11 Governors Bent on Imposing Candidate For 2015 PDP Primaries -(5)

 Gabriel Suswam/Benue State & Isa Yuguda/Bauchi State

It is no longer news that the just concluded PDP Delegate Elections left a stalemate in many states across Nigeria and as the race towards 2015 gathers momentum, many incumbent governors are either running for Senate or trying to impose favoured politicians to succeed.

t is now an open secret that 11 governors today have caused battles as they attempt to dictate who steps into one political office or not. Here is a window to what is going on in these states.

(9) Gabriel Suswam/Benue State

Since Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam indicated his interest in contesting the Benue North East senatorial seat, an open political battle has raged between him and incumbent senator and former national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Barnabas Gemade. In fact, indications that Suswam was planning to unseat Gemade emerged two years into his senatorial tenure, when a group of politicians under the umbrella of 'Zone A PDP Elders' said they had endorsed the governor for the Benue North East seat. The group, which also inaugurated a committee to drive the senatorial campaign for Suswam, was believed to be sponsored by the governor or his associates. There has been no love lost between the governor and the senator since the former's senatorial ambition became obvious.

But Gemade is not the only one Suswam is fighting in the state. Suswam is also feuding with his deputy, Steven Lawani, over the governor's apparent indisposition to the idea of being succeeded by Lawani, who has declared his desire to be the next governor. The governor has continued to play his cards close to his chest on his governorship favourite, Terhemen Tar Zoor, merely reiterating that the state's PDP elders and caucus would determine his successor. What is not in doubt, though, is that, like most governors in the country, he does not want his deputy to succeed him.

Lawani is an Idoma, one of the major tribes in the state, which has never produced a governor of the state. Suswam is also confronted by serious battle, given the former governor George Akume's APC's interest in the upcoming election.

Meanwhile, given the traditional control of state party structures by the governors, Suswam may likely win the PDP senatorial ticket for Benue North East. He may also succeed in getting whoever he favours to pick the PDP governorship ticket. But winning a general election may be a herculean task for a divided PDP confronting a strong state APC.

(10) Isa Yuguda/Bauchi State

There appears to be an increasingly cold relationship between Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State and some of the key figures in the state's PDP family. Though, it was Yuguda who 'nominated' his predecessor, Adamu Mu'azu, for the post of PDP national chairman in January after a seemingly successful rapprochement reportedly facilitated by President Goodluck Jonathan, the old wounds are believed to be opening again. The point of controversy this time is the choice of Yuguda's successor.

The rift between Yuguda and Mu'azu dates back to the 2007 general elections, when Yuguda won the governorship election against Mauazu's alleged anointed candidate, Nadada Umar. But in the same election, Mu'azu lost the Bauchi South senatorial seat to Yuguda's then personal assistant, Senator Bala Mohammed, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Ahead of the next election, Yuguda is alleged to be favouring former PDP national secretary, Dr Musa Babayo, as successor, Mu'azu is said to be supporting former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed.

In addition to fighting on those two critical fronts, Yuguda is also seeking to unseat Senator Adamu Gumba as senator for Bauchi South senatorial district. Gumba had won the seat, which became vacant in 2009 following the appointment of Mohammed as minister, with the alleged support of Yuguda. Gumba's victory against popular politicians like Ali Wakili was surprising to many. But the win was allegedly negotiated on the understanding that Gumba would vacate for Yuguda at the end of his governorship tenure in 2015. Gumba has display apparent interest in going for another term, and this does not go down well with Yuguda

Wakili has defected to All Progressives Congress and is vigorously preparing to take over the Bauchi South seat.

Meanwhile, despite fighting on various fronts, Yuguda may still win the PDP senatorial nomination, and win in the general election if he concedes the governorship to Mu'azu's nominee to provide a united PDP against headwinds of APC.