Upcoming Borno LG Elections: Why Zulum’s Bossiness May Affect APC

By Usman Alkali

As Borno State prepares for local government elections come November 28 amidst fragile security and uncertainty, the nomination of candidates that can vie for the position of local government chairmen in the 27 councils is ripping the APC apart.

This is not unconnected with some unpopular decisions Governor Babagana Umara Zulum is taking which close observers see as utterly undemocratic, despotic and against the interest of the politicians that have worked so hard to ensure his emergence. While Governor Zulum is seen within and outside Borno as a governor that has set a target for himself to repositioned the troubled state and is trying in that regard, recent developments in the state to many shows that the energetic governor is gradually derailing and is lacking in the basic ingredients of diplomacy, a quality an elected governor or a Democrat requires to succeed and even to survive. The usual political culture across the world is largely that of patronage especially to those that are part of the system.

It was reported that Governor Zulum had few days to Eid el Kabir announced to a group of immediate past chairmen in the Government House that no one who has held the position of chairman in the past would be allowed to contest election no matter how popular he is. The group of past chairmen was led by Hon Bakari Ali Kotoko. They were at the Government House purposely to seek for the governor’s permission to run for the office of elected chairmen as most of them were only appointed as caretakers for only a period of six months term. In addition to that, the reason they put forward was that they were the ones that conducted the gubernatorial election that brought the governor to power, so the clearance for them to contest can serve as a sort of compensation for their efforts in the 2019 general election.

Clearly, Mr. Zulum’s decision to disqualify the politicians from contesting the upcoming Local Government elections had no constitutional backing as no provision of the constitution stops any eligible Nigerian as long as he or she met the criteria of contesting.

The governor outrightly rejected their plea and offered them 500,000 naira and 3 bags of rice each, to celebrate the Sallah. They left as disgruntled lots.

This action has since then become a subject of discussion among the politicians in Borno as to what might have informed the reason for the governor to take such decision that is alien to the electoral act and the Constitution of the country.

Pundits believe the move was undemocratic and a calculated attempt by the Governor Zulum’s camp to entrench a new order comprising of his own stooges largely academicians and not politicians. Others however see the move as part of the plot by Mr. Zulum to build his own political camp independent of that of his boss and predecessor, Sen. Kashim Shettima. Many of those that were denied the right to contest DESERT HERALD learnt are close associates and cronies of Sen. Shettima and former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff.

The residence of the party chairman, Hon Ali Umar Dalori, has become a rendezvous for aggrieved politicians to take their agitations to, as the governor has right from his inauguration banned politicians and any uninvited guest from patronizing the Government House. Mr. Dalori a.k.a Ari Tablet this paper gathered is also handicapped to address the grievances of the politicians since the Governor has been adamant on the issue. Political patronage in Borno as was the case during Sen. Ali Sheriff and Sen. Kashim Shettima has virtually been stopped under Zulum as local politicians continued to lament the extreme position of the governor towards a community that largely took politics as not only a profession but a means of livelihood. Certainly, when the turn of the politicians come precisely in the next three years that is if Zulum did not succeed in building a structure that will challenge the status quo, the dream of a second term if he has one will be very difficult for him.

Presently, DESERT HERALD can confirm that tension is mounting high in some local government areas where different camps are strategizing to field candidates of their choices.

On the other hand, Senator Kashim Shettima, who is now seen as the godfather of Borno politics following his tactical retirement of his former boss, former governor Ali sheriff, from active politics, is playing it cool with the rash decisions of his successor, even as he is avoiding direct interference into the affairs of the state. They share an uncommon bond with Governor Zulum as he knows quite well how power intoxicates. Pundits believe that Sen. Shettima is not happy with current development politically and otherwise in the state but as a good student of politics, someone that understands the enormous powers of a seating governor, he is taking it easy and being very careful.

Alh Umara, a politician of note, expressed dismay over the dictatorial tendencies of Governor Zulum, warning that the governor needs to be cautioned on some of the unilateral and sometimes irrational decisions he is taking over matters of utmost importance. He cited the suspension of some local government secretaries and officials as uncalled for and said some of the reasons for his actions were sinister.

“The altercation with the security agencies and some of the unguarded utterances he made are all a source of concern capable of squandering his goodwill,” Umara pointed out and added that “the governor’s blatant style of recruiting his cronies from the academia to fill vacant positions of government, much to the chagrin of politicians who had suffered and now neglected because they are not carried along, are Zulum’s albatross.”

Since the huge lost in their electoral fortunes in the 2019 elections, the biggest opposition party, PDP, had went dead silent in the state, coupled with the leadership tussle between Usman Mahdi Baderi of the old PDP and Alhaji Zanna Gaddama.

As the local government election approaches, it is not certain if the opposition parties would be able to put their house in order, so as to keep the ruling party on their toes.

By and large Governor Zulums actions within the polity is causing disaffection and possibly creating an avenue for an eventual faction. This is judging from the fact that some political heavyweights in the state, who are also members of the governing party, are weighting the scales, ready to take a stake at the slightest chance. The likes of Kashim Imam, Ali Sheriff, Baba Shehuri are important figures to note and they have substantial followers in the party who can shift loyalty to their original masters within the blink of an eye. What finally becomes of the whole situation remains to be seen.