Re: Kebbi 2015: A cry for reason and justice

Kebbi State is made up of four emirates, namely Argungu, Gwandu, Yauri and Zuru. For the purpose of senatorial zones, these emirates are grouped into 3 zones thus; Kebbi North is all of Argungu emirate, and a part of Gwandu emirate; Kebbi Central is all of Gwandu emirate, less; while Kebbi South is all of […]

Kebbi State is made up of four emirates, namely Argungu, Gwandu, Yauri and Zuru. For the purpose of senatorial zones, these emirates are grouped into 3 zones thus; Kebbi North is all of Argungu emirate, and a part of Gwandu emirate; Kebbi Central is all of Gwandu emirate, less; while Kebbi South is all of both Yauri and Zuru emirates.  Of the total 21 LGAs in the state, Gwandu emirate alone has 10 LGAs against 4 each for Argungu and Zuru emirates, with Yauri emirate having 3 LGs.
This clearly puts Gwandu emirate in a position of virtual political power monopoly over the three other emirates, and it has continued to exploit that advantage to the virtual exclusion of the others, in an insensitive display of political  exclusion and marginalisation, suggestive of an intent to subjugate the others to perpetual political servitude in this modern era. The tragedy of it all is that there doesn’t seem to be enough of those with good clear conscience in the politically active Gwandu elites who do not subscribe to this superiority complex mentality, instead of  the inclusive Adalci and political morality that the situation clearly demands..  

As countdown to 2015 begins, it is sad and disheartening to see the political space already being crowded by only Gwandu aspirants. Among the frontline ones are Sen Atiku Bagudu, Abubakar Shetima Malam, Gen Sarkin Yaki Bello, Mansur Shehu Mansa Dangaladima, Kabiru Tanimu Danmasani. The next group likely includes Sen Faruk Bunza, Prof Tijjani Bande, Bello Turakin Gwandu, Bashir Sarkin Yaki Koko, Saidu Sambawa, etc.These are all known, or are suspected, to have such aspiration. Nearly all of them are said to have had the personal assurances of the incumbent for the necessary support, with some said to have been documented.
Of all in the pack, it is believed that the pact with retired Gen Bello Sarkin Yaki, is said to hopefully be the genuine and preferred one. This is because there is also this unreliable version making the rounds that Gov Dakingari nurses a Plan B, which explains his reported pact with, and assurances to, another retired Gen Danhanne Isah of Zuru, Kebbi South, just in case things somehow don’t fully add up with the preferred Gwandu option. It is clear from the pack of Gwandu aspirants, both actual and potential, that neither the frontrunner nor the rest give a damn about the virtues of adalci in the affairs of the Kebbi State commonwealth they seek to honestly govern in the name of God and the people. It remains to be seen if the incumbent gives a damn about the pious demands of Adalci in the circumstance, than he gives to the exclusive and exhaustive exploitation of a political advantage.  

The merciless over-exploitation of its demographic political advantages has continued to confer on it the virtual monopoly of the spoils and the proverbial dividends of democracy, to the near total exclusion of all others. The situation is therefore an inversely proportionate one in which the personal and communal prosperity enjoyed by Gwandu is directly responsible for the opposite situation in the others. The poverty of exclusion is indeed an ultimately counterproductive strategic political concept and weapon for perpetual socio-political subjugation of an already subservient people. Any wonder that the list of the Gwandu aspirants is indeed a list of political access and prosperity, the complete opposite of which is the lot of all the others?  
That the list of known actual and potential aspirants is preponderantly Gwandu is indeed a direct function of the handicap suffered by the other emirates in the affairs of their commonwealth, in which Gwandu’s suffocating dominance has continued to systematically exclude them, thus rendering them politically incapacitated. Any wonder that there is only a token presence and reluctant intentions of both known actual and potential aspirants respectively, from these deprived areas?
 In Argungu emirate, its a pack of only potential aspirants for now, like Sen Isa Galaudu, who may wisely prefer a second term in the senate than to gamble away that chance in a gubernatorial casino; Sen Umaru Tafida; Jarma Sulaiman Argungu; Ambassador Usman Baraya; the Kangiwa Twins.
In Yauri emirate, the incumbent Deputy Governor Ibrahim K. Aliyu is said to want to try his luck, while the habitual aspiration of retired Col Inuwa Bawa makes him a potential one.

If equity, fairness and justice were honourable values and respected virtues in Kebbi politics, then Zuru emirate holds the legitimate moral entitlement to the throne this time around, because it suffers the most inequity. Since 1999 it has been effectively excluded from being either the governor or the deputy, even when it arguably second only to Gwandu in all relevant political statistics. On account of this sense of entitlement, it so far has the actual aspirations of Senator-Gen Magoro and retired Gen Danhanne Isah already scouting in the battlefield. While the body language of Mr Benjamin Dikki of BPE seems to potentialise his aspiration, the apparent reluctance in the body language of ex-minister Prof Kaoje and retired Col A. DanAsabe, both recurrent potential aspirants, nonetheless puts them in a credible count. The seeming higher numbers of Zuru emirate aspirants than those of Argungu and Yauri emirates are for the same reason of deference to legitimate moral entitlement..
The reality of Kebbi politics effectively makes those aspirations outside Gwandu as only potentials, while those already scouting the field may indeed only be pretenders, so long as they are not irreversibly subscribed by Gwandu.  
The legitimate moral entitlement factor stems from the fact that since 1999 the state has been ruled by Gwandu alone for nearly 16years now, including the ministerial slots.  And when they have their way, as they are poised to doing in 2015, it will predictably be for another two terms of 8years up to year 2019. This will have given them an exclusive 24years rulership, almost a quarter of a century of unbroken chain.

Nasarawa wrote from ABU, Zaria <[email protected]>;