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Why is Nyako
always in trouble?
THE political journey
of the Adamawa State Governor, Admiral Murtala Hamman Yaro Nyako is,
at several stages, turning out to be an albatross. Right from his
nomination to contest for the governorship on the platform of
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to his first controversial victory
which was quashed by an election tribunal and even up till now that
he remains the winner of the re-run election which took place about
two months ago, the man has only been swimming in and out of
problems.
Nyako, just like General Muhammadu Buhari, took most people by
surprise when he jumped into politics. As an elderly person who
enjoyed a long and unblemished military career, he belongs to the
class of those respected Nigerians who are always expected to keep
their peace and, at most, play advisory roles in the governance of
the country.
Moreover, having prestigiously served as a military governor in the
early 70s, he should ordinarily not be going after the same position
three decades later. Also as a successful farmer who was even once
the national president of Practising Farmers Association of Nigeria,
Nyako was not so idle or bankrupt that he needs to be in active
politics to keep himself going or relevant.
When, therefore, either on his own or on the advice of others, he
joined the game and even picked the gubernatorial ticket of the PDP,
many people including some of his admirers considered the act as a
sort of misnomer. They almost totally forgot that, afterall, the man
has the constitutional right to vote and be voted for, all other
considerations notwithstanding.
Now, the issue is no longer his entry into politics but how he is
faring in it. He could turn all those his antecedents and elements
of his personality considered as advantages into huge assets in
politicking and governance and eventually make a substantial success
of his new chosen career.
Nyako, unlike the other younger ones, does not have to either wait
for his age to ripen or borrow experience from some other person(s)
to be able to govern a state. He only needs to carry out some
reflections, make comparisons and purify his intentions for him to
successfully become a model and modern governor.
Something must have, therefore, been amiss that instead of being a
complete success story, his tenure is constantly punctuated by
serious hiccups that seek to undermine his personal integrity. Even
if he has not yet realized it, the fact remains that whether or not
his travails are caused by his adversaries within and outside the
PDP, they are substantial enough to unmake him.
The allegations of “gross misconduct, abuse of office and fraudulent
spending of public funds” are very weighty and therefore too much
for a person like Nyako who laboured hard to build his integrity
over several decades. The Adamawa State House of Assembly which is
currently making strong moves to impeach him on account of these
charges is simply trying to mess up the personality of the man.
The details of the allegations as catalogued in the impeachment
notice signed by 20 out of the 25 members of the House show that the
governor obtained, without the approval of the legislature, a loan
amounting to six billion Naira and another one of five billion Naira
from a bank with a repayment of over 4.5 million Naira per month. It
is also further being alleged that Nyako ordered the freezing of
accounts of Mayo Belwa local government in addition to the illegal
deductions from the local governments’ joint accounts and award of
contracts considered as frivolous and at inflated costs, all of
which constitute impeachable offences.
Other such offences said to have been committed by the governor is
the release of 141 million Naira for furnishing of his official
residence which is yet to be executed and the purchase of high-breed
maize from his Sebore farm at the cost of 42 million Naira. The
House also frowned at the establishment of what it sees as the
unconstitutional establishment of special projects directorate and
the appointment of his own children as co-ordinators of the body and
consequently pencilled it down as another big offence.
Even if, eventually, the House fails to substantiate all or even
some of the allegations, the mere threat of the impeachment must
have, somehow, traumatized the governor. Given the substance of his
personality and the weight of his party, Nyako should not be seen in
this kind of mess.
However, certain things which are, inter-connected must be working
against the man thereby consistently putting him in trouble. And
most likely, the man has aided his adversaries by committing some
unconstitutional acts.
When his election was cancelled, it was all understood that the
problem was caused by the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) which erroneously omitted the name of the gubernatorial
candidate of Action Congress, AC, Ibrahim Bapetel, from the ballot
paper on the account of which the court nullified his victory. Even
the members of the opposition parties in the state knew that error
had nothing to do with the governor, albeit he was the worst victim
of it.
