Abaji poll: Aba-Yaro intensifies effort to unseat Gawu
It is barely 16 days to the area councils’ election in the FCT and political activities in Abaji have reached a crescendo. The two main contenders have engaged in last minute political campaigns to outdo each other as the D-day approaches. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Abdulrahman Ajiya, a grassroots politician is riding on […]
It is barely 16 days to the area councils’ election in the FCT and political activities in Abaji have reached a crescendo. The two main contenders have engaged in last minute political campaigns to outdo each other as the D-day approaches.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Abdulrahman Ajiya, a grassroots politician is riding on the crest of his party’s popularity and making determined effort to wrestle power from the incumbent chairman of the council, Alhaji Yahaya Garba Gawu, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ajiya, who is popularly called Aba-Yaro, is making his third outing in the contest for the chairmanship of the area council.
He contested on the platform of the defunct Action Congress (AC) in 2010 against the former chairman of the council, Alhaji Musa Yahaya Muhammad, of the PDP but lost.
A lot of intrigues heralded that year’s election which later ended at the election petition tribunal. The tribunal ruled in favour of Ajiya and ordered that INEC should issue the certificate of return to him.
However, the Appeal Court upturned the tribunal judgment and Aba-Yaro lost the chance to take the mantle of leadership of the area council.
In 2013, he did not waver as he again contested under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which metamorphosed from the defunct Action Congress (AC). He again lost to the incumbent chairman, Gawu of the PDP, who is now seeking re-election.
Ajiya, who was dissatisfied with that election, again filed a petition before the election tribunal at Wuse Zone 5, where he alleged irregularities such as over voting, intimidation of voters among others. The tribunal delivered judgment after two years, dismissing the petition for lack of merit.
However, political analysts believe that the third attempt by Ajiya may lead to success. They believe that his running on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) makes him the candidate to beat. They see a lot of factors working in his favour, citing the defection of the former chairman of the council, Alhaji Musa Yahaya Muhammad, from the PDP to APC, alongside three other former chairmen of the council – Alhaji Muhammad Angulu Loko, Alhaji Hassan Sokodabo and Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim – as well as a PDP chairmanship aspirant, Alhaji Salihu Kakamba, as a big plus for his bid.
The defection of the former chairman, which was hinged on alleged breach of the zoning agreement between the people of Abaji Rural Areas Development Association (ARADA) and people of Abaji town, which the incumbent chairman was alleged to also be signatory to, may give an edge to the APC candidate at the poll.
The blessing of the Ona of Abaji, Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa, was also said to have been sought by the late former chairman of ARADA before the zoning agreement was sealed.
Although since creation of the council, two ethnic groups, Ganagana and Hausa indigenes have been heading it, the tide is now changing as the incumbent chairman, Alhaji Yahaya Garba Gawu of the PDP is Gbagyi, while the APC candidate, Abdulrahman Ajiya, is Ganagana.
Majority of the residents are Ganagana. The area comprises of Abaji town, Agyana, Pandagi, Ebagi, Alu/Mamagi and Mawogi communities and they ready to support their own Ganagana person to reclaim the chairmanship seat.
Some analysts believe that with the mammoth crowd that came out during last week’s campaign flag-off of the APC candidate’s campaign, with over 50 different groups and associations gracing the event, the APC candidate is still the man to beat at the poll come March 19, 2016.
Analysts have said the popularity of the APC candidate since he had contested elections on three different occasions, has earned him more sympathy from the electorate to the extent that some people, including the former chairman, Musa Yahaya Mohammad, nicknamed the APC candidate as the Buhari of Abaji, anytime he joined him on campaign to rural communities.
They also believed that with control of seven out of 10 wards, the population of eligible voters from the three wards, which are Abaji central, Nuku/Sabon Gari and South/East and North/East wards, the APC candidate will take the lead, especially with their support for the zoning agreement to produce the chairman from Abaji town.
Also, analysts say his amiable personality is one genuine quality which would attract many votes for him.
But with the power of incumbency and relatively deep pockets to oil the wheels of his campaign, the dog-fight between the APC candidate and the PDP candidate may just go down to the wire.
Political observers further said that the incumbent will enjoy the full support of the electorate, especially from the rural areas because he has executed rural electrification projects at Gigbe community and installed 500 KVA transformers at Gawu, Agwara, Naharati, Pelele and Abattoir communities.
They said the chairman has also made efforts in the area offering free medical services, disbursement of scholarships, and distribution of over 2,000 exercise books to pupils, servicing of street lights and payment of some liabilities of some completed projects he inherited from his predecessor.
Political observers further said he will garner many votes across the seven wards, which are mainly under the rural areas due to the ongoing construction of Gigbe road, police outpost at Gawu, drilling of borehole at Yaba, Mawogi, Tando, Kitikpa, Gigbe, and Gasakpa communities of the council.
Some analysts opine that since Gawu still enjoys the support of Senator Philip Aduda, House of Reps member, Zaphaniya Jisalo and the FCT PDP chairman, Alhaji Yahaya Suleiman, whom they said are grassroots mobilisers, the race maybe too close to call.
One of the analysts, who is a resident of the area and familiar with the pattern of politics of Abaji, Mr. Vincent Mbanefo, who holds a masters of Political Science from University of Abuja, claimed that the two candidates are still having 50-50 in terms of electorate’s support but until D-day when the voters will decide.