By Mayowa Oluwabiyi
Following the death of a member of Bakura Constituency, Tukur Jekada Birnin Tudu, the seat of the constituency at the Zamfara state House of Assembly became vacant. The former lawmaker represented the constituency.
Consequently, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fixed October 31 for the by-election to fill the vacant position, in line with the electoral law.
Recall, Jekada, was a beneficiary of the Supreme court ruling occasioned by the internal political feud in the Zamfara state All Progressives Congress (APC) prior to the 2019 general election.
Historically, since the creation of the state in October, 1996 by the administration of the late Head of state, General Sani Abacha, Zamfara, the state that pride itself as state of farming, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had never won election through the ballot. The present administration came to power through judicial pronouncement.
It is against this background that pundits have posited that the 31 October By-election would not be handle with levity by the APC.
Already, a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Bello Dankande Gamji, on September 3 emerged APC’s candidate for the by-election in a very transparent process, supervised by the high powered delegation from the National Headquarters of the APC in Abuja.
Indeed, Dankande Gamji was affirmed through consensus. However, two aspirants cleared by the national headquarters of the APC, Sa’idu Danbala Yarkufoji and Lawal Isah Birnin Tudu, voluntarily stepped down for Dankande Gamji and pledged their total support for the former commissioner.
Determined to ensure the party’s success in the forthcoming by-election, the exercise was supervised by the 6-man National Headquarters credential committee under the leadership of Alhaji Umar Kareto Lawan.
“We withdrew from the race considering the deepening crisis rocking the party at the state level which we believed that the ruling PDP may take the opportunity of the crisis to run away with victory,” the two aspirants said.
Leader of the delegation from Abuja, Alhaji Lawan, explained that his committee made various consultations before the process, saying though there was tension, but the process was concluded without any hitch.
Lawan further stated that the three contestants should abide by their agreement, stressing that they were given the chance to have closed doors meeting among themselves to enable them speak with one voice, which led to Dankande Gamji’s candidacy.
“Everything must be done constitutionally to protect the integrity and reputation of the APC so that the party would give the ruling PDP a tough fight during the by-election and regain its mandate” Lawan said.
However, the committee leader revealed that four aspirants initially bought expression forms, adding that the candidate of Senator Kabiru Marafa was disqualified because the faction flouted the directives from the national headquarters of the party.
He urged supporters of the party to rally round Dankande Gamji so as to keep the APC flag flying.
Specifically, the state APC Chairman, Alhaji Lawal Liman, has unveiled how he initiated dialogue among the three aspirants to produce one consensus candidate for the election.
“We thank God that two candidates, Alhaji Sa’idu Danbala and Lawal Birnin Tudu, stepped down for Bello Dankande as sole candidate of the party.
“Therefore, Dankande emerged as consensus candidate in line with the constitutional provision of the party.
“Dankande was later ratified by large number of APC delegates from 11 wards that made up Bakura constituency.
“We have real hope of victory in this election as there was no dissenting voice from APC members.
“This indicates that the APC is highly fixed and formed at the grassroots in Zamfara” Liman added.
Meanwhile, Dankande Gamji assured: “All my political career, I have been working closely with the grassroots and I know how well to relate with the locals, because I am very conversant with the grassroots and I know very much about Bakura politics”.
Bello Dankande Gamji was chairman of Bakura Local Government council thrice and the immediate past commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the administration of former Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari.
MAYOWA OLUWABIYI, Media Aide to former governor of Zamfara state, Abdulaziz Yari, wrote from Abuja.
