2015: Governors, senators in clash of interest

After serving two terms in office, some state governors are aspiring to join the Senate. To secure seats in the hallowed chamber, the outgoing governors will have to displace the Senators, who are already representing their zones. But the Senators are also aspiring to retain their seats; hence the clash of interest between the governors and the senators. Our correspondents report Benue: Gemade vs Suswam They are miles part in age and political experience; but that will not deter the Governor of Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Suswam, from contesting against the former National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Sen. Barnabas Gemade, to determine who will represent the Benue North-East Senatorial District at the National Assembly next year. It promises to be a battle royal as both men have vowed not to step down for the other. Suswam and Gemade have obtained their nomination and expression of interest forms from the party. The battle of these two illustrious sons of Benue promises to be interesting and full of political intrigues. While Gemade had issues a subtle threat of his intention to leave the party if Suswam was not prevailed upon to allow him pick the ticket for a second term, the governor has also insisted that he has the right to vie for the exalted office. According to him, only God can stop him from joining the Senate in 2015 after completing his second term in office next year. Suswam had argued that power usually rotated among the three major clans that constitute the senatorial district. He said the ticket was expected to move from Komshisha next year to Kwande/ Ushongo axis and that Komshisha’s time at the senatorial seat would expire next year. Gemade is however not relenting, as he has vowed to defeat Suswam during the party’s primary. He said there was no way Suswam would defeat him during the party’s senatorial primary, adding that his coming to the race would make him (Gemade) teach the governor political lesson. Enugu: Chime vs Ekweremadu The battle between Governor Sullivan Chime and Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, over the Peoples Democratic Party ticket for the Enugu West Senatorial District — comprising the five local government areas of Aninri, Awgu, Oji River, Udi and Ezeagu — is without doubt one of the toughest, and most enthralling, among the political contests that are playing out ahead of the 2015 general elections. Who will emerge victorious at the end of the day? Despite Chime’s undeniable powers as the incumbent governor of Enugu State, who will still be in office when the election will be conducted, and Ekweremadu’s clout in the Senate, where he had served as a two-term Deputy Senate President, there are, currently no clear indicators of who will triumph at the end of the day. Be that as it may, Chime, arguably, holds the aces at the state party level, a very significant fact given that the PDP candidate for the Senatorial District will, first of all, emerge through the structures on the ground in the state. There are suggestions that the recent appointment of Chief Ikeje Asogwa as the chairman of the Enugu State Chapter of the PDP in the wake of the controversial resignation of Engr. Vita Abba was a move on the part of the Chime camp to further consolidate its hold on the party machinery in Enugu State. But on the other hand, there are feelers that, at the Federal Government level, particularly the presidency, the powers that be are very comfortable with Ekweremadu and would be happy to see him continue representing the Enugu West Senatorial District after the 2015 elections. The race is generating bad blood on a daily basis, the most recent altercation being the angry reaction of the Chime camp to claims by Ekweremadu’s group that the governor’s kinsmen endorsed the Deputy Senate President’s quest to return to the Senate when he (Ekweremadu) recently visited Udi, Chime’s hometown, for a burial. Chime’s camp has also made light of Ekweremadu’s much vaunted closeness with the presidency, dismissing reports that the governor’s senatorial ambition was in danger after the national chairman of the party, Adamu Muazu, and the National Working Committee, reportedly refused him audience during a recent visit to the party’s secretariat in Abuja. But others feel that Ekweremadu, who is not a political push-over in his own right, is closer to the people of the Senatorial District, and, therefore, could be more acceptable. Delta: Uduaghan vs Manager Though the fight has yet to come to the open, in not too long a time from now the hubbub could burst and the silent war between Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and Senator James Manager over who represents Delta South in the Senate, come 2015, will spill out. In spite of intense pressure being put on him by those canvassing for Governor Uduaghan, Manager has refused to budge. Before going to the Senate in 2007, Manager was the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State. Before then, he was a local government chairman. Though Uduaghan himself has not openly been canvassing support for his senatorial ambition, his supporters have not hidden anything about his ambition to go the Senate when he vacates office as Governor on May 29, 2015. This they started by sending flyers with the poser, “After Government House, What Next?” Then two months ago, the posters declaring that he was running for the Senate seat for Delta South flooded the major streets of Asaba and Warri. Those who favour the governor argued that it is only natural that any other person aspiring to contest the seat within the governor’s party should withdraw for the governor, being the leader of the party in the state. Manager has since picked his expression of interest form to show that he is not ready to step down for the governor. But Manager is not the only obstacle that Uduaghan is facing in his battle to go to the Senate. It is believed that the Edwin Clark’s political camp is determined to end the Ibori stranglehold on the politics of Delta State. And stopping Uduaghan that was imposed by Ibori from going to the Senate would just be the beginning of that effort. Akwa Ibom: Akpabio vs Etok The battle between the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio and a Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District, started when the governor announced during a town hall meeting in Uyo that he single- handedly made Etok a Senator despite the fact that there were many qualified persons from Annang. The frequent threats by Akpabio to take power from Etok after completing his term as governor for two terms, seemed to have angered Etok who vowed not to vacate the seat for Akpabio. Etok was quoted as saying “I will hand over to Abak if I decide not to run. It is the turn of Abak to go to the Senate and we must do that to justify our stand.” He noted that since Akpabio