The chances of the
People’s Democratic Party winning the April 26 governorship election in
Kaduna State are slim, an investigation has revealed.
There has been
tension and uncertainty in Governor Patrick Yakowa’s campaign council
since last Saturday’s National Assembly election, in which the Congress
for Progressive Change (CPC) almost swept all the contested seats in
the state.
The performance of
the CPC became a worry for Mr. Yakowa’s team because the opposition
party showed its dominance of the northern part of the state where
there are about three million registered voters.
Political pundits
say if the governor is able to get hundred per cent of the votes from
his southern zone but fails to get significant votes from northern
Kaduna, his ambition may be thwarted.
Desperate measures
Confronted with the
challenge, a desperate Mr. Yakowa is said to have directed all his
aides, members of his cabinet and top government officials in the state
to make sure that they deliver their constituencies if they want to
retain their positions after the election.
Also, presidents of
various town unions resident in the state have now become beautiful
brides of the two front runners – Harunna Sae’ed, the candidate of the
CPC, and Mr Yakowa of the PDP. However, the CPC seems to be having the
upper hand if the voting pattern of last Saturday is repeated on the
26th.
Mr. Yakowa and
other PDP leaders have also commenced intense lobbying of traditional
and religious leaders in the state for their support in the coming
governorship elections.
An aide to the
governor who asked not to be named in this report said many traditional
rulers including the Emir of Zazzau, Shehu Idris, have expressed
support for the governor promising to compel their subjects to vote for
him. But their assurances seem to be in doubt considering the impact of
the CPC in such areas.
Relations with Muslims cordial
Meanwhile, a
spokesperson for Vice President Namadi Sambo, Umar Sani, says despite
the poor showing of the ruling PDP in Kaduna State in last Saturday’s
elections, majority of the Muslim community voted for the party even as
he said that the PDP lost places in Kaduna Central because they are
traditional stronghold of the opposition since 1999.
Mr Sanni debunked
reports credited to the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, that many people
in the state voted along religious line.
In a telephone
interview, Mr Sanni explained that the relationship between the Muslim
community and Mr. Sambo is very cordial adding that the PDP has never
won election in the areas it lost to the CPC in the federal legislative
election and therefore defeat did not come as a surprise to the party.
