Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor, reports that the resumed rivalries between Governor Kashim Shettima and his erstwhile godfather, Senator Modu Sherrif, has raised the political temperature of Borno State ahead this year’s elections
THE bullets are still raining and the bombs are still exploding in many parts of the state. Killings, abductions and other forms of violence are yet to abate in many local government areas, including Maiduguri, the state capital. Soldiers are daily combing the nooks and crannies of the metropolis for fleeing militants or wounded ones. Obviously, peace is yet to return to the state that ironically enjoy the sobriquet “Home of Peace”.
But in spite of the confusion that currently reigns supreme in Bornu State, its people are eager to participate in the rescheduled 2015 general election. In fact, the approaching elections, according to some observers of the politics of the troubled state, may have added to the frenzy being witnessed in the towns and villages of Borno.
“The people of Bornu are undeterred by the activities of Boko Haram militants in their determination to exercise their rights at the polls. Rather, they are strengthened by recent happenings to want to vote for their preferred candidates and parties. The political scenario in Bornu today is such that the people have become the final arbiter and it is only with their votes they can do this.
With Governor Kashim Shettima and his erstwhile godfather, Senator Modu Sherrif, again at loggerheads, it has become very important for the people to decide who their leader is. Everybody in Bornu is interested in voting and this is because the two political warring sides have more than ever before, taken their cases to the people,” Hassan Gubio, former Vice Chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the state, said.
Following the renewal of hostilities by the governor and his predecessor, Sheriff after the later decamped to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) late last year, the political class in the state have been strongly divided along the lines of those angling desperately to get Shettima out of Government House and those working hard to get him a second term of four years in office in the 2015 general elections.
Consequently, especially given the fact that both Shettima and Sherrif are old political warhorses in the state, Borno has become a theatre of several acts of political violence and intolerance, with both camps accusing the other of perpetrating the devious acts.
Before the duo met in the All Progressives Congress upon its formation last year, Shettima and Sheriff have been at loggerheads over the political control of the state. Although it was Sheriff who handpicked the governor to succeed him at the expiration of his second term in 2011, allegations and counter allegations of disloyalty and undue interference soon tore them apart.
“While the people will tell you that the two fell apart because Sheriff wanted to dictate for the governor on matters of governance, the Senator’s supporters will accuse Shetimma of being disloyal to the man who made him governor.
Whatever the two sides may say, it is obvious that power tussle and ego are responsible for the crises between the two political heavyweights. Sheriff’s records are hard to break in Borno but the governor too is no push-over. Claims that it will be easy for Sheriff to push Shettima out of Government House the way he shoved Kachallah out in 2003 may not be true because the times have changed and Shettima is adjudged to have performed well as governor in his first term.
“Shettima, has been building infrastructure, improving human capacity and rekindling people’s hope in spite of the bombs and bullets. To this end, the governor is still the man of the people in spite of Sheriff’s popularity. While getting him re-elected is now more difficult with Sheriff on the other side, it is wrong to say it would be easy to defeat him either,” Gubio said.
As the election approaches, cases of clashes between the two camps are on the rise to further heighten the sense of insecurity in the besieged state. Recently, the two camps bickered over an attack on the convoy of the state governor while on a working visit in Maiduguri, the state capital.
According to the state APC Chairman, Ali Bukar Dalori, the thugs allegedly attacked the convoy of Governor Shettima, smashing about 10 vehicles in the process. According to the APC boss, the attack “seemed carefully planned with the apparent endorsement of Sheriff”.
“The thugs came out from a campaign office belonging to Sheriff called UTC and soon after the governor’s official vehicle had passed, the thugs went after the vehicles in the convoy, smashing windscreens.
“After he was informed, Shettima ordered his security details to restrain their men from using fire arms or any form of assault in order not to heighten tension in the state and compromise counter-insurgency operations.
“From all indication, these youths were sent by SAS. We know some of them, they are his boys. He created thuggery in Borno State when he was a governor. This administration is creating jobs and building human capacity to discourage thuggery, but SAS wants to take us to the era of thuggery,” Dalori said.
But the ex-governor in his response to the allegation, said it was unfortunate that the APC-led government linked him to the attack. His spokesman, Mr. Inuwa Bwala, said neither he nor Mr. Sheriff was in Maiduguri when the alleged attack took place and enjoined security agencies to brace up to their responsibilities, stressing that “whatever happened to Shettima is a balance of terror”.