But this particular one is completely different as the offences are
allegedly committed by him and, worse still, within just two months.
It is this kind of situation that politicians are always waiting for
to hit at their opponents and it appears that AC which is the
strongest opposition party in Adamawa State is at it.
The call by the former vice president and AC’s co-founder as well as
its presidential candidate during last elections, Atiku Abubakar, on
the anti-graft agencies to immediately commence action on the
allegations is quite an expected response. By making attempt to
impeach the governor, the State Assembly is only helping AC to
execute a big project.
What is most interesting is the role the PDP-controlled presidency
has begun to play in the attempt to resolve the matter. Several
media reports show that the presidency convened a meeting between
Nyako and the speaker of the State Assembly, Mr. James Barka and
demanded them to bury the differences with a specific call on the
legislature to withdraw the impeachment notice.
But this is where many people will have a big problem in trying to
understand the real issues involved in the whole saga. When the
lawmakers have already not only listed but also made public all such
serious offences allegedly committed by the governor, Nigerians will
be curious enough to see how they can just be withdrawn.
If, for example, the notice is to be withdrawn, then the House must
have to admit that it has only lied against Nyako with all the
devastating effects on its integrity. Or, in the alternative, the
presidency or the PDP can boldly come out to say that, as valid as
the allegations can be, the man will not be subjected to any kind of
humiliation because he is one of our own. Either way, Nigerians must
have to understand.
Otherwise, the intervention of the presidency is totally unnecessary
because what is happening in Adamawa State is not an internal crisis
of PDP or personal clash between Nyako and Barka. It is something
that borders on the abuse of office by an elected chief executive of
a state. What’s there for the PDP to do.
Cross-fire in Sokoto
EVEN before the emergence of Alhaji Aliyu
Magatakarda Wamakko as the governor of Sokoto State on May 29, 2007,
the relationship between him and the immediate past governor of the
state, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, was quite unmistakable.
Although he was Bafarawa’s deputy for about seven years, the
political differences that ensued between the two of them turned
each one of them into a foe of the other.
Since the collapse of their political partnership which resulted in
the exit of Wamakko from Bafarawa’s government, each one has built
his own army of supporters whom they use to intimidate the other.
And such supporters are really enjoying the assignment because they
are apparently making something out of it.
But as the cross-fire between the two feuding camp goes on, the
state is losing in terms of peaceful co-existence and political
focus. Gradually the activities of the respective supporters of the
two political leaders is turning the state into a kind of flash
point.
When the first Wamakko’s electoral victory was nullified by Court of
Appeal in Kaduna and election re-run consequently conducted with him
emerging again as the governor, there was the expectation that the
hostility between the two camps would subside. The re-election of
the governor was seen as something that should have made each group
to sheath its sword so that the state could have some peace.
What is, however, still coming out of the state in terms of attacks
and counter-attacks is eroding any hope that the politicians in the
state, especially the key ones among them, are any cautious.
What is happening in Sokoto State which has an established
traditionof political stability is quite unprecedented. Since the
colonial times when it served as the seat of the famous Othmaniyya
caliphate, Sokoto had been able to retain its peace until quite
recently when politics was turned into something else.
Still, observers of development in the state want to give the
political players benefit of the doubt. There is currently a strong
hope that both sides will, more appropriately, reflect on the
situation and make necessary adjustments with a view to re-creating
an atmosphere of peace.
It is alright for Wamakko to carry out a probe against Bafarawa
administration if he has convincing reasons to do so as this does
not depart from the normal practice in democracy. Probes that may
even lead to some legal actions are not bad as long as they are not
carried out to intimidate and victimize political opponents.
On its side, the Bafarawa’s camp should always realize that the
present government belongs to its rivals and will therefore explore
all available avenues to further decimate its base. With this kind
of understanding, it will not be tempted to indulge in any act that
can spell down for the state.
The damages in the politics of Sokoto State are not beyond repairs.
It will only take the adoption of proper attitudes by both sides for
a reasonable amount of political stability to be attained once
again.
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