Usman Ibrahim, fondly called Sardaunan Badarawa, recently decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the All Progressives Congress (APC) where he spent many years dinning and winning with its leadership. There is nothing wrong for him to join PDP, so long he does it with sincere heart and commitment to help the party.
There is no gainsaying the fact PDP is a party that welcomes all and sundry to its fold without discrimination. No wonder, it gives every member a sense of belonging. That is why, when he joined the party, nobody raised an eyebrow. He was welcome by leadership of the party and accorded the best respect he deserved. But his activities before and after he joined the party leave much to be desired.
There are allegations that Sardauna, despite claiming to have dumped APC and pitched his tent with PDP, hobnobs with the ruling party. He was on many occasions secretly seen attending their meetings in both Kaduna and Abuja. Considering that the ruling party is losing political grip of Kaduna state, especially, with its anti-people policies and the recent outcome of the local government elections, the likes of Sardauna could be used to dim the PDP’s chances in 2023 elections.
To show Sardauna has ulterior motive for joining PDP, there are posers begging for answers from card carrying members of the party and this group: First, why has Sardauna Badarawa never come out to condemn the harsh policies being implemented by the El-Rufai government? Second,why did Sardaunan Badarawa sponsor the erection of many billboards across the length and breadth of the state, commending the state governor? Why did eulogise or commend Senator Uba Sani despite the fact he performs below expectations and some local governments he represents are under the firm control of bandits without raising the issue at the senate? Answers to these questions will help to unravel the sincerity or otherwise of his political journey to PDP.
Though, Sardauna Badarawa has the right to contest for any political position in the party, his senatorial posters which dot the nooks and crannies of the state further indicate he is just a poster boy to some powerful politicians in APC who want to use him as a “mole”in our great party. These politicians know their party has dangerous hurdles to cross and are jittery about the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
However, what we fail to understand is, what will be the fate of the old or loyalists politicians who invested heavily during the turbulent times of the party? Will the party opt for the likes of Sardaunan Badarawa, whose sudden appearance in the party raises many questions, or stick to loyalists who never abandoned it? Our great party should be wary or desist from pampering new comers whose mission is to destroy the party after so much work and sacrifices have been made to revive the party in the state.
Hassan M. Hassan, Chairman, Kaduna PDP Youth Forum,Kaduna.
