Kaduna: Race for deputy gov’s position hots up

Arch. Nuhu Wya

James Bawa Magaji

…As more names crop up

The search for a suitable nominee for the position of a deputy governor for Kaduna State continued yesterday, as two associates of Vice President Namadi Sambo featured prominently on the list. The associates are former minister of Power, Architect Nuhu Wya and the current Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman in the state, Ambassador Nuhu Bajoga.

By yesterday also, lobbyists rooting for the wife of the late Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, Mrs Amina Yakowa, also intensified their lobby, insisting that making the woman the deputy was the best way to honour the late governor. The move was, however, met with a brickwall, as some sons and daughters of the area, who spoke with Daily Sun yesterday said they were prepared to kick against it, saying that making Yakowa’s widow a deputy governor, was like “insulting” the people of the zone. One of them, who was particularly furious over the move told Daily Sun that “how can a woman who was used to delegating Yero’s wife, now be forced to take orders from Yero.

This is sheer humiliation. Those behind it hate the people of Southern Kaduna, they don’t love us. “Look, anyone who came to Yakowa as governor must have passed through the wife. Now, some people want it the other way. This is most unfair. We must tell them the implications because I know if Yakowa were to come back today, he won’t be happy seeing the wife occupying the position, because that would be demeaning the wife of the former governor,” the Southern Kaduna activist said.

The analysis of the new names cropping up shows that: Architect Nuhu Wya, who is in his late 50’s, is a long standing associate of Vice President Namadi Sambo. He is a former minister of power. It was said that Architect Sambo did his internship in Wya’s firm several years ago, as a young architect. Apart from serving as a minister, Wya has no sound civil or public service background.

But he is what is regarded in the local parlance as an “old school.” To that extent, he fits into the criteria set for the would-be deputy governor, especially because he is not one capable of rocking the boat.

And considering the fact that he is not only close to the Vice President, but also a friend of his, the governor is likely to be cautious in his handling of the affairs of the state, if eventually Wya makes it. Ambassador Nuhu Bajoga, former ambassador to Poland, during Obasanjo’s tenure, is the current PDP chairman in the state. Yakowa had wanted Dauda Tsoho (who died with Yakowa) as the chairman. But Sambo played a fast one on him and Bajoga became chairman of the party.

In fact, his appointment as party chairman was ratified and made known to party stakeholders in the state, two days before the real state party’s congress. Unlike Wya, Bajoga has acceptability among the Muslims in the state. He is seen more as one of them, even though he is a Christian from Southern Kaduna. Besides, he has also lived all his life in Gombe.

But like Wya, Bajoga’s public service credentials are relatively unknown. Unlike Way, however, Bajoga has the capacity to rock the boat. One man, whose name has not featured prominently, but who has both the maturity and experience to function effectively as deputy governor to Yero, is James Bawa Magaji. Magaji, who was a deputy governor during the defunct NRC/SDP era. He is a cosmopolitan person and he is presently the leader of the Zagon-Kataf development forum. Zangon-Kataf is strategic to the politics of Southern Kaduna.

He was equally in charge of the primaries that produced all the PDP candidates in the southern part of the state. When once it was time to appoint interim council chairmen in the state, he was said to have advised the stakeholders from his zone to pick a Muslim, for the Kaduna South Council located within the metropolis. His argument was that with a Muslim, it would be easy for the PDP during election to get votes from Tudun Wada and other predominantly Muslim wards in the council.

Although, some of his kinsmen kicked against it, a lot saw reason in his analysis and argument. For a governor, who is inexperienced and not very exposed to the intrigues and politics of public service, a Magaji, as deputy governor would no doubt make for those short-comings. But will Vice President Namadi Sambo be willing to entrust state affairs in his hands? It seems only time will tell, as the search continues. .