The distinguished lawmaker used the interview platform to reel out her achievements and the so-called democratic dividends she had attracted to her people. Some were over-exaggerated. She lampooned her critics and political foes and accused them of waging ethnic war against her. And as far as she was concerned in that interview, Grace Bent was the best thing that had happened to the people of Adamawa South, representation wise. The Senator had ignored the circumstances that led to her being a senator; she could not recall that former President Olusegun Obasanjo used her as bargaining chip with some politicians in the state to humiliate his then estranged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and to secure their (politicians’) positions.

But I warned in my rejoinder that rather than engage in self-glorification, the senator should always be on her knees thanking the Almighty God for the feat she had achieved, a Yoruba woman, not from Kwara or Kogi, becoming a Senator in Gambari land. And I also put the question then whether a Bachama or Mbula woman married to a Yoruba could even be elected as councillor in her in-law’s place. Well, as it is said, there is always a Judgement Day. And the day came for the Senator last Sunday when delegates from the nine local governments of the zone filed out at the Wanenosom Cinema Hall, Numan, for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senatorial primary election.

To say Senator Bent was desperate for a second term may be an understatement. Her billboards were massive and colourful; her posters adorned all the places and her campaign jingles on radio and TV were something else. What more, if not desperation – she was smart enough to ensure that the day of her campaign flag-off on 21st December, 2010 tallied with the visit to Adamawa State by the wife of the President, Dame Patience Jonathan, for the launch of Women in Politics and Development Initiative in the state. Patience, the wife of the Vice-President, Hajiya Aisha Namadi Sambo and their entourage descended on Numan in four helicopters. Many of those who were at Makwada stadium, venue of the rally swore they had just seen helicopters at close range for the first time. It was a show of intimidation. Two other women senatorial aspirants, Mrs. Patricia Yakubu and Mrs. Bridget Zidon had protested the coming of the President’s wife to the campaign rally of another female aspirant. The president’s wife openly campaigned for Senator Bent and repeated same at Mahmud Ribadu Square later in the day during the launch of the Adamawa State Chapter Women in Power Initiative, where she implored the governor to ensure the return of the Senator to the National Assembly.

However, despite the popularity and achievements she laid claims to, the open campaigns by Mrs. Jonathan, the delegates thought otherwise and voted for the candidate of their choice. Mrs. Jonathan’s preferred aspirant and incumbent, Senator Bent, came third in the eight-person contest. For the records: the winner Hon. Ahmed H. Barata polled 738 votes, Hon. Felix Tangwami who is the chairman of Demsa Local Government came second with 515 votes while Senator Bent garnered 406 votes. A former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Comrade Paschal Bafyau had pulled out of the race two days earlier.

The Senator should have seen the signs that all was not going to be well as the previous day, Saturday, she was booed and jeered at the entrance of the Cinema Hall during the House of Representatives primaries when she came late to vote. Delegates from Demsa had already voted before she arrived. Her attempt to enter the hall was greeted by protests from the youths. She was almost lynched and had to be spirited out of the place by security agents.

The hostility was carried on to the following Sunday as placard carrying youths on motorcycles rode back and forth the venue campaigning against the return of Bent. Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: “This is our father’s land”, “Go back to Ilesha”, “No Tazarce (no to continuity),” among others.

However, the Senator is not giving in easily; she is putting up some fight to reclaim her seat. At a press conference she addressed on Monday at the NUJ press centre, Yola, the lawmaker protested the result and called for its immediate cancellation, citing harassment and intimidation of her supporters and delegates as reasons. She also alleged vote buying against her traducers. How far her protest will go is left to be seen. But thank goodness, Obasanjo is no longer the occupant of Aso Rock Villa, the Garrison Commander chairman of the PDP, Dr Ahmadu Ali is not also on the throne. By the way, is it not even ironical that the woman who boasted of defeating Generals at the 2007 primaries is now crying black murder because she lost? There was no harassment, no intimidation, no vote buy when she won in 2007. Haba, Senator?

If I were Goggo, as the Senator is fondly called by her supporters and cronies, I would take the defeat in good faith, weep no  more, humble myself and thank the good people of Adamawa South for their unparallel magnanimity, though by force, courtesy of the apostle of do-or-die politics – allowing her to serve for four years.

Yedimakudon contributed this from Kpashima Street, Lamurde, Adamawa State