Prince Michael Nku Abuo > NEW AGENDA FOR CROSS RIVER Governors Who Plan to Displace Senators In 2015 Last Updated on 05 March 2014 Hits: 255 inShare Share 0 To keep maintain political relevance beyond 2015 when their tenures would expire after two terms as Governors of their respective states, some governors have launched a fierce battle to catapult themselves to the Senate in next year’s elections. In many of the cases, the governors are already digging it out against senators already occupying the seats that they are interested in. The Nigerian Senate has several times been seen as a retiring spot for former political office holders, especially governors. The seventh session of the Senate has over nine of such former governors, including former Governor of Enugu, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani; former Governor of Plateau, Chief Joshua Dariye; former Governor of Kaduna, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi; former Governor of Kwara, Bukola Saraki; and former Zamfara State Governor, Sanni Yerima. Below is a list of current governors trying to upstage senators to get their seats: GOODSWILL AKPABIO versus ALLOYSIUS ETOK Akpabio, the governor of Akwa-Ibom State, has never hidden his interest in the topmost legislative chamber in the country. He has always boasted of being the one who single-handedly installed some of the senators from his state and that he could also send any senator from his state packing. For example, while addressing the minister of information during the Good Governance Tour, the governor said among his successes, that he made Senator Aloysius Etok, a senator representing Akwa Ibom North Senatorial District. “The people of Ikono and Ini (Local Government Areas) from 1960 have never produced a senator. I used my own hand to strike out the name of the person who has won before, and I said it is important for me to give that region a senator in 2007, and I produced Senator Aloysius Etok for you; that is where he comes from”, Akpabio said. Now, the same Akpabio is locked in a battle of wits with Etok over the seat. This followed the governors endorsement by stakeholders and political leaders of the zone. He has since capitalised on this acceptance by the leaders to sound warnings to Etok, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to relinquish the position, but Etok has vowed to slug it out with the governor since he is expected to seek another term in the Senate. SULLIVAN CHIME versus IKE EKWEREMADU Chimes battle for the soul of the senatorial seat currently occupied by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu began in 2011 when the governor disbanded the latters political structure and refused Ekweremadus candidates any seat in the local government election in the state. This followed a meeting that was held by political stakeholders in the state, where Governor Chime declared outright that lawmakers who have spent two or more terms in the National Assembly should be made to retire. Ekweremadu, like many other legislators from the state, falls into this category and so they were not happy. They walked out of the meeting. But since then, the battle has been fierce between the governor and Ekweremadu, who feels threatened because Chime has boasted to ensure that he replaces the deputy senate president in 2015. Loyalists of both men have engaged in serious media propaganda, the crisis almost blowing out of proportion recently when the PDP chapter in Chime’s own local government area suspended Secretary to the Enugu State Governor, Barr. Amaechi Okolo, two serving commissioners and other aides of the governor from the party with the governors kinsmen declaring their support for Ekweremadu explaining that the senator had been a success to the state. “The governor has said that after two terms, there will be changes, but the will of the people must prevail. He has expressed his opinion but the people have the final say. If the PDP is a party that listens to the people, we are saying that we want this man to continue in the Senate. We are looking at quality representation, after all, our brother is a governor for about eight years now, when we are not drinking water, when we have no road. Today, Umuabi now drinks water, Amokwe has road courtesy of Senator Ekweremadu. “The governor has the right to aspire for the Senate position, but we have the right to choose; let him present himself to us and tell us why he wants to run for Senate, we are the one that will determine who we will vote for”, the Umuneke Front said in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Ogbuefi Chibuzo Onyia. But the Enugu State Stakeholders Advisory Group (ESSAG) has also been calling on the governor to contest the Senatorial seat in 2015 so he could have another opportunity to serve the people. LIYEL IMOKE versus VICTOR NDOMA-EGBA If there is one senator that is currently having it rough ahead of 2015, that person is Victor Ndoma-Egba, the senate leader who has been in the Senate for three terms and is seriously planning to return for a fourth. His major challenge is Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, who is also eyeing the seat. The ambitions of the two politicians have also torn their loyalists and communities apart. Representing Cross River Central Senatorial District, Victor Ndoma-Egba recently got a controversial endorsement of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in the state, and this has torn the union apart for some time now. The governor, on the other hand, recently got the endorsement of a group, the Cross River State Political Network (CRISPON), which sent a letter to the effect to the governor. “As a unifying factor and experienced personality, the Central Senatorial District needs you now than ever. Your experience and person is in dire need for the advancement of our region and state at this very critical moment of our fledgling democracy. We need you; our people need you. “We are optimistic that having you in the Senate will revive and reinvigorate our senatorial district, the state, the People’s Democratic Party as the only party that can transform and indeed consolidate democracy and