As top party notchers in the state, many thought Turaki and Lamido will put heads together and fight for a common political goal, but unfortunately recent events in the two camps indicate that the duo are up for the battle of their lives.
Alhaji Ibrahim Saminu Turaki defeated Alhaji Sule Lamido when the two contested the governorship seat in 1999. While the former ran for the seat under the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), the later contested under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The political encounter between the duos can be traced back to 1999 where the two contested the governorship seat under the ANPP and the PDP respectively. Findings indicated that the contest was initially between Turaki and Alhaji Aminu Dalhatu of the PDP, but after winning the primary election, Dalhatu was substituted for Alhaji Sule Lamido who was finally defeated by Turaki.
In 2003, the PDP political calculations were completely turned upside down with Lamido, Senator Alkali and others teaming up against Turaki of the ANPP, who then ran for a second term. Senator Alkali was then the PDP governorship candidate and not Lamido. The PDP was again defeated by the ANPP.
In 2007, however, Senator Ibrahim Saminu Turaki and his supporters defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined Lamido, Alkali and the rest against the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)’s candidate, Senator Ibrahim Kirikasamma. Lamido was then picked as the party governorship flagbearer. A gentleman agreement was reached between Turaki and Lamido that while the former is to constitute 80per cent of the Lamido-led administration, the later is to fill the remaining 20 per cent.
However, recent politicking within the Jigawa PDP has indicated that this gentleman agreement between the two political actors might not work come 2011. On Saturday, July 17, 2010, the former governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Saminu Turaki, organised a meeting, which was held at Fandawa village in Kazaure local government.
Although it was said to be a social gathering organised in commemoration of Turaki’s 47th birthday anniversary, however, analysts view it as a political move to unset the incumbent governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido.
Dignitaries at the occasion included former Jigawa state governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Saminu Turaki, former Kano state governor, Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, Senator Mustapha Makama, Senator Muhammad Alkali, former Kano state deputy governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Senator Baaraka Sani and a reknown Hadejia politician, Alhaji Aminu Abus, among others.
Speaking at the event, Senator Turaki expressed disappointment with his predecessor for non performance and also vowed to tell the people of Jigawa whom to vote as the next governor of the state come 2011.
Alhaji Ibrahim Saminu Turaki further directed the people to observe a two day fast (Monday, 19 and Thursday, 22 July, 2010), while also urging them to recite some Qur’anic chapters, saying “40 days after observing your fast and prayers, I will tell you whom you should vote as your next governor during the forthcoming election”.
“We had an alliance in the PDP in 2007 that I should produce 80 percent of appointees in the present government and Lamido was to produce 20. But why the sack of appointees and elected public officers by the present administration? As a leader, you are expected to be merciful, forgiving and tolerant because Allah the Almighty told His Prophet that, if he (Prophet) was not soft with people, they will all leave him, hence, leaders should learn a lesson from this. But unfortunately in Jigawa today, the reward of good is evil. I have never seen this in life,” Turaki lamented.
He continued, “I direct the people of Jigawa state to observe two days fasting because I was informed that Lamido has promised to sack any government official who attends my political meeting. It is undemocratic to sack people because they attend someone’s political meeting. I have never sacked anybody during my era because of politics. It is sad to hear this from Lamido”.
Even though Senator Turaki did not categorically announce whom is to support for the governorship seat in 2011, findings indicated that the former governor may fingered Senator Muhammad Alkali, popularly known as Baban Beta.
From Lamido’s camp, Weekly Trust gathered that series of meetings are being held all in an effort to tackle obstacles that may be put in place by the opposition. Our correspondent learnt that the party executives in the state have met with all the 27 local government chairmen, local government party chairmen, members of the state House of Assembly, Senators and members of the House of Representatives from the state.
Weekly Trust further learnt that it was not only the former governor of the state that is set to challenge Lamido come 2011, as the former Kano state governor, Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, was also said to have vowed to scuttle the incumbent governor’s ambition come 2011.
It would be recalled that Governor Lamido and the Kano PDP were at loggerheads for quite a long time. The Kano state PDP chairman, Barrister Farouq Iya Sambo, had sometimes ago accused Lamido of destabilising the PDP in his state. In an interview with Weekly Trust, Barrister Iya explained that although Lamido claimed to be helping the party to win elections in Kano, however, he said the governor has ended destabilising the party.
Barrister Iya also accused Lamido of sponsoring youths to destabilise the party in Kano, pledging that Kano PDP will penetrate Jigawa state and create a faction within the Jigawa PDP in order to destroy Lamido’s second term ambition.
“From all indications, Lamido is mindful of the development of these two groups, Kwankwasiyya and Garkuwa. And that is why he wants them to be abolished at all cost and by all means. But we have told him that they are good associations to us and they are helping the development of our party in Kano. We are operating in Kano and we don’t listen to a dictator from Jigawa to tell us what to do,” said Barrister Iya.
However, the presence of Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso at Turaki’s political meeting in Fandawa, Kazaure, Weekly Trust observed, is a clear testimony that, the Kano PDP and Turaki have formed a strong alliance against governor Lamido. Dr. Kwankwaso told the crowd that, Kwankwasiyya and Saminiyya Amana are the same thing and are set to fight a common goal come 2011. He said the two groups are mindful of a change of government in both Kano and Jigawa state respectively.
Dr. Kwankwaso said, “Kwankwasiyya and Sminiyya are one and we have join heads together to fight injustice in Jigawa state. I am calling on you the people of Jigawa to cooperate with Turaki and vote whoever Turaki brings to you as your governorship candidate come 2011”.
Commenting on the recent political statements made by the former Jigawa state governor, Ibrahim Turaki, the Special Assistant to Governor Lamido on Youth Affairs, Alhaji Umar Danjani Hadejia, said the incumbent has won the heart of the people through his performance and that nobody will take Turaki serious accusing the former governor of destroying Jigawa state while in office, saying, “You have failed Jigawa”.
He disputed Turaki’s claim that he assisted Lamido to become governor of Jigawa state in 2007, saying, Lamido was picked to bear the PDP flag at both state and national levels and not Senator Turaki.
