Yariman Bakura’s senatorial mandate
The general opinion among the electorates is that Senator Ahmad Sani (Yariman Bakura) is indisputably the godfather of Zamfara politics. Despite his monumental feat in politics, the journey to the Senate in 2011 was unusually a difficult and overwhelming task for Yarima. On one hand, he needed to win the Zamfara-West Senatorial election. Also, the […]
The general opinion among the electorates is that Senator Ahmad Sani (Yariman Bakura) is indisputably the godfather of Zamfara politics.
Despite his monumental feat in politics, the journey to the Senate in 2011 was unusually a difficult and overwhelming task for Yarima. On one hand, he needed to win the Zamfara-West Senatorial election. Also, the former Governor must maintain his political superiority in order to lead his party’s struggle for power against the incumbent governor and anointed successor who had decamped to the ruling party two years after piloting the affairs of the state under the ANPP. On the other hand, the ruling party was determined not only to sustain its incumbency, but to ensure that Yarima suffered electoral defeat during the 2011 Senatorial contest. The conviction of leaders of the ruling party was that if Yarima eventually got re-elected as Senator, it would be practically impossible to subdue his influence afterwards. As a result, their party would witness mass exodus of its supporters to the ANPP during the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections. This political departure could derail the party and ruin its potentially greater chances of winning the 2011 general elections in the State.
As far as 2011 Senatorial election was concerned, Yarima was politically disadvantaged because vibrant structures that could undermine his chances have emerged two years after he left office as state executive Governor.
Although ANPP enjoyed considerable support of the people for campaigning for Muhamadu Buhari, the then CPC Presidential candidate, the ruling party was in total control of all the fourteen Local Government Areas in the state thereby making it near impossible for any meaningful change to occur. Therefore, Maradun Local Government which was seemingly a stronghold of the ruling party became an ideal ground to actualize the plans to stop Yarima.
Clearly, Senator Ahmad Sani could not have won this election without the sacrifices of those who frustrated the plans perfected by very powerful forces in the state to truncate his political career. It was a job which anyone who stood by Yarima dared not for fear of victimization and political persecution. A few of us who supported the CPC Presidential flagbearer joined the fight for Yarima’s political survival. We offered the needed sacrifices in order that full measure of justice prevails in the overall interest of peace and fair-play. Attempts by powerful forces to subjugate Yarima’s re-election bid were vehemently resisted. We strongly rejected the plans to influence the Senatorial election results. However, the difficult task to guard and protect the Presidential and National Assembly results was accomplished with very great challenges to our personal dignity. Yarima narrowly won the 2011 Senatorial election after a heated contest. Forever, he remains the greatest beneficiary of the sacrifices we made to facilitate his freedom from political doom.
Senator Ahmad Sani (Yariman Bakura) began the realization of his dreams to further consolidate on his political strength with this re-election victory. The emergence of Hon. Abdul-Azeez Yari Abubakar as Governor of Zamfara State is not unconnected with Yarima’s symbolic victory in the 2011 Senatorial election.
However, we note with serious concern that after 2011 general elections, Yarima has remained committed only to the advancement of his personal political project thereby failing to address many fundamental problems affecting the people in his constituency, Maradun Local Government in particular.
A prominent member of the PDP who is largely responsible for the ANPP’s woes and Yarima’s travails in 2011 is now a member representing Maradun/Bakura Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives under the same political platform as Yarima. He was rewarded for decamping to the APC and willingness to support Yarima’s re-election in 2015.
Presently, Yarima’s poultry farm worker is Chairman, Maradun Local Government Council. He is not known to have made any meaningful contribution towards the party’s political fortunes in Maradun during the 2011 general elections. The chairmanship position is his reward only for facilitating Yarima’s poultry business thereby maintaining his closeness with the Chicken farmer. His imposition on the people of Maradun for six years has created a leadership vacuum because the role he plays as Chairman is not premised on a popular mandate.
In very clear terms, we wish to remind Yarima that we are committed to responsible leadership. We are not unaware that our failure to hold those who wield power accountable is detrimental to the yearnings and aspirations of our people. We shall continue to mobilize the necessary support and goodwill of the people towards bringing the desired change we have been clamouring for. We shall consistently voice our concern for any injustice since the costly sacrifices we offered for the change are utterly forgotten.
Aliyu Muhammad Maradun is a political activist based in Abuja 08033003781