Governors’ bids to install successors face opposition

Fifteen governors are due to bow out on May 29, when their second terms end. Most are trying to decide who replace them, and have indicated their preferred candidates through public or behind-the-scene endorsements.But stakeholders in the states affected have disagreed with the governors. They rejected what they call impositions, and said most of the […]

Fifteen governors are due to bow out on May 29, when their second terms end. Most are trying to decide who replace them, and have indicated their preferred candidates through public or behind-the-scene endorsements.
But stakeholders in the states affected have disagreed with the governors. They rejected what they call impositions, and said most of the anointed candidates have either not contributed to the fortunes of their political parties or are defying the principles of zoning.
In some instances, the anointments have also elicited petitions seeking to stop the governors from installing their preferred candidates as successors.
Governorship primaries of the main political parties are due to hold later this month.
The states where the governors’ preferred candidates are facing stiff opposition are Akwa Ibom, Katsina, Plateau, Ebonyi, Enugu, Niger, Benue, Kebbi, Bauchi, Cross River, Delta, Kano and Rivers.
Those with little intra-party opposition are Jigawa and Lagos.
In Niger State, Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu is supporting his former Chief of Staff, Mohammed Umar Nasko, to succeed him.
One of the indications that Nasko is the governor’s man is that most of those involved in coordinating his campaigns are serving government officials.
Seven other aspirants, including Deputy Governor Ahmed Ibeto, are challenging Nasko for the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and have protested his joining the race.
In Cross River State, former Works Commissioner Legor Idagbo is strongly believed to be the man being supported by Governor Liyel Imoke for the PDP guber ticket.
Last week, the state PDP caucus scaled down the number of aspirants from 20 to just five, and Legor’s name was on the list.
Originally, he was thought to be propped up by the governor’s wife Obioma, who is believed to exert enormous influence on her husband.
Imoke’s elder brother, confidante and advisor, alongside key lawmakers, aides and serving government functionaries attended the launch of Legor’s campaign office recently.
Other aspirants, including former NNPC general manager Goddy Jeddy-Agba and Prof Ben Ayade, have resolved to fight the apparent anointment of Legor by Imoke.
In Jigawa State, three aspirants have so far purchased the PDP governorship nomination form. But Governor Sule Lamido’s candidate is believed to be his immediate-past Chief of Staff Alhaji Aminu Ringim.
Daily Trust gathered that Ringim, who resigned his appointment about a fortnight ago to pursue his political ambition, did so at the instance of the governor.
He went to Abuja to purchase the nomination form with a retinue of commissioners and party leaders on his delegation. When he returned to the state capital and landed at the Dutse International Airport, he proceeded to the Government House for Lamido’s blessings.
Ringim has been a political ally of Lamido for decades. He seems not to be having much problem within PDP except from former Governor Saminu Turaki’s camp which has lost grip of the party’s structure in the state.
In Bauchi, there have been conflicting signals on whom Governor Isa Yuguda is backing between former Secretary to the State Government Aminu Hammayo and former Minister of State for Health Mohammed Ali Pate.
Both Hammayo and Pate are from Misau, and both seem to be drafted into the race by Yuguda.
In Plateau, Governor Jonah Jang penultimate week announced Senator Gyang Pwajok as the one he would prefer to succeed him.
Jang’s pronouncement sparked criticism from people who felt that it was insensitive for the governor to choose his fellow Berom man at a time of agitation for power shift to another zone in the state.
Pwajok resigned his office as Jang’s chief of staff to contest in the Plateau North Senatorial by-election, following the dead of Senator Gyang Datong. Now Jang wants to swap positions with Pwajok in the 2015 elections.
In Katsina, Governor Ibrahim Shema may have settled for his Commissioner of Resource Development, Engr. Musa Nashuni, as his preferred governorship candidate.
But this is facing criticism from the other aspirants in PDP, which parades an array of governorship hopefuls.
Since Nashuni’s name starting making rounds as the anointed candidate, some pressure groups have expressed their opposition. The PDP Northern Youth Awareness Forum has threatened to petition the national leadership of the party over the matter. The forum’s chairman Saidu Gombe said anointing Nashuni is not in line with the party’s principle of fairness and equity and that the aspirant can be defeated easily by an opposition party.
In Kano, Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has not publicly endorsed any of the aspirants eyeing his seat as the ambition of his deputy, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has put him in a tight corner.
Ganduje is working behind the scenes in the 44 local government areas to realise his ambition, though it is unlikely if his candidature would be supported by the governor.
Kwankwaso is believed to prefer either the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, or former Minister of State for Commerce, Alhaji Ahmed Garba Bichi.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) parades an array of strong governorship aspirants in Kano State, including General Lawal Jafaru Isa, Senator Kabiru Gaya and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Abdulrahaman Kawu Sumaila.
If Kwankwaso anoints an unpopular aspirant, he will risk losing the election to the opposition PDP, similar to what happened in 2011 when the outgoing governor’s candidate lost the election.
In Enugu, Governor Sullivan Chime recently held a meeting of stakeholders from Enugu North, where Rep Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, was said to have been endorsed as the PDP consensus governorship candidate.
Although Ugwuanyi is seen by many in the state as a nice, level-headed gentleman, the stiff opposition to his choice is increasing by the day. Those opposed to his choice say they don’t have anything against him as a person but the process of his emergence as “consensus candidate”.
Prominent politicians in the state, particularly those aspiring to be governor, have spoken strongly against the endorsement of Ugwuanyi by Chime.
They include Senator Ayogu Eze, Engr. Anayo Onwuegbu and Speaker Eugene Odo.
In Rivers, Governor Chibuike Amaechi has remained silent over his likely successor in 2015 governorship election. This silence is causing tension in the state chapter of APC. But speculation has been rife that Senator Magnus Abe and Rep. Dakuku Peterside are the likely successors of Amaechi.
Both Peterside and Abe are close allies of the governor and both have not hidden their support for him during the political crisis in the state. There have been speculations that the governor has endorsed Abe as a way of appeasing the Ogonis.
But many believe that Peterside’s closeness to Amaechi’s family could secure the APC guber ticket for him. He is the chairman of the board of trustees of Amaechi’s wife’s pet project.
In Benue, Governor Gabriel Suswam is also silent about his would-be successor. But insiders say immediate-past Commissioner of Justice, Alex Adum, might be the anointed candidate.
Adum did not initially make the list of four of the 18 aspirants approved by the Tiv Traditional Council (TTC) from the Benue North West where the governorship slot has been zoned to.
But during the ratification of the TTC screening, the PDP caucus in the zone chose Adum to replace Hingah Biem on the grounds that the latter was a newcomer in the PDP.
Political watchers say the governor might have been behind the decision, as Adum is believed to be his friend.
In Sokoto, Governor Aliyu Wamakko is believed to prefer Speaker Aminu Tambuwal to succeed him. But many are saying it would not be fair to hand over the ticket of the APC to him since he only recently joined the party while there are others who have been on ground since the party’s formation.
Professor Lawal Bashar is leading the intra-APC opposition to the zoning of the governorship ticket to Sokoto South where Tambuwal hails from.
In Delta, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is believed to prefer Mr Tony Obuh, who recently retired as permanent secretary in the Government House. He is close to the governor, and is likely to get the PDP ticket for the 2015 election. But senior politicians in Delta are opposed to Obuh.