PDP, Shagari and automatic tickets

  In Nigeria, most incumbent governors dread primary elections, because their worst nightmares can materialize into real waterloos.   They either have to contend with influential and vengeful godfathers with who they may have fallen out or, face aspirants that are electorally strong enough to give them a run for their monies in the in-house contests.  […]

  In Nigeria, most incumbent governors dread primary elections, because their worst nightmares can materialize into real waterloos.   They either have to contend with influential and vengeful godfathers with who they may have fallen out or, face aspirants that are electorally strong enough to give them a run for their monies in the in-house contests.  In a number of instances, challengers are mere spoilers who do not possess the political clout to win the ultimate elections but, carpet baggers driven by sheer fancies or adventure.

It was therefore good news to the PDP incumbent governors eligible for re-election in 2015 when, in a shift from its earlier position against automatic tickets for its flag bearers, the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) announced that the party would consider automatic tickets for its “governors that have performed exceptionally well in the governance of their states”. The question being asked in political circles is the one regarding the fate of deputy governors in states like Nasarawa and Sokoto, who are members of the party as deputies to governors who were not of the party ab initio, as we have in Nasarawa State, or who have dumped the PDP for the opposition APC in the instance of Sokoto State?
Alhaji Mukhtar Shagari, perhaps more than any other governorship aspirants on the platform of the PDP, deserves to be given not only the party’s automatic ticket but, all the needed support to the point of victory.  That is, if as members of the party say, Sokoto State is a “traditional stronghold” of the PDP. As a foundation member of the party who was active at the local and national levels in the formation and registration of the PDP, only few of the present crop of the party chieftains can lay as much claim to the development and growth of the party from inception in 1998 to date.  As the pioneer interim State Secretary and later Legal Adviser in the early days, Barrister Shagari was practically the engine house of the PDP that resulted in the ground-breaking electoral victo-ries of the party in the 1999 elections when the PDP won one of the three Senatorial seats, majority of the seats in the House of Representatives, the State House of Assembly and the local government councils.  
A lot more can be said of Mukhtari Shagari’s unusual demonstration of loyalty to the PDP.  Here was a man who obliged his party’s leadership’s directive to resign from his ministerial appointment to go and contest the governorship election in 2007.  Having overwhelmingly won the keenly contested primary election, the party’s national leadership paradoxically again, prevailed on him to hand over his hard won ticket to a new entrant and even further asked him to play a second fiddle by accepting to go on the same ticket as a running mate.  That rather painful task was assigned to him because the party hierarchy realized its mistake too soon when, it dawned that the election could be lost to the opposition if Shagari was completely not on the ticket.  In spite of all the unpleasant tribulations typical of the lot of most deputy governors, Shagari has since remained a loyal deputy to his principal, Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.  Given some of his experiences as deputy governor, not a few in his shoes would have long thrown in the towel in defiance of the party.  Shagari, indeed a chip off the old block, is humility and loyalty personified.  
The latest manifestation of the man’s abiding faith and loyalty to the PDP was his refusal to be swayed by the gale of defections that swept away the state governor, majority of the elected representatives and lately the Speaker of the House of Representative, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.  If Sahagari was an opportunist; a party man of feeble conviction in the letter and spirit of the party; if he was a man without courage, focus and a mind of his own and one, if he has the grains of ingratitude as most politicians seem to have, he would have caved in to intimidation and immense persuasions from various quarters, by floating with the tide.  Just why, should such a man not be so rewarded if the PDP has decided to reward some of its elected officials?  
As Minister of Water Resources for a record seven years, he had earlier manifested on the national scale his trait of a single-minded, dedicated party man and a workaholic when on any given assignment.  In recognition of his outstanding show of dedication, unprecedented milestones and loyalty to the PDP-led federal government, the party’s Congress and Convention Planning Committee garlanded Shagari at a special ceremony.
By the way, if Shagari had not been on ground, if he had abandoned the party and party members for a sabbatical as some people did after the last election, will the PDP have been on ground today in Sokoto, strong and attractive enough for some people to want to fly its flags in 2015 By rewarding Barrister Mukhtari Shagari with an automatic ticket in 2015, the PDP will have made up for the disastrous mistake of the past when new comers into the party were rated and propped up above those that were steadfast in their loyalty and service to the party.  

Ahmad wrote from Kaduna <[email protected]>;