For Kano State Governor, Musa Kwakwanso and his predecessor, Ibrahim Shekarau, the year 2015 presents another opportunity to test their might on the political battlefield.
It is no longer news that the two politicians have not been the best of friends, at least politically. Their rivalry dated back to the early 2000, during Kwakwanso’s first stint as governor from 1999 to2003, after he reportedly demoted Shekarau from the position of permanent secretary in the state civil service to a school principal over alleged insubordination.
Within a spate of three years, Shekarau, who many had thought was down and out, contested the 2003 governorship election against his former boss on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and to the surprise of everyone, had a relatively easy victory at the polls.
Many Kano indigenes had attributed his victory to two factors: fate and the ability to connect with the average man on the streets, who regard Shekarau as incorruptible and ‘one of our own’.
On his part, Kwakwanso, following his loss, simply moved on. An ally of the then president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, he was appointed to the powerful portfolio of the Minister of Defense, a position he held for about four years.
From 2003 to 2011, Shekarau held forte as governor, enjoying a near cult-like status in the state. It is also on record that he was the first Kano State governor to serve two consecutive terms in office.
However, his desire to handover to a trusted ally, Suleiman Fakai, failed to materialize, as Kwakwanso, who had retreated from the political scene, and whom many had also written off politically, staged a comeback to win the 2011 governorship election.
Fakai’s loss dealt a major blow to Shekarau’s rising political fortune. It was indeed two huge losses in a row, with the former governor, who had earlier been picked as the presidential candidate of the ANPP coming a distant fourth in the race.
Presently in Kano State, one recurring topic of discussion among political stakeholders is the likely entry of Kwakwanso into the presidential race. The governor, sources disclosed, has allegedly confided in a few close aides that he may give the presidency a shot in 2015, having come to the conclusion that there is nothing more for him to prove in the state politics.
Reports that Kwakwanso could join the race for the 2015 presidency, The Nation gathered, may have cleared the coast for top politicians in the state to begin early preparations on who takes over the Kano Government House.
This development, according to a member of the House of Representatives who prefers to remain anonymous, will renew the intense political rivalry between the governor, who is yet to anoint any aspirant, and his predecessor. Shekarau, who, it was learnt, is still firmly in control of the structures of ANPP in Kano State and may support the candidacy of Fakai once again in 2015.
Fakai, the Commissioner for Local Government in Shekarau’s cabinet, according to sources, has remained loyal to the former governor despite the latter being out of office.
For some ANPP members who are not disposed to Fakai flying the ANPP ticket, they are, however, rooting for Alhaji Kabiru Gaya, a serving two-term senator and former governor of the state between 1999 and 1993.
They cite his level-headedness and broad appeal as his strong points, adding that while he has remained loyal to the party, he remains arguably, the only man in ANPP with the clout and stature to give any candidate put forward by the ruling party a run for his money.
Other names being bandied around within the political circles as nursing governorship ambition include first term senator, Bashir Lado Garba, four-term member of the House of Representaives, Farouk Lawan, governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), in the 2011 elections, Lawal Ja’faru Isa and Ibrahim Abacha.
Garba, a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was elected into the Senate in 2011. The young man, who is in his mid-40’s, proved with his election that he has come of age in politics, as he defeated heavyweights to clinch the PDP ticket and in the general elections.
Though he has not declared intention to contest the governorship, there are unconfirmed speculations that quite a number of political and traditional elites are putting pressures on Garba to give the race a shot.
One major factor believed to be working in his favour is his closeness to the power bases in the state, in addition to his non-controversial image. And according to insiders, finance will surely not be an issue for the senator if he decides to throw his hat into the ring.
Quite wealthy in his own right, Garba, a big player in the oil and gas sector before his foray into politics, is also a nephew of the Abacha family, who sources allege, still controls huge financial wherewithal.
Until he got embroiled in the fuel subsidy probe bribe scandal, Lawan in the opinion of not a few PDP members in Kano State was a governor-in-waiting. Reports had it that the lawmaker was prevailed upon to step down for Kwakwanso in 2011, and had actually been assured of the governorship ticket in 2015.
But for his political associates, his alleged involvement in a bribe scandal may not negatively affect his governorship after all. “Has he been found guilty of the bribe scandal,” asked one of his loyalists. “Until that happens, Lawan remains the leading governorship aspirant in Kano PDP.”
Also likely to join the race is Kwakwanso’s deputy, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. An ardent loyalist of his boss, it remains unclear if the governor will throw his weight behind him when the chips are down.
Despite his unsuccessful attempt last year, Jafaru Isa, a retired Brigadier General, The Nation gathered, still has his eyes on the coveted seat. The former military administrator secured the CPC ticket in a bitter contest with Ibrahim Abacha, a situation which left the party badly fractured culminating in its dismal showing at the polls.
Perhaps except himself and his coterie of supporters, not many people are giving Isa any chance to spring a surprise. According to sources, apart from the fact that his party structures in the state remains weak and uncoordinated, the retired one-star army general lacks the financial war chest to prosecute a governorship campaign.