According to Bwala, “What is happening in Borno State is a reaction to balance of terror. I urge the security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities to ensure that the governor and his people are called to order”.
He, however, gave an insight into the probable cause for the attack on Gov. Shettima’s convoy. “We believe those who attacked Governor Shettima were the APC thugs that were denied payment of their contract agreement to destroy and burn down PDP offices in the state during General Mohammed Buhari’s last visit.
Reconciled
Although the governor and his predecessor continued their political warfare for a while when they met in the APC as they battled over who takes charge of the party in the state, many people thought the end may have come to the bickering between them after Sheriff was received by a crowd of supporters in Maiduguri last year.
It was learnt that the two men had met in Lagos where top APC leaders and governors intervened in the dispute until it was resolved. Sheriff flew into Maiduguri in his private jet and was received by a crowd of supporters including National Assembly members, state lawmakers, serving commissioners and former political appointees who served during his eight years rule as the Borno State governor.
An apparently elated Borno deputy governor, Zannah Mustapha, later told journalists that “There was never any disagreement between the former governor and my boss, His Excellency Governor Kashim Shettima. It was all the creation of mischievous politicians who sold it to the media where it was scandalised.”
He, however, praised God for the reconciliation over a fight that never was. “To God be the glory, all is now over about the so-called fight between my boss, Governor Shettima, and former governor Ali Sheriff. Both His Excellency Kashim Shettima and our former governor, Sheriff, had met and reconciled whatever differences they may have had; and have also agreed to work together more than ever before to advance the cause of APC,” Mr. Mustapha said.
The two politicians led the APC in the party for a while until the national convention of the party allegedly pitched them against one another. While Shettima joined majority of the party’s leaders to support the emergence of John Odigie Oyegun as national chairman, Sheriff and some others wanted someone else.
The election held and Oyegun won. Sheriff and his cohorts cried foul and vowed to leave the party on account of Oyegun’s victory. While this was happening, the political permutations in Bornu were fast changing with political crises rearing their heads here and there amongst supporters of the two leaders.
Trouble again
But on July 14, 2014, Senator Sheriff was in Maiduguri to signal the return of hostilities when he publicly said he was dumping his party, APC and moving to the PDP. As reasons for his action, he mentioned bad leadership, misappropriation of public funds, selfish interest and above all, segregation that allegedly characterised the government of Governor Shettima. The Senator and his team were received by a mammoth crowd, including members of the PDP and APC supporters as well as some of his loyalists.
He was in town in company of some House of Representative members, including Honourables Abdurrahaman Terab, Isa Lawan Kangar and Peter Biye Gumtha, representing Bama/Ngala- Kalabalge, Guzamala/Kukawa and Damboa/ Gwoza/Chibok federal constituencies respectively.
“Borno is my place; I came to consult with my people over my plan to defect from the APC, a political party that has no foundation. After the Ramadan I am going to formally decamp into the PDP fold, we are going to tour all the 27 local councils of the state, it is from there that I will use the opportunity to apologise to the people over the predicament they are facing under this government.
“Shettima was a commissioner during my tenure, I was the one that held his hand and sought the mandate of Borno people to elect him as governor with the hope that he will carry everybody along. Unfortunately, I made a wrong choice, as majority of the people and the electorate have been pushed to the dust bin, with only few, including Shettima’s associates, friends and family, eating fat on this government.
This is not democracy and insha Allah, this dictatorial government is parking out after 2015 general elections, so as to pave way for a collective government,” Sheriff said.
Signaling its readiness for the battle ahead, the APC leadership in the state, in a swift reaction, said it will not miss Sheriff and his co-travellers. According to the party, their exit is good riddance to bad rubbish at most.
“No political party will hand over the entire aspirations of its loyal members to a new comer unless the party is looking for massive anti party activities. We will prefer to have a united APC in Borno but to be honest with you the APC in Borno State is not under any threat at all, we have the masses, we are very, very strong and are only waiting for inauguration of our candidates in May and June, 2015 that is for the governorship, deputy and for the National and State Assembly seats,” the party said to bid Sheriff farewell.
But with his exit returned the stiff political rivalry between him and the governor. And although analysts say it may not be easy for the ex-governor to have his way this time, observers of the politics of the state are of the opinion that the forthcoming political contests between the two camps promises to be really tense