good governance in Cross River State and Nigeria. Sir, be assured of our absolute loyalty and support at all times. We have unanimously adopted you and we are calling on the entire state and the wonderful people of the central senatorial district that have offered us their son to serve the entire state so well to give him a chance in senate”, the group said. But Ndoma-Egba, a PDP member like the governor, has said his constituents would suffer if he loses the seat in 2015. He urged the people to judge him by the developments he has attracted to the state, stressing that he is not desperate for a fourth term ticket. “If I do not go back for the fourth term, I can still go back to my lucrative law practice. I am a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). But in this case, who suffers - Cross River State, my constituency. This is because it will take time for another legislator from this state to rise to the position of Senate Leader”. BABANGIDA ALIYU versus DAHIRU AWAISU KUTA Babangida Aliyu prides himself as Chief Servant of Niger State and Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, but his ambition for the Senate come 2015 has pitched him against the member currently occupying the seat, Dahiru Awaisu Kuta. He has not made any proclamation to the effect, but several groups in the district have been calling on him at every given opportunity to contest. If he is able to displace Kuta, he would represent the Niger East Senatorial seat, but Awaisu is not willing to relinquish the seat just yet. GABRIEL SUSWAM versus BARNABAS GEMADE The Benue East Senatorial seat is the now the target of Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswan as he plans to wrestle the seat from Senator Barnabas Gemade, a onetime PDP National chairman. It was learnt that to achieve his goal, the governor has been meeting with political heavyweights in the Benue North East zone. The two of them belong to the PDP. The governor is expected to make his ambition known in the next few months, as he has recruited foot soldiers to begin subtle campaigns for him. This is said to be giving the latter sleepless nights in recent time. Last year, Gemade slammed those calling on the governor to contest against him, saying: !I consider the call by someone urging the governor to contest election in my senatorial zone in 2015 as a conspiracy and mischief against the people”. EMMANUEL UDUAGHAN versus JAMES MANAGER If Delta State governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan goes ahead with his planned move to the Senate at the expiration of his term in 2015, Senator James Manager, currently occupying the seat as representative of the Delta South Senatorial seat, is in trouble. The governor has however refused to declare his intention, instead waiting for the lifting of the ban on political campaigns, but his close aides say he is seriously interested in the seat, and will thus give Manager a run for his money. He is said to have started recruiting those to help him achieve success in the election. JONAH JANG versus GYANG PWAJOK In the case of these two, there seems to be an unwritten agreement that they would swap positions at the right time, according to Huhuonline finding. Gyang Pwajok was Jangs Chief of Staff before the death of Senator Gyang Dantong in an attack by gunmen during a mass burial for those killed in Barakin Ladi and Riyom Local Government areas of the state. The governor then nominated Pwajok to replace him with the understanding that at the end of his tenure, he would head for the Senate while Pwajok would contest for the governorship seat of Plateau state. THEODORE ORJI versus NKECHI NWOGU In Abia State, while Governor Theodore Orji is interested in the Abia Central Senatorial seat, sitting Senator, Nkechi Nwogu is interested in the governorship election, but the latters challenge may be that as a woman, the PDP may not see her as sellable. Governor Orji, on the other hand, is claiming that his interest in the Senate came from the people who have been asking him to contest. He recently declared his interest at a civic reception organised in his honour by the people of Ikwuano, Umuahia North and Umuahia South LGAs. “For some time now, there has been so much pressure coming from different groups, communities, individuals and organisations that I should run for the Senate. Since this is coming from my people, I have no choice than to accept the demand”, he said. USMAN DAKINGARI versus ISA GALAUDU Those who know Governor Usman Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi state say he is already making moves to replace Senator Isa Galaudu, who represents Kebbi North in the Senate. Though the governor is yet to publicly declare his interest, Senator Galaudu is said not to be taking the threat to his political ambition with a pinch of salt, as he is said to be doubling his efforts towards 2015. ALIYU MAGATAKARDA WAMAKKO versus AHMED MACIDO The never-ending quarrel between Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, and Senator Ahmed Mohamed Macido is believed by some analysts to be because of the governors plans to take up the seat at the Senate after his tenure ends in 2015. The governor is yet to come out to declare, but it is known information that he is interested in the Senate seat. RABIU KWANKWASO versus BASHEER LADO Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Senator Basheer Garba Lado are not the best of friends any longer. Before Kwankwaso defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), he had concluded plans to replace Lado for Kano Central. This is why Lado refused to join the governor in his new party. MARTINS ELECHI versus PAULINUS IGWE Senator Paulinus Igwe may be having sleepless nights currently, following the threat to his seat from Governor Martins Elechi of Ebonyi State. They are both from the same zone and it was learnt that the governor has even communicated his intention to replace the Senator in 2015, but Igwe has also given a condition that Elechi must support him for the governorship seat. 1 hour ago
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 14:28:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015