Borno: Conspiracy and Shettima’s 6 years with 57 lawmakers

I hope, after this piece, I wouldn’t be crucified for divulging ‘classified political information’.  There was a conspiracy at the Government House, Maiduguri, in early 2013, midway into the first term of Governor Kashim Shettima. I need clarify that those who initiated the conspiracy acted spontaneously and in good faith. The plan was sparked by […]

I hope, after this piece, I wouldn’t be crucified for divulging ‘classified political information’. 

There was a conspiracy at the Government House, Maiduguri, in early 2013, midway into the first term of Governor Kashim Shettima. I need clarify that those who initiated the conspiracy acted spontaneously and in good faith. The plan was sparked by the visit of five members of the Borno State House of Assembly for the purpose of meeting Shettima. The Governor had in 2011, directed his security and protocol to give principal officers at the Borno Assembly unfettered access to him. Meanwhile, the visiting five lawmakers were not principal office holders, had no prior appointment and were not on the governor’s invitation. 

At the Governor’s office, the lawmakers sent out a request to meet Governor Shettima and within minutes they were upstairs, walking into his office. It was the sight of one of them that actually angered some persons close to the Governor. The member was (and still) represents one of the 10 local government areas in northern Borno senatorial zone. The lawmaker had passed a negative comment on the Governor at plenary earlier that week. His comment was termed unfair while persons close to the Governor saw him as an emerging political opponent that needed to be cut to size. It was the same week the lawmaker was in front, entering the Governor’s office in company of four others and without prior appointment. Day after the lawmakers’ visit, I was invited to join a group of some close associates for a frank talk with the Governor. 

We had a meeting during which frustrations were vented. The Governor was too liberal to lawmakers and he needed to be talked out of it, the meeting agreed. Politely but in clear ambush, we walked into the Governor’s office. We reminded him of how lawmakers feared his predecessor, Ali Modu Sheriff. No lawmaker dared to visit without appointment or without being invited. We reminded him that under his predecessor, the Speaker of the Assembly sometimes left the Government House without meeting Sheriff even after being at the waiting room for hours. “You need to become tougher so that no other member says what that member said during plenary” we told Shettima. He listened, smiled and thanked us for the counsel. But rather than heed our call, he turned more lenient. The Governor gave specific instruction that all 28 members of the Borno Assembly were free to see him after on the spot request at the Government House. He went further to issue similar authority granting all National Assembly members free access to his office.

Not done, the Governor began a habit of paying scheduled visits to Borno’s Senators and Reps. Whenever in Abuja, he spent time at the residence of one National Assembly after another. He ate meals prepared in their houses and interacted with their families. He went round residences of virtually all of them. Back in Maiduguri, he took time to pay visits to the residences of State Assembly members. We watched helplessly, believed the Governor was making mistake. More so at that time, he was in good terms with Sheriff. No basis for being too nice. 

However, July 2014 proved us wrong. Newspapers published remarks by majority leader of the Assembly claiming all 28 members were moving to PDP in loyalty to Ex-Governor Sheriff, who had fallen out with Shettima in 2014. The report fueled speculation on alleged plot by the Presidency to use the Assembly to impeach Shettima.

In pay back, 27 out of the 28 members of the Assembly, led by the Speaker rose in electrifying loyalty to Shettima, across party divides. Only the majority leader formally defected to PDP and was removed from principal office. 

This week marks six years since Shettima began working with Borno lawmakers at the State and National Assembly. In these years (June, 2011 to June, 2017), the Governor has worked with a total of 57 lawmakers across party lines, comprising 5 Senators, 16 members of House of Representatives and 36 State Assembly members. They include the 3 Senators elected in 2011, two of whom were reelected in 2015; 2 fresh Senators elected in 2015 with one voted at bye-election in October, 2015 following the death of Senator for Borno Central. 10 Representatives were elected in 2011 (4 of whom were reelected) with 6 freshly elected in 2015. At the State Assembly, 28 members were elected in 2011, three died in office but two bye-elections were held for Konduga and Kwaya-Kusar constituencies. No bye-election was held for Jere. Of the 28 lawmakers as at 2015, 22 were reelected while there are 6 fresh members elected in 2015.

In six years, Shettima has had the healthiest of relationships with most of these lawmakers, including those elected on PDP’s platform in 2011. The Borno PDP won 2 out of the 3 Senatorial, two out of 10 House of Reps and 7 out of 28 State Assembly seats in 2011. Shettima’s skills made him close to all of them. The two PDP Senators and the State Assembly members ended up joining the APC ahead of 2015 election. 

In his battle with Sheriff, Shettima had all 3 Senators, 5 out of 8 ANPP rep-members and 28 Assembly members formally in the APC. What is particularly impressive is that of the three APCbn reps that went with Sheriff, Governor Shettima still went to recover two back to APC even after they lost their seats at the 2015 elections.

Political intrigues and sometimes, clear provocative acts were enough to derail Shettima,nonetheless, he has applied enormous  wisdom in preserving close ties with all 41 National and State Assembly members currently representing Borno. 

In think from the 2013 conspiracy ignored by Shettima, it appears personal ego is often responsible for some executive/legislature collusion in Nigeria. 

Gusau, Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy to Governor Shettima, wrote from Maiduguri.