Too early it may sound to many, to talk about 2023 polls when we are merely less than a quota of 2021 particularly when the whistle to kick start politics in Nigeria is yet to be sounded, but beneath the pretence of aspirants lies secret moves to establish a political empire and those already in the game struggles to expand territories to firmly hold on to their strongholds and to possibly bring to their folds seeming stumbling blocks.
As primitive as Kebbi politics looks, it has always been done without flavour because the key players either cluster in one camp or buy the opposition to tactically kill it, this is the more reason Kebbi politics lacks political ingredients to allow the breath to the opposition and give taste to politics in Kebbi.
From the look of things the tasteless politics is over, from the analytical point of view Kebbi coveted seat is no longer an easy grip, the huge camps are pretentiously together but the heat beneath is unbearable to both players, power of incumbency may be very insignificant going by the voter awareness in the state capital to the remotest village in Kebbi, cries for marginalisation and the emirates question is, without doubt, a huge threat to the incumbents.
Interestingly, a political power broker Senator Adamu Alieru is on the prowl, personal investigations reveal that the Alierus are not ready to relinquish Kebbi central senatorial district to anybody, recently a video circulated on social media where senator Alieru was seen making what many considered unwholesome utterances to the sitting governor, however till date no rejoinder from the government which we believed is to douse tension in order to avoid confrontation, even as both players pretend to be at peace politically the stage is set for a showdown.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Barrister Abubakar Chika Malami, recently dissociated himself from some gubernatorial posters of him allegedly pasted in the state capital by some unknown persons as much as he distances himself from the Kebbi number one seat no Jupiter needs to told that, the nation’s chief law officer is in a political race with the old political hands in Kebbi, as an aspirant Malami must chose a camp to be relevant and to become a player in Kebbi political game, difficult as it may seem Malami is optionless if decides to run, as new breed politician he needs experienced power brokers and he also need the sitting governor to get a party ticket since the president was quoted as saying when he revalidated his APC membership at Daura no ticket from Abuja, though Malami calls the shots at Abuja but locally he needs the locals to drive his idea and to sale him to potential voters both at the primary elections levels to the general polls come 2023.
I can deduce from the ongoing underground politics in Kebbi, that, the heat is much on Malami he will swim in a rather boiling political Kebbi waters, but the vibrant young politician scored high in human and capital development, he sank boreholes in dry villages and brought lots of social interventions programmes to his home state Kebbi, pundits are of the view that should Malami reach the shoreline his ride to the government house where popular votes decide winners will be smooth if he can break the jinx to write a new political page in Kebbi State, for now, Malami is at the mercy of Bagudu and so far the unbeatable power brokers the Aleurus.
Haruna Aliyu Usman, a Journalist writes from Birnin Kebbi
