By Bature Sani
Flash back: Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State was Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2006 when a former military Head of State and Presidential candidate of the opposition Congress For Progressives Change (CPC), Retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari wanted to address the National Assembly, which was dominated and controlled by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Retired General Olusegun Obasanjo was then the President of Nigeria under the banner of the PDP, and who was alleged to harbour a ‘Third Term’ agenda. ‘Third Term Agenda’ to the un-initiated, meant ‘self-perpetuation in office’, and it was against the constitution of the federation, which everyone in power swore to protect.
The CPC Presidential Candidate went to the National Assembly to address members on the ills of ‘Self Perpetuation in office’.
President Olusegun Obasanjo would have none of that, and told the National Assembly to deny the request of the CPC’s Presidential Candidate.
The Senate, what we call ‘the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, gave a nod to the request of President Obasanjo, and refused the request of Muhammadu Buhari, the candidate of the CPC.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari however, saw it differently. He thought and believed it was wrong to deny the former Head of State the platform of the National Assembly to address the members. His reasoning was that the Members and President Obasanjo, who was himself a former Military Head of State, should look beyond politics and see the request as coming from a former military Head of State and Commander-in-chief, not from a politician.
While the Senator Ken Nnamani-led Senate denied the request of the CPC candidate, Speaker Aminu Bello Masari allowed him the platform of the House of Representatives, where he addressed its members. A very strong political bond was thus borne between General Buhari and Speaker Masari. For the sake of emphasis, that bond, well formed, became one of the series of events that eventually culminated in the formation of the APC.
There is no point stating the fact that Buhari and Masari are from Katsina State.
Of course, the Jagaban Borgu and President-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was to play a significant role, in collaboration with some key elements from the then new PDP members, a faction of APGA and other progressive minded Nigerians, in the formation of the APC, as we know it today.
After the formation of the APC, President Buhari became the presidential flagbearer of the APC and Masari, perhaps, in appreciation of his plausible roles, emerged the party’s first Vice Chairman where he galvanized the party not just in the north but also across the country. Of course, he eventually emerged its gubernatorial flagbearer in Katsina State.
From APC’s formation to date, Katsina state has continued to play fundamental roles in boosting its fortunes through massively voting for the party in all elections.
For instance, in 2015, APC won all the national and state assembly seats. Similar feat was repeated in 2019 and 2023 where the party won all the senate seats, clinched nine out of the 15 House of Reps seats and won 31 of the 34 state assembly seats with three scheduled for rerun.
Fundamentally, the APC’s critical stakeholders in Katsina state never waver in their commitment to consolidating the party’s fortunes just as they have been in the forefront of ensuring power shift to the south after the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s term.
Governor Masari for one, never hid his belief that it was now the turn of the South to have a shot at the presidency and the right person for the job is the Jagaban Borgu, who by God’s divine mercy and thanks to the efforts of people like the Dallatun Katsina, is now the President-elect.
Without any fear of contradiction, the APC leadership Katsina state under the steady guidance of Governor Aminu Bello Masari plays fundamental roles in further proving to all and sundry that the state is soundly under the firm control of the progressives.
Through dogged commitment, the governor and indeed other leaders of the party galvanized members and worked tirelessly for the party’s victory. For long, they have been preoccupied with what they could do for the party and indeed, all it’s candidates. That paid off. It won’t be out of place to ask what the party (the President-elect) will do for the leadership in the state.
•Sani writes from Kofar Kaura, Katsina