The subtle but fierce battle for the soul of Kaduna State politics between the Vice President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo and Senator Ahmed Makarfi, seems far from being over, reports Remi Adelowo
Up until mid 2010, former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi and his successor, Mohammed Namadi Sambo, enjoyed a near excellent relationship.
It was one friendship that has lasted over two decades or more, it was gathered.
In the run-up to the 2007 governorship election in Kaduna State, many top aides of Makarfi, then the state governor had commenced silent campaigns to succeed Makarfi.
Despite Makarfi’s closeness to some of the aspirants, he kept his succession plans close to his chest.
But few months to the 2007 general elections, The Nation gathered that Makarfi had summoned a meeting of his kitchen cabinet including some of the aspirants jostling to take over from him. The meeting held at the Kashim Ibrahim Government House on Ahmadu Bello Way in Kaduna.
Midway into the secret parley, Makarfi reportedly dropped the bombshell: Mohammed Namadi Sambo is his anointed candidate for the 2007 governorship seat.
The tone of finality in Makarfi’s voice left no one at the meeting in doubt that he had made up his mind on his preferred successor.
Elections over, Sambo, a wealthy architect and one of the biggest contractors to the state government, was inaugurated as the Kaduna State governor on May 29, 2007. Makarfi chose to go to the Senate as the representative of Kaduna North.
All was well between the duo until May 2010. The search for a new Vice President to succeed Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who became the president following the death of his boss, Umaru Yar’Adua, eventually culminated in the elevation of Sambo as Nigeria’s number two citizen.
Sambo’s elevation allegedly did not go down well with Makarfi, who was strongly tipped to become the vice president before the pendulum finally swung in Sambo’s favour.
Basking in his new status as the most senior political officer holder from the North, Sambo expectedly decided to stamp his imprints on the politics of his home state. This, Makarfi did not take kindly to.
However, the two men managed to keep their frosty relationship out of public scrutiny.
Aftermath of Yakowa’s death
The rivalry over control of Kaduna politics between the two men reared its ugly head again following the death of Sambo’s successor, Mr. Patrick Yakowa about two years ago from a plane crash in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
With Yakowa’s deputy, Ramalan Yero succeeding his late boss, an intense jostling for the vacant deputy governorship seat soon began with Makarfi and Sambo singing discordant tunes on the choice candidate.
But once again, Sambo had his way. The vice president allegedly convinced his godson, Yero, to pick the former Chairman of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Nuhu Bajoga from Kaduna South as the new deputy governor.
Makarfi’s camp, a source alleged, felt sighted over Bajoga’s appointment, but however decided not to rock the boat.
Ahead the 2015 polls
As preparations for the 2015 general elections gather momentum, The Nation reliably gathered that both Sambo and Makarfi are set to renew their rivalry over the governorship race.
While the vice president is solidly behind Yero, who served under him as the finance commissioner during his reign as governor, Makarfi is allegedly rooting for another candidate.
The alleged below par performance of Yero since he became governor is causing anxiety within the ruling PDP and the vice president’s camp.
There are fears in Sambo/Yero’s camp that in his bid to get even and prove his political relevance in the State, Makarfi may work against the re-election of Yero in 2015.
Speculations are rife in the North West state that Makarfi, who is currently serving his second term as a Senator, could work with the major opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) if the PDP nominates Yero as its governorship candidate in 2015.
Since its formal registration some months ago, the profile of APC in Kaduna State has been in an upward swing, with many political heavyweights in the State pitching their tents with the party.
Interestingly, the trios of Yero, Sambo and Makarfi all come from the same constituency of Zaria province in the northern part of the state.
Although the VP had severally laid claims to Zone 2 in Kaduna Central by virtue of his years of place of residence, he is originally believed to have hailed from Zaria city.
Sambo had lived most of his life time in Kabala West area of Kaduna Central. Conversely, Makarfi, Sambo’s supposed godfather, hails from Makarfi, in Makarfi local government area of the northern flank of the State.
Although the lawmaker and the nation’s number two citizen had once publicly declared to sheath their swords during the inauguration of Ambassador Bajoga as the state PDP Chairman in 2012 at the Yar’adua Hall, Murtala Square, developments in the state in the last two years clearly point to the contrary.
For instance, Makarfi’s absence from several PDP state caucus meetings presided over by the VP on account of what some believe to be flimsy excuses, and the threat to suspend him from the party’s activities in recent times are pointers to this effect.
The alleged bad blood between the duos in view of their dispositions to different governorship contenders may intensify in the weeks and months ahead.
While Sambo’s camp is rooting for Governor Yero’s continuity in office in 2015, sources say Makarfi’s camp is the brain behind Isah Mohammed Ashiru’s governorship ambition.
In recent times, Ashiru, who is contesting the governorship on the platform of the APC, has intensified his consultations with stakeholders across the length and breadth of the State.
Just a few weeks ago, he had a meeting with his campaign team from all the 23 local government areas and the wards.
His candidature, according to sources, is garnering support from influential politicians including the former state chairman of PDP, Yaro Makama; former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Hassan Hyet and former federal lawmaker, Ruth Jumai Ango, all of whom are staunch loyalists of Makarfi.
Ashiru’s defection to APC to actualise his governorship dream, analysts noted, may have further brightened Yero’s chances at the 2015 PDP governorship primary.
The need to consolidate his hold on the political levers of the state ahead the 2015 elections, may have necessitated Yero to dissolve his cabinet shortly on assumption of office.
Expectedly, controversy trailed the dissolution of the cabinet and the appointment of new appointees into strategic government positions.
The Sambo/Yero camp also moved fast to take total control of the state House of Assembly, resulting in the impeachment of the Speaker, Hon. Usman Gangara and his deputy, Dr. Dogara Mato.
The impeachment generated a lot of controversies, as some political opponents pointed accusing fingers at the VP as the brain behind it. The matter is still in court.
The primary objective of these strategic moves, sources aver, was to obliterate the remaining structures of late Yakowa and thus smoothen the political environment for his Yero to assert his authority.
Yakowa’s political machinery, according to loyalists of Sambo and Yero, was not formidable enough, a situation that led to PDP’s loss in the vice president’s ward and local government in the 2011 general elections.
The new crop of leadership of the state legislature and the new commissioners, who are mostly former chairmen of local governments, are unquestionably loyal to the incumbent governor and are believed to be solidly on ground politically.
Will Makarfi regain his political control of Kaduna State or will Sambo finally prove that he has come of age politically in 2015? The 2015 general elections will surely provide the answer.
