2011 elections: Who are CPC candidates in Katsina?

However, the recent court ruling that affirmed Senator Yakubu Lado as the CPC gubernatorial candidate for Katsina State, and also the judgment of the court that declared all the candidates that emerged from the January 15 party primaries as the real winners calmed nerves of the party  supporters, most especially SenatorYakubu Lado’s group.  But this […]

However, the recent court ruling that affirmed Senator Yakubu Lado as the CPC gubernatorial candidate for Katsina State, and also the judgment of the court that declared all the candidates that emerged from the January 15 party primaries as the real winners calmed nerves of the party  supporters, most especially SenatorYakubu Lado’s group.  But this joyous mood was short-lived, following the statement issued by the national headquarters of the party disowning Senator Yakubu Lado and his group.

A statement from the CPC National Publicity Secretary, Engr. Rotimi Fashakin, mentioned that Senator Lado has been  disqualified from being fielded as a flag bearer of the party in the April, 2011  general election.  In the statement, the party noted that “the attention of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has been drawn to political activities and electioneering campaign by a governorship aspirant in Katsina State under the CPC… The same aspirant committed infraction of most of these guidelines among which were indiscreet monetary inducement, gangsterist behaviour and unauthorized announcement of self as winner of the governorship primaries on NTA… Predicated on the results of the January 13 primary elections, the names of Rt. Hon. Bello Masari and others were  submitted to the Independent National Electoral  Commission (INEC) as the  flag bearers of our party for the April, 2011 poll on 31 January, 2011”.

Few days later, the State chairman of CPC, Alhaji Yusha’u Armaya’u issued a statement in the media to affirm Senator Yakubu Lado as the party’s flag bearer for the 2011 election.  The decision of the party’s leadership to suspend General Mohammad Buhari’s presidential campaign in the state has further compounded the problem.  As things stand, the CPC supporters in Katsina State are like a flock of sheep without a shepherd, which is quite unfortunate.  How do we go into elections and expect victory without knowing whom to cast our vote for from the State House of Assembly, National Assembly to governorship elections? All the CPC candidates remain obscure to the party supporters.

This development is not only worrisome to those of us who have stakes in the party, but it is disturbing and also shameful that the noble principles which the CPC is known for is being jettisoned by a cabal that is busy trying to hijack the party machinery. Without being economical with the truth, the outcome of the State and National Assembly primaries elections conducted by CPC in Katsina State was a charade. It is ridiculous to note that all the aspirants that participated in the party primaries on the platform of CPC in Katsina State today are now parading themselves as the party’s flag bearers for various elective positions.

From all indications, Katsina State CPC has been imprisoned by a cabal.  There is mudslinging going on between various interests all in a bid to gain control of CPC structure in Katsina State. The Consequence of this unholy struggle is the fact that, except for the presidential election, every other election to be conducted in April will be a walkover for the PDP in the state, since the CPC cannot present any list of candidates to the electorate.

The CPC presidential rally could not hold in Katsina State simply because there are no candidates for various elective positions to be presented to the public.  If our leaders had listened to various warnings, the CPC in Katsina would not have found itself at crossroad as the situation stands today.

It is painful to note that we, who claim to be in the vanguard of ‘change’ as a slogan, are now the victims of the same allegation we are leveling against others.  If we couldn’t get it right at the conduct of the primary elections, there is no way we can get it right during the general elections in the state.  The saddest story is the fact that the party’s leadership has already been polarised between the state executives and national executives of the party.

While the national leadership is giving full support to the candidature of Aminu Bello Masari and his group, the state executive of the party has been throwing its full weight behind Senator Yakubu Lado’s gubernatorial ambition. And to further compound the crisis confronting Katsina State Chapter of CPC, our leader, General Mohammad Buhari has joined the national leadership of our party to disown the candidature of Yakubu Lado.  The question is where do we go from here?  As the situation stands, the CPC supporters in Katsina State will cast their votes only in the presidential election. The morale of the party supporters has been dampened. The enthusiasm of casting their votes during the general elections for the party’s candidates is no longer there.

Musa writes from Kofar Durbi, Katsina