had agreed that governorship should be by zoning, same thing should apply to the Senate. He asked the governor to give up his ambition. As a result Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District has vowed to scuttle any attempt by Etok to go for a third term. Etok, whose performance on the floor of the Senate is said to be abysmal, in terms of motions, support for proceedings and failure to attract constituency projects to the area, is said to lack the ability to represent the area for a third term. The state’s Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, said Etok lacked moral and intellectual capacity to represent Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District for a third term. The commissioner, who reacted to Etok’s comments that he had outperformed all the other representatives of the state in the National Assembly, said Etok’s claims were spurious. But Etok had said, “My problem with Akpabio started when I moved in support of President Goodluck Jonathan succeeding the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. Akpabio, then, actually did not want Jonathan, who was Vice-President then, to be sworn in as president. “Akpabio was with the then PDP national chairman, Vincent Ogbulafor, in the business of stopping Jonathan. So, when I voted in favour of Jonathan during debate in the Senate, Akpabio scolded me that I didn’t consult him before voting for Jonathan. That was how his hostility towards me started. Apart from that, I can’t think of any other thing I did to him.” Bauchi: Yuguda vs Gumba Senator Adamu Gumba of Bauchi South Senatorial District is fighting two wars. While he has to ward off the incursion of the All Progressives Congress in the zone and the state in general, he is also set to fight the Governor of Bauchi State, Mallam Isa Yuguda, who is also eying the ticket of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party for the zone. Yuguda is seen as one of the staunch supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan and his ambition is said to have the backing of the Presidency and the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party. Yuguda, like some other second-term governors of the party, is banking on the alleged promise made by the President that governors interested in going to the Senate would be given automatic tickets. Before the deal, Yuguda was touted as one of those aspiring to become the President on the platform of the ruling party. Plateau: Jang vs Pwajok The Governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang, is striving to take over the seat of Senator GNS Pwajok come 2015. But he is said to be going about it like a wise man. He has anointed Pwajok, who is currently representing Plateau North Senatorial zone in the National Assembly, to take over from him as governor. But the arrangement has not totally averted any controversy. Political analysts in the state see the arrangement as bizarre. Proponents of zoning are arguing that it will be a political suicide if the Northern senatorial zone is allowed to produce another governor after Jang. Moreover, it is their argument that it is very uncharitable for the governor to propose his successor from the northern zone, when the immediate past deputy governor of the state for eight years is from northern zone and Jang, also from the northern zone is about to complete another term of eight years. The arguments by proponents of zoning is that since the central zone had had their term of eight years with Dariye’s administration and the northern zone about to complete theirs, the principle of fairness, equity and justice should allow the southern zone to produce the next governor. Movement for the Creation of Southern Plateau, another strong advocate of zoning said it supported in totality the zoning of the position of governor to the Southern Senatorial Zone, which has been the political practice since 1999, whether written or not. The group, in a communique at the end of their meeting in Jos also noted that even in the recently concluded national conference, the ideal of zoning (presidential, governorship positions, etc) was unanimously endorsed and brought into sharp focus in line with practice of politics with morality. Ebonyi: Elechi vs Nwagu The Ebonyi State Governor, Martin Elechi, is currently engaged in a battle of wits with an incumbent Senator, Igwe Nwagu, over the Peoples Democratic Party’s ticket for the Ebonyi Central Senatorial District. The governor said he decided to go to the Senate after due consultations and pleas from major stakeholders of his senatorial zone, adding that the said stakeholders procured the form for him. Elechi’s supporters have vowed to ensure that he proceeds to the upper chamber of the National Assembly once his tenure as governor expires. Shortly after procuring and presenting the form to the governor at the party secretariat, the PDP Youth leader in the Ebonyi State, Chinedu Ogah, said the campaign structure was already in place. “Eighty motorcycles and four Sienna buses have also been procured for the campaign, we don’t expect him (Elechi) to spend his money campaigning for the position, we will do all the campaign for him,” he said. But the incumbent Senator, Nwagu, is reportedly not thinking of stepping down. Nwagu, like Elechi, is known to be a veteran politician, who rose through the grass roots. But it is believed that Elechi holds the aces, being an incumbent governor who controls the party machinery in the State. Cross River: Imoke vs Ndoma-Egba In Cross River State, the fight for the PDP ticket in the central senatorial district appears to have pitched Governor Liyel Imoke against the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba. Although Imoke, who is from the Central Senatorial district, is not contesting for the slot, there are strong indications that he is supporting the candidature of the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Mr. John Owan-Enoh. Ndoma-Egba will be seeking the people’s mandate for a fourth term in the upper legislative chamber while Owan-Enoh, who is serving out his third term in the lower chamber, is aspiring to move up the ladder. Intrigues over the months indicate that both contenders are grounded in grassroots politics but the establishment under the leadership of Imoke seemed to have thrown its weight behind Owan-Enoh and that is where the contest will become very keen. Both candidates have had numerous endorsements by various groups but results of the delegate election will show where the pendulum will swing. Although Imoke had not come out to say openly that he is behind Owan-Enoh, political watchers claimed that the handwriting on the wall is clear, especially by the fact that the governor’s followers had constantly thronged public rallies for the House of Reps member. But Ndoma-Egba has continued with his campaign just as his opponent is not taking chances in the battle for the PDP ticket as well.