Who’s intimidating Bauchi ANPP?

Written by Shehu Mustapha Chaji
On June 22, 2009, Daily Trust featured a story where the ANPP warned the Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda, over the alleged intimidation of its members. In the story, the ANPP has warned Governor Yuguda to desist from intimidating its members who refused to defect with him to the PDP. Also an unnamed ANPP member of the State House of Assembly had raised alarm that Governor Yuguda has launched a move to get the Bauchi State House of Assembly to impeach his deputy, Alhaji Muhammad Garba Gadi, for refusing to join him in the PDP and deciding to remain in the ANPP

According to the ANPP National Publicity Secretary, Emma Eneuke as reported in the story, the party had received news of threats of impeachment and recall of the House of Assembly members who refused to dump the party for PDP by the governor and these point to the fact that the governor cannot muster voluntary followership except through intimidation, coercion and blackmail.

If really what the ANPP is accusing Governor Isa Yuguda of doing is true, it is really unfair not only to the ANPP in Bauchi State but to the entire people of Bauchi State who massively voted for the ANPP in the 2007 elections and took the risk of the consequences over the desire of the former governor, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu who had insisted that the will, yearnings and aspiration of the people will not prevail as they insisted that their votes must count.

Whatever Governor Yuguda and his supporters may say about justifying his decamping, the people of Bauchi state voted for ANPP not Yuguda as manifested by his inability to even convince his deputy to decamp with him. Whether the ANPP allegation is true or not, the people of Bauchi State that felt the incumbent governor had betrayed them take solace in the insistence of Alhaji Muhammadu Garba Gadi not to decamp to PDP. Many people in the state are not happy with the attitude of the governor for making a mockery of their support when he was in the political wilderness without any refuge. They picked him, provided him with a platform and gave him unflinching support that led him to victory, but he later dumped them without any concrete reason, but for personal and selfish interest of his own.

If it is true that Governor Yuguda is scheming to have his deputy impeached, then he is not learning from political history. People tend to rally round one that they feel is been persecuted for unjust reasons. It has even happen to Governor Yuguda himself when former Governor Adamu Mu’azu was persecuting him just for the mere reason that he wants to contest for the Bauchi State governorship. Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State also benefited from such sympathy as people came to be aware of how former Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso intimidated, harassed and humiliated him. Also Governor Magatakarda Wammako of Sokoto state rode on such sympathy to become the governor of the state.

Governor Yuguda is presently giving his deputy Muhammad Garba Gadi more popularity and sympathy as someone being persecuted for holding on to his views by not agreeing to deceive, betray and mock the people of Bauchi State for voting for ANPP during the 2007 elections. He may soon make Gadi as a rallying point of all those that may come together to oppose him in the 2011 elections. The mere scheming to impeach the deputy governor is not a wise political decision as it will expose Yuguda as someone not in total control of his state and it will indirectly translates into his fear of guaranteeing Bauchi state to the PDP in 2011 elections

With just less than two years to complete their tenure it will be appropriate to allow Alhaji Gadi to complete his tenure together with Governor Yuguda, as his deputy has similar claims like him in enjoying the mandate of the people.

The 2011 elections will decides really if in 2007 the people of Bauchi state voted for ANPP or Yuguda if he decides to re-contest under the platform of the PDP. But for now his deputy has more claim and legitimacy to the seat of deputy governor than the governor as he is not accused by the people of double crossing them after voting him on the platform of the ANPP and now he decamps to the PDP. There are no moral questions hanging on the deputy governor as far as legitimacy is concerned.

The yearnings and aspirations of the people of Bauchi State must be respected by Governor Isa Yuguda who should not be seen to be in any way intimidating and scheming to have his deputy impeached. It will be unfair to the people of Bauchi State who during the 2007 elections after casting their votes guarded and escorted it to the collation centre, and waited till who they voted for was declared the winner. But now their 2007 votes had been traded with what they did not bargain for in the first place.