POLITICS - Yero, El-Rufai in Kaduna battle royale

With the general elections around the corner in Kaduna, the battle over who controls the state, between Mukhtar Ramalan Yero and Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai, has taken a new dimension as both parties engage in what is termed the “Battle of the Decade” in the state.

Governor Muktar Yero

Though both candidates are from Zaria City which people say makes it more interesting, but their supporters are said to be very fanatical when it comes to their support for their candidates. Most politicians in the state see them as “Die Hard Supporters”

Nasir el-Rufai, popularly known amongst the masses as “Mai Ruso”, meaning the “Demolisher”, an alias he got due to the role he played in Abuja as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration where he became feared by almost all the politicians in the FCT due to his propensity for demolitions as a result of his insistence on the total adherence and actualization of the Abuja Master plan. He came into limelight during his appointment as the Director General of Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) and became more popular when he was appointed as Minister for Federal Capital Territory.

For Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, his political career started when he became the Commissioner for Finance in the Namadi Sambo Government, where he was later selected as the Deputy Governor to Patrick Yakowa. And as enshrined in the Constitution, following the death of Yakowa, he assumed mantle of leadership as the Governor of the state.

The emergence of Yero came as a surprise to many who had seen themselves as political juggernauts and felt they should determine who gets what in the state. So, little attention was paid to him when he was a deputy governor. But as fate would have it, Yero emerged as governor after the death of Sir Ibrahim Yakowa. As governor he has embarked on the execution of projects which are masses oriented to endear himself to the people of the state.

Though, the incumbency factor is said to be an added advantage for Yero in the state, coupled with the overwhelming support he enjoys from the Southern part of the state, his opponent from the APC is leaving no stone unturned as he has pasted his picture together with that of General Muhamadu Buhari in all the nooks and crannies of the state hoping to take advantage of the APC Presidential Candidate’s popularity to clinch the seat.

Political analysts in the state have opined that the struggle for the soul of Sir Kashim Ibrahim House would not be easy as both contenders are making frantic efforts to ensure that they do not lose out.

It is a general knowledge that most states in the country are facing financial crises, no thanks to the drop in oil price, which has affected the economy of most oil producing countries, Nigeria inclusive. But the governor of the state has not allowed this to deter him from his goal of making the state better as salaries of workers are paid when due, unlike in other states where salaries are owed for months. For el-Rufai, the struggle might not be easy as before now some politicians in the state had seen him as a snub who did not have any business with Kaduna and its people but had channeled his energy into working on the assignment given to him by his then boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in Abuja, thereby relegating his relationship with his people to the background. However, they acknowledge the fact that he turned the city of Abuja around.

Though the former Minister had tried to explain himself in different fora that he had always put in his all in whatever job or assignment that he was given, politicians in the state opined that, such an assignment should not prevent him from having time to interact with his people.

A political analyst, Mallam Samaila Kajuru, who has watched the political trends in the state says: “It would not be an easy ride for Nasir El Rufai as his people are not too happy with him for not drawing them close when he was Minister for FCT.  Though some have argued that he is an achiever who if given the chance, would prove himself worth, but in politics you need people since “politics is a game of numbers.”

While for Ramalan Yero, on assumption as the governor of the state in 2012, the people saw in him, the type of leader they truly wanted but as we all know, politics has its varying challenges.

There have been allegations of non-performance levied against the governor but all of these allegations still remain unfounded. As a loyal party man who has utmost respect for constituted authority, law and order, Yero is reported to have built a great level of trust with the people as he mingles with them whether young or old, rich or poor.

For Mallam el-Rufai, he is more of an elitist and not the everyday politician who mixes freely. Hence the grass root politicians find it difficult to go to him as they see him as being aloof. Though some have argued that it is his nature and that does not mean that he does not have his own support base.

Reputed to enjoy tremendous support and goodwill from the people of Zone I and Zone III, Samaila Kajuru further describes Yero as a straight forward and humble person. His major support according to stakeholders will come from Zone III which has always provided block votes to the PDP in all elections since 1999.

On how the elections will turn out, the contest is just between Yero and el-Rufai and in this scenario, not only will the power of incumbency be brought to bear, the achievements of the Peoples Democratic Party will be an added advantage in providing the right leverage as it will strive to ensure that it retains control of Kaduna state.

But fears are rife that with the alleged strategy of intimidation and scare being brought to play by the All Progressives Congress (APC), coupled with the popularity of General Buhari in some areas, would make APC give the ruling party a fight for their money but many supporters of the PDP have expressed confidence that PDP has worked and earned the support and confidence of the people hence victory is theirs.

Initially, fears of possible attacks have compelled many to take the decision not to go out on that day to cast their votes for the candidates of their choice despite assurances of adequate security by government to all categories of persons including INEC officials who have also become targets of violence. However, the earlier postponement of the elections seems to have calmed their nerves and also brought down the tempo.

Political analysts and stakeholders have come to an agreement that the April 11th governorship elections will be the determinant in their political careers as neither of these two major contestants have ever contested or vied for any elective position on the political turf, so, the 2015 governorship elections will be a do-or-die affair to both el-Rufai and Yero but to el-Rufai, he will want to prove his mettle, politically.

And also for APC, it is like a “Battle of the Titans” as even Governor Chibuike Amaechi had during their North West rally stated that if they win Kaduna then they will be sure of winning other northern states.

Though Yero is not desperate for position as he has, without equivocation, told the people that “Power comes from God and He chooses whom to so give”, recalling his ascension to the position of Deputy Governor and then, Governor of the state.

However, since his assumption into office he has always striven to ensure that genuine and sustainable democratic dividends are provided to the people. Two years in the saddle has seen the state record tremendous growth and successes with a steady rise in virtually all the sectors of the state with special reference to agriculture, education and health sectors.

Yero’s Director General, Media and Publicity, Mallam Ahmed Maiyaki, had said; “this administration under the Executive Governor, Dr. Mukhtar Ramalan Yero is sincerely committed to maintaining a well-motivated work force with pensioners getting their emoluments at the appropriate time which includes the payment of over #6b backlog in gratuity and death benefits with some of the beneficiaries dating back to 2005.

Not only that, the administration of Ramalan Yero is indeed, genuinely committed to providing for the teeming youths in the state, support in their educational pursuits through provision of scholarships, both locally and foreign, recruitment and retraining of teachers for primary and secondary schools including payment of emoluments and salaries promptly, stated Maiyaki.

But to Nasir el-Rufai, he is not lying low one bit as his foot soldiers have touched all the nooks and cranny of the state which forms his determination to restore Kaduna state to “its lost glory”. One major drawback which to many they see as his albatross was his decision to demolish structures that allegedly went contrary to the Master plan of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja enforcing his programmes to the fullest which earned him the sobriquet; “Demolisher”.

This has continued to put fears in the minds of the people who are afraid that if voted into power, their houses would be history but el-Rufai through his spokesperson, Samuel Aruwa, who represented his boss at a recent media briefing had assured the people that he would not demolish their houses.

With the two contenders from Zaria and Muslims, the age long rivalry between the Southern Kaduna people who are predominantly Christians and the Northern parts who are also, predominantly Muslims will not come to fore as both sides will court the support of the Southern Kaduna people for their votes which has been the exclusive preserve of the PDP, thereby making the Zone 111 the sort-after bride.