Rejection of one man’s whims and entrenching a democratic space – Yusuf Babangida Suleiman

By solacebase.com On Jan 18, 2023

APC, NNPP, Kano, Assembly, Yusuf Babangida Suleiman, Kwankwaso, kano, democratic — Yusuf Babangida Suleiman

By Yusuf Babangida Suleiman

In the early days since the return of democracy, I was engaged in general merchant trading and deeply interested in politics, as I was in the truncated political journeys of 1992/3 as well as the defunct Abacha transition of 1997/8. I supported the PDP, though largely superficially, in 1998 as my interest grew as the years went by. In 2003, I got more involved in grassroots politics and grew my network and was in the Publicity Committee of the Governorship Campaign, and again was in the Youth Mobilization Committee in 2007 Governorship Campaign.

In 2009, I ran for office in the party’s planned state congresses and was zoned out of the contest, and was directed by Sen. Kwankwaso to withdraw from contest for Zonal Vice Chairman. I did not falter, but continued to pursue the project as it aligned even more with my focus as time passed. As the Dawo Dawo breeze began to blow, I built and grew a solid network of media active youthful politicians that generated grandiose momentum seeking the return of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as Governor in 2011.

I sought to represent the people of Gwale Constituency, as the youngest aspiring contestant in the midst of established politicians, in a constituency which had a former Member running and had a former Commissioner and acolyte of Kwankwaso as leader. I dared the odds and contested the hotly contested primaries, which I narrowly won, by a very slim margin to fly the party’s flag and eventually win the elections and kick-start what would be eventually be 3 terms in the Kano State House of Assembly with reasonable accomplishments. In the general elections of 2011, I won in 9 out of 10 Wards, while Sen. Kwankwaso won 5 out of 10 Wards in Gwale LGA, on the same day.

In my first term, I worked closely with Governor Kwankwaso and his close aides and cabinet members as well as my colleagues. I also undertook sensitive and potentially politically suicidal assignments for the government and party. My constituency benefitted greatly due to the unfettered access I enjoyed, through which numerous educational and health sector constituency projects were lobbied for, acquired and delivered.

As the tenure wrapped up, we joined the newly formed APC under which I ran for a 2nd term in 2015, participated in a primary election, even though the party had undertook to grant us Automatic Tickets to run upon joining, the first of which was annulled and eventually re-done, and which I won, and after which I faced rigours of intense litigation, with most highly placed stakeholders being vehemently against my return.

I eventually won in court and won in the ballot to return to the House and continue my good work for my constituents. The people of Gwale returned me in all 10 Wards in 2015, polling 4000+ votes higher than Governor Ganduje in Gwale LGA on the same day.

The four years from 2015-2019 were difficult as they were years of political compromises, sacrifices and consequent victimisation, particularly for those of us that chose to remain loyal to Rabiu Kwankwaso, who had at the time become a Senator and was at loggerheads with Governor Ganduje.

Most of my colleagues pitched tent with Ganduje while myself and a few others, remained resolute even in the face of intimidation and highly decimated influence and access to resources for constituency development.

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In 2019, after we had returned to the PDP and the party undertook to grant me Automatic Ticket alongside other elected persons who defected. But, as I sought to run for a 3rd term, my contest was yet again met with stiff resistance from the quarters of highly placed stakeholders who insisted fiercely that I must not return to the House.

Like the 2 previous instances, I contested in the primaries and won, even though there were sustained efforts to substitute my candidacy, which met a legal brick wall. I returned to the House as a 3rd termer and I sought to be Minority Leader, and from the same highly placed quarters, my ambition was thwarted and a different person was appointed.

I personally refused all overtures to pitch tent with the Governor Ganduje camp and remained resolutely consistent and in unalloyed loyalty to Sen. Kwankwaso’s camp. As the 2023 political wind blew I was one of the serving Assembly members that joined the NNPP alongside Kwankwaso. I joined the party unconditionally and out of pure personal volition and loyalty. However, as the political activities commenced and party primaries purportedly held, I expressed interest in contesting for membership of the Federal House of Representatives.

The primary elections did not hold and one of the contestants was appointed flag bearer and for the first time in my active political career I was edged out of a contest, not in a fair contest, but in a display of preference by the group’s political high and mighty. Thereafter, there was no concrete outreach or expression of unreserved gratitude for the sacrifices of the past, neither was there an appeal for continued brotherhood and co-existence. It appeared more like a sentence into docility and forced freezing of a blooming political career.

Conclusively, I am humble enough to admit that Sen. Kwankwaso aided my political career as I was shaded by the umbrella of his movement and its virility, as much as I aided his by being a cornerstone of the virility of his movement in the niche that I carved. However, it is worthy of note that all 3 elections in which I triumphed, I contested and won fairly and squarely in the primaries. In the only contest in which there was no fairly contested primary, I have for the first time failed to clinch the ticket.

I stand tall and grateful to the Almighty Allah as the one and only Member of the Kano State House of Assembly from any of the 8 metropolitan LGAs to contest and in 3 consecutive terms. Consequently, as a democrat, I have shifted base and decided to align with the mainstream APC unconditionally and in an effort to coalesce with like minds to deliver a broad democratic space and an appealing polity devoid of one man’s whims and greater than some uniformed self-appointed stakeholders’ empire.

Hon. Yusuf Babangida Suleiman, Member, Kano State House of Assembly (Gwale Constituency)