Gale of Defections in Buhari’s Senatorial Zone

Francis Sardauna writes that the political atmosphere in Daura senatorial zone of Katsina state has become unpredictable in the last seven months with the unfolding gale of defections in the political landscape.

The aftermath of party primaries conducted recently in Katsina State have left many politicians, especially, those in elective positions and their supporters, aggrieved over allegations of being shortchanged and the feeling that some people considered as political greenhorns were unduly favoured in the process of nomination of party candidates.

The deluge of protests cum migration from one party to another cut across the major political parties, particularly, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and other opposition parties in the state.

Accordingly, political officeholders and gladiators of these political parties had migrated from one party to another in protest against what they referred to as use of ‘fake’ or ‘doctored’ delegates list for the conduct of governorship, senate, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly primary elections in the state.

Worst hit by the cross-carpet is the Daura senatorial district, the constituency of President Muhammadu Buhari where a serving senator representing the zone, Ahmed Babba Kaita and member representing Daura/Sandamu/Mai’Adua federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Fatuhu Mohammed, dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Kaita, who dumped the ruling party for the Peoples Democratic Party in April this year, due to what he described as marginalisation of critical stakeholders by the state government and the leadership of the party at the state level as well as the alleged  failure of the government to execute meaningful projects that will alleviate the plight of the masses in the state.

He also cited serial denial of the people’s mandate at the recent state APC congresses among other related developments as reasons that informed his decision to leave the ruling party alongside thousands of his supporters to the PDP after wide consultations with his people.

Kaita is considered by political scientists as a best performing senator in the state because his humanitarian projects cut across the 12 local government areas that made up the senatorial zone. His movement to the PDP may not be unconnected with his determined desire and opportunity to provide succour and much-needed dividends of democracy to his people. He has since been given an automatic ticket in his new party.

In a press statement, the senator said: “I am not a bandwagon politician. My exemplary and robust representation in the Nigerian Senate is to the admiration of all, and with significant, visible impacts in the areas of infrastructural and human capital development across the three Senatorial zones of the state. There is room to do more.

“The fresh page from the decision to join the Peoples Democratic Party represents the ideals of representativeness in the mandate, goodwill and an even more determined desire and opportunity to provide succour, comfort and the much-needed dividends of democracy to the people”.

The former House of Representatives member was elected to the 8th Senate in 2018 to fill the vacuum in the senatorial zone following the death of Senator Mustapha Bukar. In 2019, he was re-elected to the 9th Senate after defeating his then opponent, Hon. Usman Mani Nasarawa. However, Kaita will be slugging it out with the APC candidate, Hon. Nasiru Sani Zango in the forthcoming polls.

Kaita’s supporters and pundits in the political landscape argued that the senator is loaded with vast political experience, qualifications and well-articulated structures in all the political wards of the senatorial zone judging from the unprecedented number of people he received during his recent visit to Zango, the hometown of his opponent.

However, the recent resignation of APC membership by President Buhari’s nephew and member representing Daura/Sandamu/Mai’Adua federal constituency at the lower chamber, Hon. Fatuhu Mohammed, did not only come to members of the party as a shock, but a new political tsunami that may drag the seemingly untired broom and its supporters to an early grave in the hometown of Buhari.

In a resignation letter addressed to the APC chairman of Sarkin Yara A Ward and copied to the Daura local government chairman and state chairman of the party, Mohammed said: “This is to notify you that I have resigned my membership from the All Progressives Congress (APC) with immediate effect commencing from Wednesday the 15 day of July, 2022. Attached herewith is my Party Membership Registration slip with slip No. KT/DRA/10/00002.

“While I thank you and the Party for the opportunity given to me to serve the interest of the people of Daura/Sandamu/ Mai’Adua Federal Constituency while working with the Party, accept my best wishes please”.

Although Mohammed, who is the son of late Mohammed Mamman Danfale, elder brother to President Buhari, did not disclose his next political line of action in the resignation letter, credible sources said the lawmaker has concluded plans to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Thus, if his alleged defection to the PDP comes to reality, President Buhari is being represented in both the Senate and House of Representatives by members of the main opposition party. Fatuhu’s resignation from the Buhari-led APC has generated permutations, especially among members of the party.

An APC chieftain who pleaded anonymity, argued that, “the recent resignation of Fatuhu Mohammed from the APC will not augur well for the party because he has hundreds of supporters who brought larger votes for the APC during the 2015 and 2019 elections in Daura zone.

“Don’t forget that Senator Babba Kaita who is a serving senator from this zone of Mr. President has also joined PDP with many supporters from across the 12 local governments of the zone. So it is better for the APC leadership in the state to put their house in order or lose 2023 elections”.

But prior to his resignation, Mohammed had in June threatened to leave the APC, alleging that he was shortchanged during the party’s primary election that produced Aminu Jamo Daura as the party’s 2023 candidate for the Daura/Sandamu/Mai’Adua federal constituency.

In a six-minute viral audio, the legislator vowed not to participate in any fresh election if the party decides to do one, as according to him, he was the winner of the primary election.

He said: “They can’t do any election (primary) because I won this one while they broke the law. They should just give me back my ticket, or we meet in court or else I destroy the party and bring a new one (party).

“I can even go and bring the party with fruits (NNPP) and they will just see the Kwankwaso party in Daura. Yes, I can do it because everyone is fighting for himself. They should come and tell the poor people what they have done for them. I will also say what I have done for the poor people and we will see who the (poor) will go for”.

Another lawmaker from the Buhari senatorial zone, Hon. Aminu Ashiru Mani, has also dumped the ruling APC to the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) after losing the party’s ticket during primaries. Mani, is the current House of Representatives member representing Bindawa/Mani federal constituency in the green chamber.

Similarly, Hon. Ibrahim Zakari, the former special adviser to Governor Aminu Bello Masari on International Relations and Investments (2015 to 2019) who hails from Dutsi (Daura zone) also defected from the APC to NNPP and later changed ship to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) where he emerged as the 2023 governorship candidate of the party in the state.

With the gale of defections currently rocking President Muhammadu Buhari’s hometown and constituency, political analysts are of the view that the All Progressives Congress’ canoe is on the verge of capsizing with its members in Katsina state if not rescued by the owners and paddlers.