Yet Another Dashed Hope for Ex-customs Top Shot

As a former Deputy Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Prince Ibrahim Mera, was very powerful and influential.

In fact, he was rumoured to be the likely successor to the former Comptroller-General, Alhaji Abdullahi Inde, when his tenure was winding up. However, before his very eyes, his balloon of hope in the service was punctured, following the appointment of Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.) by President Muhammadu Buhari.

 In the wake of that development, Mera, among other top officials, turned in their letters of voluntary retirement from the service. Since he left the public service, his major ambition is to be the number one citizen of his state, Kebbi. In pursuit of his ambition, he ventured into politics. But the more he tried, the more his aspiration eluded him.

In the build-up to the 2019 governorship election in the state, he flooded the state with his posters but failed to secure the All Progressives Congress’ ticket for the governorship election in the state.

It was gathered that the billionaire ex-customs top shot did not pass the screening organised by the party, thereby foreclosing his ambition of wresting power from the incumbent governor, Abubakar Bagudu.

After making consultations, far and wide, with many of the elders and his supporters, the dark-skinned prince of Argungu reportedly buried his dream. But when many thought he had bidden bye to politics, he sprung a surprise! This time, he reportedly eyed the Kebbi North Senatorial District at the Red Chamber. 

To the chagrin of his fans,  the dark-skinned man withdrew from the race a few days to the APC Senatorial primaries. According to a source, Mera withdrew on the grounds of irregularities in the whole exercise.

In a letter he addressed to the APC Chairman in the state, he wrote: “In view of the unjust, undemocratic and charade processes leading to the APC primaries in Kebbi state and record of events unfolding in the party generally, I find it very necessary to withdraw my participation in the APC Kebbi North Senatorial primary elections.”