A battle of political supremacy rages between the two prominent sons of the Eastern Senatorial District of Niger State. Babangida Aliyu, the state governor, who will complete his constitutionally approved second-term in office, and Dahiru Kuta, the senator representing the district in the Senate, are battling each other over who would occupy the seat in the upper legislative chamber from May 2015.
Although Mr. Aliyu, who is Chairman of the Northern State Governors Forum, NSGF, has not publicly proclaimed his desire to occupy the seat, it is believed he will spend his immediate political future in the upper house. Mr. Aliyu’s intention to contest the senatorial election is allegedly because his presidential ambition is clashing with that of President Goodluck Jonathan, who is also yet to formally announce his plan to re-contest.
The apparent realisation by Mr. Aliyu that it would be almost impossible to secure the PDP presidential ticket has reportedly led him to eye the senatorial seat of the district.
Mr. Kuta, who is spending his sixth year in the Senate, has cried out over the governor’s alleged intimidation and vowed never to yield the seat to Mr. Aliyu, who also belongs to the PDP as him.
In a fit of anger, the senator told journalists recently that no political machinations by Mr. Aliyu would frustrate him from seeking the mandate of his people to return to the upper house for the third time come 2015.
“In spite of the political machinations to stop me, nothing will deter me from contesting for re-election in 2015,” Mr. Awaisu vowed.
“I cannot be intimidated by anybody after being in politics for 32 years. There is nothing that I have not seen. I have been in politics for long and for that, I cannot be intimidated by anybody not only in Niger but in this country.”
Mr. Kuta, who chairs the Senate Committee on Federal Character, confirmed the frosty relationship between him and the chief servant, and stressed, “My people back my move to seek re-election for a third term. I will seek re-election under the PDP, even though Gov Babangida Aliyu has shown interest in the seat.”
According to him, since he went to the Senate, he has achieved a lot for his constituents, especially in providing jobs for about 125 of them, and construction of schools, and health facilities.
But Mr. Aliyu’s spokesperson, Danladi Ndayebo, in a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES denied that the governor was intimidating Mr. Kuta.
“How is he intimidating him (senator)? My governor is busy trying to deliver on the promises he made to the people. He has not said he is running for the senatorial seat,” he said.
Like Niger, Like Benue
Like the Niger Governor, the man at the helms of affairs in Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, is quietly plotting to root out his senator, Barnabas Gemade, from the upper chamber.
Although he has not formally thrown his hat in the ring, Mr. Suswam is, by all indications, planning to go to the Senate, after his second term as governor ends in May 2015, to represent Benue North East otherwise called Zone A.
The ambition has reportedly pitted him against Mr. Gemade, a former National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and former Works Minister.
Trouble began for Mr. Gemade early this year when some of his constituents led by his in-law and former member of the Benue State House of Assembly on the platform of PDP, Atoza Ihindan, and some party elders, gathered at the Akume Atongo Stadium in Katsina-Ala to celebrate Mr. Suswam’s Supreme Court’s victory over allegation of certificate forgery.
At the close of the event, the elders endorsed the governor to take the legislative seat from Mr. Gemade, who is currently in his second year in the Senate.
Describing Mr. Gemade as self-serving egocentric, the party elders stressed the need to have a generational shift in favour of the governor. They also expressed satisfaction with the performance of the governor and added that his wealth of experience would better be put to use in the Senate from 2015.
Although, Mr. Suswam reportedly asked the elders to carry out proper consultations in their choices of candidates, he however promised to look into their demand at the appropriate time.
Even so, the road may not still be easy for the loquacious governor. Indigenes of Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ukanafun, Abak and Oruk Anam, generally referred in political circles as Abak Five, are reportedly insisting it is their turn to produce a senator for the district. Mr. Akpabio would have to surmount their challenge to secure the PDP ticket in 2015.
Other governors too
Apart from Messrs Aliyu, Suswam, and Akpabio, who have directly or indirectly shown interest in displacing serving senators for seats in the Senate, there are at least 16 other governors in their second and last terms in office, who could choose to vie for senatorial seats.
They are Jonah Jang (Plateau), Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Danbaba Suntai (Taraba), Theodore Orji (Abia), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Sullivan Chime (Enugu) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa).
Others are Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos) and Saidu Dakingari (Kebbi).
Should the governors show interest in vying for senatorial seats, those currently representing their senatorial districts in the upper house will face similar challenges as Messrs Etok, Kuta and Gemade.
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