Some people are of the opinion that 2023 political season is something too early to be a topic of discussion and proclamation. But to ordinary politicians, permutations, alignments and realignments had begun ahead of the upcoming 2023 elections.
Of course, the political atmosphere is gradually steaming up with political parties, gladiators, and supporters mapping out workable strategies either overtly or covertly depending on what is suitable and when it will be suitably applicable.
The most critical stakeholders – the voting population where I profoundly belong – are also, apart from evaluating the performance of those they have elected into the various positions of power, weighing suitable options in places where those voted have manifested some visible signs of failure or barefaced show of incompetency.
As a keen observer of the nation’s politics and power play, I can boldly and categorically deduce that, since the return of democracy in 1999, Gombe state is gradually becoming one of the states where politics is being played to its chock-full. In fact, 2015 and 2019 general elections and the results that emanated from both elections depict that the people of the state can never be taken for a ride or taken for granted; they can decide their political fate.
In 2015, despite the overwhelming Buhari tsunami that swept virtually all the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) controlled states in the North and other parts of the country, former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo was reelected as the governor of Gombe state, defeating his major opponent, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with a wide very margin.
Obviously, the voting pattern was the credibility of the respective candidates and it was apparent that on no scale one can compare PDP Dankwambo’s sterling credibility and experience with that of the APC’s Inuwa Yahaya. More to his advantage and credit, Dankwambo had superlatively transformed the state to its enviable status building on what his predecessor, Senator Danjuma Goje, had evidently done.
Like the 2015, 2019 came with its own peculiarities which gave an edge to the opposition APC to win the governorship, all the three senatorial, six House of Representatives and 19 out of the 24 State House of Assembly seats in the state.
The reason for these overwhelming defeats suffered by the PDP is not implausible because the party has failed to manage its internal crisis popped up after the gubernatorial primary election where the party mistakenly brought Senator Bayero Nafada as its candidate who was believed to be an unpopular candidate by both the party and the electorate.
The array of the party’s gubernatorial contenders included: Dr. Jamil Gwamna, Abdulkadir Hammasaleh, Ahmed Abubakar Walama, Mohammad Hassan, Bala Tinka, Retired General Sylvester Audu, Ambassador Hassan Garba, Alhassan Fawu, Umar Bello, Ahmed Goje, and Engr. Abubakar Bappah. However, majority of the party faithful believed that if the APC had fielded Jamil Gwamna as its candidate, the narratives could have been different and favourable for the party and the entire people of the state, who are now crying about bad leadership.
It was the ripples of the PDP primary election and subsequent emergence of Nafada who ultimately decamped into the party in July, 2018 with a sole intention of contesting the governorship election that infuriated other contenders and people of the state who voted against him.
Also, to the APC, Inuwa Yahaya was not a better candidate and his emergence as the party’s flagbearer had shocked other candidates and many pundits but be that as it may, Senator Goje stood firmly until he convinced all every loyalist to support Inuwa in the general election. Though, Governor Yahaya recently celebrated his one year in office of his four-year term, the political atmosphere is gradually sizzling and steaming up with apologists of a particular party and prospective candidates debating either on social media or radio stations domiciled in Gombe state or they meet to discuss issues bothering them, all in preparation of the 2023 general elections.
It’s of great interest that mostly the discussion is centered on two political bigwigs, the incumbent Governor Inuwa Yahaya and Dr. Jamil Isyaku Gwamna (Sardaunan Gombe) who is yet to indicate any interest let alone choosing a platform. Yes, Gwamna, as he is fondly called, is yet to make any official political declaration on whether he is interested in the 2023 election as he seems to be busy with his businesses and other engagements but today’s situation in Gombe state requires him as the only emancipator of the entire people of the state, irrespective of political affiliation.
Unfortunately for us, Inuwa Yahaya seems indequately equipped with the essential skills to move the state forward and consolidate the gains of democracy we have recorded so far.
The present government policies are anti-people with lots of hues and cries over sacking of workers, land administration and demolition of properties, unbearable taxes at a time states are giving moratorium, abolition of youth empowerment programmes, poor handling of isolation centres during the Covid-19 peak period and lots more.
In furtherance of its political ill-fated drive, feelers are that most of the people instrumental to the coming of this administration in 2019 election are left holding the short end of the stick as they have never been part of the governance structure or decision making. The recent outcry by a commissioner in the state over the nomination of our sister from Gombe South as state coordinator of the federal government Empowerment Programme and the denying of our daughter her right of becoming the state chief judge despite her qualification is a bitter lesson for us.
I do not intend to bring to fore, the conspicuous misdoing of the present administration in Gombe state and I will not speak for others but am aligning my strong voice with the majority by calling on Dr. Jamil Isyaku Gwamna to graciously present himself to contest the 2023 governorship election to rescue Gombe state and re-right the wrongs by running an all-inclusive cum progressive government.
Bulus writes from Billiri, Gombe state.
