Even as date is yet to be fixed for bye-election into Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, dozens of aspirants jostles for the seat. MUHAMMAD TANKO SHITTU, analyse some of them.
The unexpected demise of late Honourable Haruna Ibrahim Maitala, that represented the constituents of Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, created a vacuum that calls for the conduct of a bye-election into the seat.
Many prospective contenders have expressed aspiration to vie for the vacant position, some of whom have represented the constituency, some have aspired but lost in the party primaries, some are just new aspirants to the seat.
The contenders. In the All Progressives Congress (APC), under which late Maitala won the general election in 2019, the likes of Hon. Lumuba Ade, Hon. Shehu Sale Hassan, Hon. Suleiman Yahaya Kwande, Hon. Dasuki Salihu Nakande, Alhaji Danladi Garba Pasali, Alhaji Wada Kawu, SP Sadeeq Shuaibu, Gwani Muhammad Adam Alkali, are amongst the major contenders.
Similarly, Mr. Jonathan Dabo, is aspiring under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), so also Barr. Auwal Haruna and Jamilu Lawandi Datti. Mr. Sadeeq Na maidoki is of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), while Abdulmajid Lawal is of the African Democratic Party (ADC).
Hon. Lumuba Ade. Ade has at inception of the 4th Republic, in 1999 contested under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and held sway for only one term of four years.
Constituents are of the views that his representation was not good enough to warrant voting him for the second term, Hon. Ade led the House Committee on Water resources in the first instance, but was latter made the Chairman House Services Committee.
He had put smiles on the faces of some widows, but he was adjudged to have not met constituents expectations in the areas of water, education and health sectors. Many people perceived him of being “too pompous.”
“We had elected him thinking he will give us meaningful representation, but he never can show any tangible think that he has put down in the entire Constituency. He takes pride to himself, he is too pompous he fells too big,” Joseph Atang alleged.
Hon. Ade lost his popularity that led to losing his second term bid to erstwhile Hon. Shehu Sale Hassan, of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), during the 2003 general elections.
Hon. Shehu Sale Hassan
Hon. Shehu a relatively youngman became a member of the House of Reps at the age of 36, with high expectations of good performances considering his decent background.
He enjoyed tremendous supports and held sway for four years. He made more impacts compared to his predecessor. Hon. Shehu sank many public boreholes to alleviated the plight of his constituents in the areas of potable water, equipped some learning centres with ICT and constructed some blocks of classrooms.
Although he was hardly seen on the plenary, but had contributed little to national discourse, including a motion that called for the imposition of emergency rules in Plateau state which had suspended the then executive governor, Jushua Chibi Dariye, over the sectarian crises that rocked the state between 2001 – 2006.
Just like Hon. Ade, Hon. Hassan, was adjudged to be, “unaccessible,” by his constituents, and his party the ANPP, denied him ticket for the second tenure in 2007, although Labour Party (LP), did but Shehu lost to Hon. Sama’ila Muhammad of the ANPP.
One of the constituents, Dokas Ayuba said, “Hon Shehu Sale Hassan, is an orator with ability of representation, but had toyed with his opportunity, he was unaccessible.”
Hon. Hassan is now the special assistant to Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and he is now aspiring to return to the lower chamber of NASS. Some of the constituents said he perhaps now understands the real working of the legislature.
Hon. Suleiman Yahaya Kwande
Kwande became a member of the House of Reps and represented his constituents for two terms having won the general election in 2011 under his then Democratic People’s Party (DPP), and succeeded Hon. Sama’ila Muhammad.
Hon. Kwande was so far the only member that represented the constituency for two consecutive terms, and has put in place some feats of performances, sank boreholes, constructed block of classrooms and primary healthcare facilities. Hundreds of women and youths were empowered, some students also earned paltry scholarships by Kwande.
However, in 2019, he lost popularity within his members of the APC, in what the generality of constituents termed as protest votes, over his “inaccessibility,” as he was reckoned to have rarely attended plenary as the constituents complained.
“He did relatively well within 7 years, but his major problem was non participation on the plenary, and was generally unaccessibleto the constituents,” Abubakar Yusuf said.
Hon. Kwande is aspiring to make a return to the house, hoping that his party would eventually see reasons to consider him worthy. But many are wondering whather Kwande has now learnt his lessons and may be availing himself at the plenary and also be accessible to constituents should he be elected.
Hon. Dasuki Salihu NakandeHe is an ex- Minister of State Information and Communications, an experienced seasoned administrator, cum full time politician upon retirement.
