under the platform of PRP was unilaterally
picked by Mallam Aminu Kano when he (Rimi) was busy
vying for the seat of legislature not a Governor after Federal Electoral
Commission (FEDECO) disqualified Salihi Iliyasu and Ibrahim Wazirin Gumel governorship
ticket. Later in 1983 Alh Sabo Bakin Zuwo became elected Governor after he was equally
annointed by Mallam Aminu Kano. Kwankwaso the 4th civilian Governor of Kano secured
governorship ticket by the political forces of Musa Gwadabe and Rimi in
1999. Mallam Shekarau was equally
pinpointed by Buhari in 2003. Recently in 2015 Kwankwaso annointed Ganduje to be his successor under APC.
Looking at the political history, PRP, SDP and PDP
have dominated the political scene in Kano, during their respective periods and
they were composed with the State’s most prominent and renowned political figures, they also
registered massive grass root support in almost all the local Governments in
the State, they were also seen as replica of NEPU because their members are mainly associates within the
political bandwagon of Mallam Aminu Kano,
nevertheless in 1991 with all the strength and substantive support of SDP,
the party lost to NRC in Governorship election. In 1999, there were three
political parties(AD, APP & PDP) PDP composed almost all political key
players in Kano, which made their
primary election more complicated. It was purely fused with political strength between
Late Rimi and Musa gwadabe, both have different candidates for the party guber
ticket. At that time a kind of cold and peaceful political war took place which
was amicably settled within the party.
Mallam Musa Gwadabe produced a Governor and the deputy came from Abubakar
Rimi's faction. Both supported the ticket which eventually won 1999 polls.
It
was the same story in 2003 to the opposition ANPP, when General Muhammadu
Buhari decided to join politics and contested in the party, his nation wide
directives to vote ANPP SAK saw many of incompetent people and some with low
political caliber to emerged victorious, and we can say most of those that won
2003 election under the flat form of ANPP in kano and beyond were as a result
of political order (SAK) by Buhari. It is pertinent to note that only in 2007
and 2011 political transition came with differences. In 2007 the incumbent Governor
Mallam Shekarau won the election on two consecutive terms which is the first in
the history of Kano State. Likewise in 2011 the incumbency strength was again
broke by Kwankwaso who suffered election bitterness in 2003.
With
2007 and 2011 elections,it was believed by many that the politics of god
fatherism and anointment is no more in Kano, but it resurfaced in 2015 under
APC, the out going Governor anointed his deputy who succeeded in winning the election
as against the case of 2011.
However,
it is obvious that all the political alliances made in the history of Kano
politics failed to deliver fruitful
outcomes as a result of some disputes that always happens between god fathers
and their boys. We all know what happened in PRP during 1983 election which led
to the failure of the serving Governor; The political dispute of selecting the
appropriate running mate was the clear reason for the failure of SDP in 1991 Governorship
poll. Likewise in 2003 the powerful Governor with all the supports and backup
from the then President was forced to vacate Kano government house with no arrangement,
which was allegedly believed to happened as a result of bitterness and disintegration among the stakeholders in the ruling party
(PDP) in the State.
However,
the Present political hullabaloo that is happening between the Governor and his
predecessor is a clear manifestation of how the political alliances used to
turn offside down in a game of politics.
Therefore,
the only way forward is for the people of Kano to desist from voting any
politician who happened to have powerful god father and or annointed by Governor
or President considering how it crumbles untimely with little or no gain. It also
brought serious setback to the development of the people and the government in
the State. It is obvious that political annointment have been hindering and
stagnating certain development as a result of some personal whims and caprices
from the part of either the annointed leader or his god father. It is rather to
have strong opposition from other political parties than to have antagonistic
relationship within the party itself. The intra party crises is mostly surfaces
as a result of certain cracks among the caucus of the same party. I consider
the action as a great drawback to the socioeconomic and political development
of people and government of Kano State.
Fellow
Kanawa, let us say no to politics of god fatherism and strive to vote for
credibility, competency and reliability.
Mudassir
write from NTA Zaria.