The interesting game to watch in Adamawa

Wambai first came into active politics when the late Hon. Ahmed Gillah died and the PDP needed a replacement. Wambai offered himself to the call of duly as his people voluntarily beckoned on him. Quickly, posters bearing his image and advertising his interest into the Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha Federal House of Representatives […]

Wambai first came into active politics when the late Hon. Ahmed Gillah died and the PDP needed a replacement. Wambai offered himself to the call of duly as his people voluntarily beckoned on him. Quickly, posters bearing his image and advertising his interest into the Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha Federal House of Representatives seat littered the areas. Because it was few months into the elections, it was doubtful to many as to whether he was a serious candidate considering the limited time between the electioneering and the elections. He had resigned from Adamawa State traditional emirate council where he was working. His critics and opponents assumed he was a joker in the pack, knowing full well that he was then not a politician.

They were skeptical of his ability to win the election. But having consulted the emirate council and securing its support he rolled out his campaign train to the towns and villages that constituted this zone. It became obvious to pundits that there was more about Wambai whom they saw on the stylish billboards. His emergence as the PDP candidate to replace Gillah gave opposition party members Hon. John Babani Elias of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) a shock. He in particular was made to challenge Wambai’s victory at the tribunal but the court affirmed Wambai as the legitimate winner of the bye-election at the end.

Going by the existing political circumstances on ground coupled with the support of the first class chiefs and the governor of the state Murtala Nyako, Wambai got a soft landing then since there was no organized and principled force to counter his move. He won the election and completed the remaining tenure of the late Gillah in the National Assembly Abuja.

His short stay in office during the last Assembly made him a strong opponent of Hon. John Babani Elias.

Now, Wambai knows that CPC has a task ahead and a political turmoil to battle with before the 2016 general elections. Things begin to change and to unfold. First, among was the PDP themselves who gave him the mandate to complete the tenure of the ate Gillah and second the Adamawa emirate council which Wambai served and leant on as principal supporters of his achievement at the National Assemble. PDP that gave him the mandate to serve in the first instance did not like him. This disturbed the political climate of the state as gossips, strifes and discord rent the air.

PDP says the position should be zoned and that Wambai should step down for others to get the ticket so they went as far as counting their gains in the party and in their estimation Wambai would lose because religion and tribal sentiments were contributing factors for those that wanted Wambai to step down.

Gidado Ibrahim Sajoh, the candidate PDP fronted to defeat Wambai has more Christians in most of the council areas who are supporting him with at least two of the local government areas of Maiha and Mubi South which are believed to be heavily populated by Christians tribesmen. Nevertheless Wambai defeated him to the surprise of many.

It was at the heat of this debate and battle that PDP decided to play Hon. Wambai a dirty game by denying him the ticket to run his full fledged tenure. That made him to decamp. Wambai quickly joined the CPC and got his ticket to run for the Federal House of Representatives.  As at then, CPC was registered by (INEC) in 2010, and it appeared to have held a lot of promise in the 11 northern states including the north-central zone.

So Wambai collaborated with former Military Administrator Brigadier General Buba Marwa who was expected at worst to give Governor Murtala Nyako a good fight. Though the party came third in the 2011 general elections in the state, Wambai delivered his constituency to show how dogged he was.

It is now believed that when Wambai became a federal lawmaker representing Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha federal constituency little did he know that he was stepping on proverbial banana peals within a short time.

His first coming as a  member can be divided into two halves which will be described as era he had to battle with election related issues.

Wambai, not minding what the PDP would offer or do to him, he disorganized their plans and showed them that he was capable to lead his people by giving PDP a disgrace first to decamp to another party and winning his election with a landslide victory that is cutting down to size the political doggedness of the dreaded Governor Nyako and the PDP. Nyako who is seen by some as an emperor in the state felt that Wambai was over stepping his bounds, but Wambai did not think so. Rather he thought  that he was performing his statutory duties as a CPC member in the state. Even though it is believed Marwa has dumped the party and remains silent since he lost his election in the state, Wambai still trudges on, fighting with the CPC spirit without anybody’s support.

This is enough reason for PDP to crucify him. This brevity is viewed by Nyako and PDP in the state as an acid test against Nyako’s political superiority. This has resulted in a battle of political supremacy in the state between Wambai and PDP. So far, Wambai’s winning streak continues to bubble. Even though Gidado Ibrahim Sajoh contested Wambai’s victory up to the Supreme Court, Wambai’s mandate was confirmed.

Nyako on the other hand with PDP stakeholders have already pencilled down Wambai for party exigencies.

One, for his cross-carpeting and winning election, second for his soaring popularity among the people along which to them is a slap on their faces. For all this they seek to fight Wambai to a logical conclusion. Will Wambai survive this political battle? Only God knows because Nyako’s strange style, is a thing of concern. Nyako’s factor will be weakened before the political battle of 2016 at the expiration of his tenure and he might lose the required strength to accomplish his defined political dreams of making Gidado Ibrahim Sajoh his successor.

It is predicted that Wambai might form a strong political alliance with some political bigwigs from the state so as to tame Nyako’s force. It is believed that as parochial and primordial as it many appear, the lingering Christian/Muslim factor will constitute a major stumbling block for Wambai.

Wambai has to adopt a political strategy that can instil confidence in the electorate. He can only do this by repelling claims from political opponents with facts and expanding frantically the frontiers of his party supporters beyond the boundaries of Yola Muslims. In the mean time, the interesting game to watch at the end is between the audacious Wambai and the PDP.

Tanko writes from Maiha, Adamawa State