Hon. Nakande garnered popularity that earned him the confidence of members of the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), and became its candidate for the seat of chairmanship of Jos North Local Government Council, an aspiration that was not feasible. He has served the council as secretary in the early 90s.
His humanitarian projects is empowering hundreds of women with various skills as well as equipping them with tools for self reliance, many indigents pupils are enjoying his full scholarship right from pre-primary, primary, secondary with some up to tertiary levels of education. He is also an employer of labour as a farmer and also owner of a famous broadcast media in Jos, which has further updated his popularity.
Hon. Nakande as pioneer secretary of the APC, have twice aspired to represent his people, first in 2015 and also in 2019. Today he is amongst the top contenders, who some party members are hoping to have as their representative, couple with his vast experience, bluntness as well as no nonesense approach to issues, high level opening on the national corridoors of power, having served in the central electioneering committee and subcommittees of Muhammadu Buhar/APC in 2015 and 2019 respectively, he is deemed as more, “competent.”
“Looking at Nakande’s, civil service carrier and his political antecedents, as an elder statesman, so close to the elites class I think he stand more competent and deserving to be our representative,” Mrs Lilian John, said.
Yusuf Umar Dauda
An all timer contender for almost four consecutive periods, relatively young man, with high hope that continued trial will eventually make him succeed. He is known in the politics mostly at the times of contests.
Alhaji Danladi Garba Pasali
A businessman, and also an all time political gladiator, he is the national Coordinator of Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO). He has propelled his name to the entire circle of Nigerian politics, hence also closer to corridors of power. Many politicians regard him as not a do or die type of politician.
Pasali’s political impetus is glaring as someone that is regarded, “a grassroot mobiliser,” and now is into contest for a seat in the House of Representatives.
Alhaji Wada Kawu. Kawu is a buoyant businessman, whose closeness to Abuja-based politicians attracted his interest to joining partisan politics. He wasn’t a popular politician, until in 2019 when he surfaced and aspired to vie for the seat, he came 3rd position out of the 9 that contested in the APC primary. He is considered as another political under-dog.
SP Sadeeq Shuaibu A serving Superintendent of Police, one of the reigning Jos-based philanthropists, whose name is a brand in almost all household for his gestures. He has touched on people’s life, in the area of water, health and others, he is a cheerful giver regardless of creed or primodial sentiments.
Popularly called ‘Sadeeq Plaza’, knows no partisan politics or its rediments, was suddenly cajoled into it by his associates and is one of the aspirants jostling for APC’s ticket, though is also regarded as another political underdog.
Gwani Muhammad Adam Alkali Another philanthropist whose gestures are touching the lots of many people in almost all spheres of their livelihood. He had first aspired and lost in 2015 under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He latter jettison it and became member of the APC, in which platform he aspired in 2019 but still lost out. Much of politicking is not been heard about him, until the period of contests.
Mr. Peter Akuja. He is a politician that has contested and lost his bid to represent the Constituency in 2011 under PDP. He has aspired for the seat under APC in 2019. Although this time his tribesmen have screened him out in an in-house political arrangements, yet is still aspiring to vie.
Some other aspirants in both Jos North and Bassa LGAs, are lineup in the APC, awaiting for the house to declare vacancy in the seat, and subsequent scheduling of a time for the bye-election to be fixed by the electoral umpire.
It is certain that whoever emerged as the APC candidate will surely face the herculean task of convincing electorates to accept him and be voted for.
The PDP, SDP, Aspirants In the PDP Hon. Jonathan Dabo, an all time politician, an ex chairman of Bassa LGC, has expressed yet another interest to re-contest having lost second to late Maitala in the 2019 polls. Should the PDP avail him the opportunity, Dabo will give a good political fight on polls.
Pundits are of the view that Dabo is likely to clinch the PDP ticket, ahead of the sitting member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Musa Agah Ivia, Barr. Auwal Haruna and Hon. Abba Kure.
Abdulmajid Lawal, is the sole aspirant under African Democratic Party (ADC), also a new breed politician, who aspiration evolved in 2019, he contested the general election but lost out, he is generally considered as another under-dog.
Similarly, Sadeeq Namaidoki, is at the moment a sole aspirant under the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He is not widely known in the political circle, and is considered as a casual politician.
Imperatively, only one aspirant must emerge in each of the parties, and only time would tell how and what will be the outcome of the primaries, even though APC is insisting on consensus candidate.
