THE 2011 National Assembly elections may have come, but they have not completely gone. Some of the said polls are yet to be conducted in some states, but the lesson to learn from the polls, particularly in Kano State, are legion and legendary.During the build-up to the 2011 general election across wards, states and regions of the country, many people, both career politicians and entrants into the murky waters of Nigeria political terrain, presented themselves to be elected to represent the people at the both chambers of the nations highest legislative housesthe Senate and House of Representatives.In Kano State, one of the politicians whom people wanted to give their mandate to was former governor of the state, Architect Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, who wanted a return to the seat of government of the state that he vacated in 1993, via the coup of late General Sani Abacha, which swept the Third Republic civil administration out of office. Senator Gayas ambition to govern the state again was borne out of the conviction that the state needed the consolidated and accelerated development that he had planned some 20 years earlier.Though he governed the state only briefly, the achievements of his administration remained unsurpassed, even today. This made supporters of the senator and other people who loved and wanted development in leaps and bounds to pressurise the architect to return to re-designing and reconstructing the state.However, as there were moves for the creation of more states out of the present Kano State, kingmakers again prevailed on the senator to remain in the red chamber to facilitate that ambition.As a true and humble representative of the people, Senator Gaya yielded to the wish of Kano people and dropped the ambition of contesting for the governorship of Kano State for the senatorial polls. Addressing journalists on the development, Gaya said, I am shelving the ambition because of the appeals from well-meaning elders and politicians from the North and Kano State in particular.He further explained, Politics is about consultations and negotiations and not a do-or-die affair. Whenever one seeks elective position, it is to represent the people and as such, it was wise that I listened to the call of elders and representatives of stakeholders.As the senator sacrificed his ambition to the wish of his people, his party, the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), rewarded him with an automatic ticket to fly the flag of the party in the Kano South Senatorial District election in the state.The lesson to learn from the ANPP largess to the senator is important. First, if a person is given an automatic ticket, he or she needs not to go through the rigours of party primary, but Gayas automatic ticket from the party was of a different kind. He had to go through the hurdles of party primary to emerge as the ANPP standard-bearer for Kano South Senatorial District. And by this, the ANPP failed as a party to reward a loyal party member with an automatic ticket.Taking stock of Gayas contributions to the party is enormous. For instance, since the senator joined the party after it was formed, he has been loyal and has stayed in the party, no matter how the pendulum swings either in his favour or against.Gaya has never joined the train of those who defected from the party for one reason or the other. It was Senator Gaya that spent time and resources in an attempt to settle the many wranglings that bedeviled the party in the past. Gaya was among the party faithful that went round the country to appeal to aggrieved party members that defected to other parties to return to the ANPP.When the party started preparation to reshape the party to confront the challenges of contesting the 2011 elections, it was Gaya that championed the committee for the purpose.Eventually through the wish of the Almighty God and prayers of supporters and true believer in democracy, Gaya emerged as the senatorial standard-bearer of the ANPP for Kano South.The emergence of the senator and eventual victory at the poll, combined with his political sagacity presently attract attention from other parties. Investigation indicates that top echelon of a leading political party met recently in Kaduna to discuss how to woo the senator to their fold. A dependable source from the meeting said that Gayas political antecedent occupied the front burner in the meeting. It was gathered that a respected Second Republic politician, who was a permanent representative to a world body, is being contacted to facilitate the move.Another school of thought said that the ANPP miscalculated for discouraging Gaya to stand in the gubernatorial election in the state. The party stalwarts that reviewed the situation explained that if Gaya were the one that will be running for the number one seat in the state, today the ANPP would have been sure of retaining the state.According to the source, the constituency projects executed by the senator are scattered across the length and breath of the state and not just Kano South Senatorial District where he represented, not to mention the quality representation in the Senate where he sponsored and co-sponsored bills.Senator Gaya, the source further added, gave Kano State an open door administration when he was the governor of the state. The achievements of this short tenure made Kano people to follow him to anywhere or any party that he chooses.Also, authoritative source revealed in Kano that the success of Gaya at the poll surprise many, going by the plan and strategy put in place to stop the senator at the just concluded National Assembly election in Kano. The source further revealed that an oil magnate budgeted over 700 million naira to ensure that Gaya loses the election.One thing that surprises political watchers in Kano was that the oil mogul was a major benefactor from Gaya as senator. That is not alone, as the man also hails from the same Kano South Senatorial District with the senator.As the clock ticks to the commencement of the National Assembly election in Kano, many machinations were employed to stop the senator from victory. Many people offered money, turning the Kano South Senatorial District seat into a business venture.Despite all these, Gayas goodwill and quality representation prevailed and he clinched victory, defeating his closest rival, Aliyu Bebeji, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).Senator Gaya polled 326, 173 for his party, the ANPP, beating the PDP who scored 301,186, defeating him with a difference of 24,987 votes. This surely attested to Gayas goodwill, which mustered the victory recorded in the election. The above scenario made other party to have a rethink that with Senator Gaya in their fold, the sky could be only a stepping stone.It is believed that the future of the ANPP is in the hands of Senator Gaya, not just in Kano State but in the nation in general.It is also on record that where ANPP recorded victory in other areas, large sum of money was used.Zamfara State for instance is glaring example. But Senator Gaya won his re-election without spending money to buy votes. As a senator, Gaya built one block of three classrooms in all the 44 local government areas of the state. He sank scores of boreholes in all the senatorial zones in the state until he was nicknamed (Baba Mai Solar) because of the solar boreholes he provided the people.Record showed that voters from other zones in the state came to polling stations, asking for Gayas logo for them to vote for him. Many voters in other zones went home disappointed that the senator was not from their zone. They also had the desire to vote for him.Many political watchers of the state stated that with the way the people were asking to vote for Gaya, if he is the gubernatorial candidate for the ANPP in Kano, the party wouldnt have lost two senatorial and 15 House of Representatives seats to the PDP.As parties are angling to have the senator in their folds and as plans thicken to woo the senator, it is only wise for the Dr Ogbonnaya Onu-led ANPP to make frantic effort to ensure that the senator does not to yield to pressure and enticements from other parties. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine.Gwarzo writes in from the Department of Mass Communication, University of Jos.
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