Borno Deputy Governorship: Shettima Undecided As Scramble Intensifies

By Blogger 

(Leadership Newspaper - Aug 23, 2015) 

Governor Shettima

The death of Borno State deputy governor has opened a floodgate of lobbying among politicians in the state. Kareem Haruna writes

Despite the spirited lobbying for the vacant office of the Borno State deputy governor, observers in the state are not ruling out the possibility that Governor Kashim Shettima may just have allowed the kites to fly, while he plots to shock everyone with a choice of a dark-horse. Governor Shettima had last week revealed that he was yet to decide on who becomes the next deputy.

“Zannah was a committed and very loyal deputy, and it will be extremely difficult for me to replace him. Even as I talk now, I am yet to decide who is the next man”, Shettima said.

Although the people of Borno State are not done with grieving over the shocking death of their deputy governor, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha, who died last Saturday, the quest to replace him has assumed a scramble among politicians in the state.

The late Mustapha left Maiduguri, the Borno State capital hail and hearty on August 14, 2015 to attend a convocation ceremony at the Modibo Adama University of Technology (MAUTEC), Yola, Adamawa State, only to be brought back in a casket the following day.

Mustapha’s death came as a rude shock to many people within and outside the state, as the people could hardly believe that such a politician in his prime could just have died summarily.

Upon the receiving the shocking news Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, broke down and wept uncontrollably for a man he mostly referred to as “Mazan-Fama” (meaning man-of-valour) in reference to Mustapha’s dogged commitment to duty.

Ocean of tears may have been shed by the immediate members of the late deputy governor’s family, his friends and political associates; but as it is often said “the end is always the beginning in politics.” While some were busy preparing the late deputy governor for his final journey, some others, immediately began scheming over his replacement.

So far, names of about five persons have been touted for a possible replacement for the late deputy governor.

In Borno State, choosing the number two man has over time been made so easy because it comes as a rule of the thumb that any person coming out to become the deputy governor in the state must meet two unwritten conditions – be a Muslim and from Southern Senatorial District of the state. It is instructive to know that Southern Borno has a good number of Muslims that is almost equal to the Christian population. But this is so far a conjecture.

It is in line with the above criteria, that those either canvassing for, or being named as candidates for the deputy governorship, have come out to indicate their interests.

One of the contenders is Ibrahim Audu Miringa, a former member, Borno State’s House of Assembly and who, until recently, has was the chairman Borno State House of Assembly Service Commission.

According some opinions within the ruling APC, though Miringa, who is in his mid 50s, is older than Governor Shettima, who is 48, he has some qualities that match with that of the deceased deputy governor.

When he was in the state’s house of assembly he was one of the most outspoken lawmakers. It could be recalled that during his time, though he shared the same party (defunct ANPP) with the then Governor Ali Modu Sheriff, Miringa, from Biu local government, was a kind of one-man opposition in the all-ANPP assembly.

What may stand on his path to the office of the deputy governor of the state, is the belief that Shettima may not tolerate Miringa’s frankness.

Another name being bandied around as a likely replacement is Alhaji Usman Mamman Durkwa, one of the Southern Borno-born politician from Hawul local government area of the state, who has the uncommon record of being a permanent feature in the state’s cabinet since 2003.

Barr Yakubu Bukar Borno Head of Service

If Shettima is looking for one politician, whose life’s ambition is to, some day become deputy governor, then Durkwa is the man for the job. Those who know him well say Durkwa has always aspired to be deputy governor since 2003, but the prevailing political calculus has hardly been kind to him.

His supporters still hold a nostalgic reference to 2011 as the best time he could have become the deputy governor when he aspired to feature as the running mate to whoever the then ruling ANPP would field as the governorship candidate. But Providence still did not favour him as the then governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, hatched a subtle merger with a breakaway chunk of the opposition PDP members under the leadership of Kashim Ibrahim Imam, that worked out a power sharing formula which allocated the deputy governorship slot to the latter group. Durkwa has to watch helplessly as the close opportunity slipped away.

As a commissioner in the state in the last four years, Durkwa’s supporters pushed hard for the the late Mustapha’s replacement, as they referred to him as the next deputy governor as the state matched towards the 2015 elections.

