Zoning of political offices, especially the governorship seat, which insiders said has served as stabilising force in the polity, is currently under threat as it is being challenged by ambitious aspirants in some states, reports Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo
The Delta scenario Until very recently, the name of Elder Godsday Orubebe, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, was not mentioned as one of the governorship hopefuls in Delta State.
But that is not the case again, as the minister, in several newspaper interviews lately, revealed that he may throw his hat into the ring.
Opposition to his alleged ambition notwithstanding, the minister, according to sources, has been on a consultation drive, preparatory to quitting the Federal Executive Council (FEC) later this year to concentrate fully on his campaign.
In the political history of the state, only the Delta North senatorial zone is yet to produce the governor, with the Central and South respectively having taken their turns.
In the aborted Third Republic, Chief Felix Ibru from the Delta Central ruled the state from 1999 to 1993. From 1999 to 2007, Chief James Ibori also from Delta Central presided over the state, while the incumbent governor will be completing his second term in 2015.
The agitation for power shift to Delta North in 2015 explains the high number of governorship aspirants in the zone.
While this debate on power shift rages on, The Nation gathered that the position of Uduaghan on the issue is not known even to his closest aides and associates.
But whatever may be the case; the governor’s support for any aspirant will go a long way in determining the outcome of the race.
The Anambra case
As it is in Delta State, so it is in the South-East state of Anambra, where the people of North senatorial zone are calling for power shift to the area.
This call is, however, not receiving general support, as governorship aspirants from other zones are arguing that merit and competence should be the watchword in determining who becomes the governor of the state next year.
For instance, the senator representing Anambra Central, Dr. Chris Ngige, who is rumoured to be warming up to reclaim the seat he vacated in 2006, has on several occasions argued that zoning has never been used to elect past governors in the state, since, according to him, aspirants from all the senatorial zones have contested for the seat in the past.
Sources revealed that Ngige’s alleged ambition is causing jitters in the camps of other aspirants due to his charisma and popularity across the state.
Rivers State situation
In the last few months, the Minister of State for Education, Nyesome Wike, has been very busy on two fronts.
While his brief as the minister of state in charge of basic and secondary education has been quite challenging, Wike has also been fully engaged in his war of supremacy with his state governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, for the control of Rivers State politics, with the latter seemingly taking more of Wike’s time in recent times.
In a reported statement that finally confirmed speculations of his 2015 ambition, Wike, some days ago, was alleged to have expressed his intention to contest the Rivers State governorship election in the next dispensation.
If he makes good his statement and eventually enters the race, the implication, according to political watchers, is the ‘death’ of the unwritten zoning policy for the governorship seat in the state.
Like the incumbent governor, who will be completing his two terms of eight years in office by 2015, Wike hails from the Ikwerre tribe of Rivers.
The Enugu scenario
The recent declaration by Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime, that it was the turn of the North senatorial zone (Nsukka) to rule the state in 2015 has not gone down well in the camp of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who is allegedly interested in succeeding Chime.
Ekweremadu hails from Enugu West, a zone that had produced the governor in the person of Chime’s predecessor, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani.
It remains to be seen if the Deputy Senate President will go against the unwritten zoning policy or align with the aspiration of the Enugu North for the 2015 governorship race.
If the zoning policy is jettisoned in Anambra, Delta, Enugu and Rivers States on the altar of political expediency, there are fears that other states may take a cue from this in the choice of candidates for elective offices.
It would be recalled that the nomination of President Goodluck Jonathan as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2011 presidential election ruptured the zoning policy of the party.
But in spite of the stiff opposition from Northern politicians, the president coasted home to victory at the polls.
The election of Hon. Aminu Tambuwal as the Speaker of the House of Representatives contrary to the wish of the leadership, which zoned the position to the South West, was another sore point in the zoning policy of the PDP.
The big question is: will the PDP throw away its zoning policy in its choice of candidates for elective positions in 2015? The answer to this poser will be provided when the primaries to elect its governorship candidates are concluded early in 2015.
