POLITICS OF god- FATHERISM AND THE WAY IT CRUMBLES IN KANO

 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.