Musa Azare
The All Progressives Congress, APC primary elections have come and gone. But the dust they left behind may not settle in the near future.
In Bauchi state, what happened was a flagrant abuse of all relevant laws of the land – Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), CFRN 1999 (as amended), as well as the constitution of the All Progressives Congress. Wild and desperate political beasts went on rampage, trampling upon and destroying anything and everything they came across, thinking that there will never be tomorrow. Their mindset was that, they would do whatever possible – foul and arbitrary, to “win” so that they wouldn’t be the complainants afterwards, but those complained against. A typical “craze mentality” of political neophytes of the caves.
From the gubernatorial “primary election” down to the Senate and House of Representatives, it was just a bizarre display of desperation and total madness. A tawdry spectacle of arrogance and parochialism was what became of people that are parading themselves as cosmopolites.
To begin with, the gubernatorial primary election in Bauchi state commenced in the middle of the night. In some local governments the election commenced at 1am, while in some others, 2am, 3am. Who came out, queued and voted for them at those hours of the night? Who did they count? How did they get the results they brandished as the outcome of the “primary election?” Only the biggest fool on earth will think that this charade could go just like that without being checked. Nigeria is not a Banana Republic as the rogue politicians of Bauchi state want us to believe. We are not a nation of “anything goes”, at least not at this time.
In Katagum local government, where I aspired for the APC House of Representatives ticket, the story is worse. Around 6pm on election day, aspirants were summoned to the office of the caretaker chairman in the local government secretariat for a stakeholders meeting. All of us were present except the incumbent, who was ably but shamelessly represented by the caretaker chairman and the APC Chairman of Katagum local government. A few minutes after 6pm two shabby looking young men appeared and claimed to be the Returning Officers sent by APC to conduct the primary election in Katagum local government. So many things were not right, particularly the gathering storm of insecurity that was occasioned by angry people waiting outside, and then we protested. The caretaker chairman, being the so called chief security officer and the DPO of Katagum local government whom we strongly suspected to be partisan, insisted that all was well, despite the occasional shootings that rented the air outside the local government secretariat where thousands of people gathered. We did everything we could to point out to them the obvious violations but they were deaf and blind. I asked them for any legal ground upon which an election would be commenced at night. They gave me nothing in reply except that they were ready to start. We argued very hotly with them, and the ensuing rage resulted in a near fisticuffs between me, representing all the aspirants, and the DPO.
Our own “primary election” commenced at nearly 10pm and the DPO set aside the Party guidelines for the conduct of the election and, introduced his own, where he said the election would be conducted one Ward at a time instead of all the eleven Wards simultaneously. His reasons were that, he doesn’t have enough men to provide security at all the eleven Wards at the same time. Something I pointed to him at the beginning of our meeting, but called my bluff, only to prove me right a little while later. To avert a looming disaster, as thousands of people were still gathering outside, chanting the slogan, “we don’t agree with election at night”, and with the occasional shootings continuing, we decided to boycott the charade they are now calling an election.
That these people are hypocrites within, is an open secret. We know how they intend to sell out the APC in the recent senatorial bye-election in Bauchi South Senatorial Zone. It took the timely intervention of our Party to secure victory by whiskers. And we also know the underhand dealings they are doing with the opposition to aid them come February 2019. We shall counter them with every political weaponry in our arsenal.
Now enter Adamu Adamu, the Honourable Minister of Education, and an indigene of Bauchi state. A close confidant of President Muhammadu Buhari, whose gentle mien now makes these rogues think that he is a lame duck.
The sad situation in Bauchi state attracted the attention of Mr. President and a committee chaired by Adamu Adamu was set up to look into the matter and make recommendations. The committee collected very valid complaints with graphical evidences of infractions. Audiovisual evidences showed massive criminal manipulations perpetrated by a bunch do or die politicians, with the aid of misguided security operatives. The overwhelming evidences were a gory sight to behold! Democracy was strangulated and raped to death in Bauchi state. Simple! And no sane person would turn his face away from that.
Now the rogues have deployed their attack dogs on Adamu Adamu, who was earnestly discharging a responsibility assigned to him by his boss. Bauchi state is second home to President Muhammadu Buhari and he certainly cannot afford a political crisis in the state few months to general elections.
Adamu Adamu is a man of outstanding character, with a track record of honesty and loyalty. His contributions to the development of our nation state cannot be overemphasized. Put him on scale with all the rogues, he will certainly weigh them down. We cannot sit by and watch street urchins, on the instruction of their paymasters, hurling insults at him.
If there were elections, and winners as well, why is Bauchi state thrown into palpable silence instead of wild jubilations by the so called winners? Why are they afraid to come out and celebrate their victory?
We are calling on all well meaning indigenes of Bauchi state to disregard the antics of these sour losers. We hold Adamu Adamu in high esteem. If they have no idea who he is, we do. They should leave him alone in there best interests.
Musa Azare
October 22, 2018.