Large posters of Durkwa as the deputy governor were pasted all over the state with inscriptions like “2015 Insha Allah.” That development on number of times pitched the late Deputy governor’s supporters against the supporters of Durkwa.

It was never heard that a deputy governor’s position was singled out for a contest, prompting Governor Shettima to call the two side to order.

With the demise Mustapha, with whom Durkwa had contested the same vacant seat, it is unclear if Shettima would now reward Durkwa’s untiring quest to be the number two citizen.

Rumours are making the rounds, that the former deputy governor to ex-governor Ali Modu Sheriff, for eight years, Adamu Yuguda Dibal is also being fingered as likely contender. Dibal had in 2011 vied to become the governor of Borno State, but was not lucky at the primaries. He also in 2015 aspired to go for the position of the House of Reps which also did not turn our well at the primaries. Governor Shettima had two years ago appointed him as honorary adviser on political affairs, a position he continues to hold. During Mustapha’s burial last week, Dibal was featured prominently as he patricipated in all the burial rites as well as reception of sympathisers in the official residence of the deputy governor.

It is not clear, if Shettima will break record of making Dibal take an oath of office for the third time as deputy governor of the state.

Another influential name being mentioned within and outside Borno State Government House is Barrister Yakubu Bukar, the current head of Service (HoS) in the state. He has been a solicitor of the Borno State government and permanent secretary Ministry of Justice before Shettima made him HoS. Even though Shettima brought him to governance, it is not hidden that Bukar was a close ally of the departed deputy governor.

Some politicians within the APC are of the opinion that Bukar will be a perfect choice for Shettima. Their argument is that the appointment of the next deputy governor may bring serious tension and even acrimony in the southern part of the state especially amongst the party members.

“It is safer and better for Governor Shettima to adopt Barrister Bukar, who is not a core politician and who would come in as a neutral candidate that would be able to carry everyone along at the end of the day,” said a top politician, that is very close to the Borno State governor.

The source further argued that “since Shettima is not going for another election, he needs not a very powerful and politically rooted deputy to work with, and especially for the fact that he was close to the former deputy governor and would be able to even carry along some of his aides”.

Though Shettima is being said to have started considering the HoS, it can not be confirmed if he would at the end of the day accept to work with a core civil servant who has little or no experience in being a politician.

Yuguda Diba, former Borno Deputy Governor 

Another name being mentioned from Biu local government is Alhaji Abdu Usman, a retired permanent secretary, whose last office was the Ministry of Finance.He is also a permanent commissioner at the Borno State Independent Electoral Commission (BOSIEC). Though he is not a core politician, Usman, is largely known to be a man of the people, who is well respected and loved by his people from Biu local government. Those who know him well enough attest that he always hosts a feast in his house every Friday after the Jummat prayers. While working as civil servant, he has the credit of bringing up most of Biu indigenes especially by providing free accommodation and feeding to all of them while they were studying in Maiduguri. If Shettima wants a man that would be respected and loved from Biu Emirate, then Usman it is.

Another major factor which may somehow be crucial in the selection of who becomes the next deputy governor is the Kashim Imam factor. The late deputy governor came into office in 2011 as result of the marriage of convenience the former governor of Borno state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff had with a breakaway faction of the PDP led by Kashim Ibrahim Imam. 

Before that merger, the late deputy governor was a running mate to Imam. A deal was struck and the Imam group became stakeholders in the then ruling ANPP. 

So with the demise of the deputy, and since the 2011 accord still runs even in the blood of the new APC, it might be out of place if Kashim Imam asks to be given the chance to nominate a candidate from his own fleet of supporters still in the party.

Senator Muhammed Ali Ndume who is a major stake holder in Southern Borno Senatorial District which he represents at the National Assembly, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that he has no any anointed man or woman for the office of the deputy governor. Though he posited that life must go on even with the painful demise of Mustapha. “If Kashim is to make a selection of who becomes his new deputy I believe it will be extremely difficult to have done that with a fiat. I believe he will make a wider consultation especially with the stakeholders of the Southern Borno, of which I am one as he chooses who would be his deputy,” Nduma said.