Goje Shops For A Successor.

Gombe State, against all expectations, is still very calm and quiet, though uneasy. What makes the entire brouhaha so exhilarating is that Governor Muhammad Danjuma Goje is known for his brazen go-get-it approaches, which is the hinge on which the door swings.

Goje recently boasted that Gombe was not Bauchi State and that he (Goje) was not Ahmed Muazu. In other words, there cannot be an upset and he holds the aces. But then, there are some men who are overtly or covertly roaring to dare the kingmaker, with or without his approval.

Senator Tawa Umbi Wada

The highly regarded adroit senator representing Gombe South Senatorial Zone in the National Assembly is revered among the Tangale/Waja which already look up to him as their Messiah in their acclaimed quest to break the political jinx hanging over them. Senator Wada, a smooth-talking legal luminary-turned-politician and a one-time councilor of his ward in Billiri town, is by no means a politician to be ignored.

His strong point rests on the sympathy of the four local governments of Gombe South Senatorial district that comprise the Tangale/Waja people who have, from the creation of the state, lamented their acclaimed marginalization on nomination for ministerial appointments, among others.

Usman Bayero Nafada:

Presently, the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives having jettisoned ANPP on whose ticket he arrived the House in 2003; he is representing Dukku Nafada Federal Constituency for the second term. This University of Maiduguri graduate of accountancy shot into political limelight and relevance in 1999 when he contested on the ANPP platform and won the representation of Nafada North Constituency in Gombe State House of Assembly. His growing popularity in the state irrespective of political affiliation posits him as one cut out for the pinnacle in politics. His switch from ANPP to PDP, which bolstered rather than wore down his popularity, is an attestation.

Abubakar Mua’zu

Fondly referred to as Abu Mua’zu or Abu Youth Leader, this ‘new kid on the block’ may be gunning for his first-ever elective post. But he is certainly not a green horn in politics, having dispensed his energy and all in working for Governor Goje’s first and second terms. With his energy and go-get-it attitude similar to Goje’s his estranged benefactor, this dynamic, valiant and daring young man is definitely a man to watch, and one to beat in the race for the soul of “The Jewel State”. Little wonder that he has, to the astonishment and admiration of many,contained his ex-master’s antics since they fell apart.

Though currently under suspension by the party machinery, he has enjoyed growing popularity and fame perhaps as recompense for his courage and dogged determination to be his own man by taking his destiny in his hands.

Mua’zu, having learnt the ropes under Goje since the pre-2003 general elections, is believed to have known his master inside out and what it takes to get whatever he needs. This consciousness has in fact been pivotal to his gubernatorial interest, which of course had been with grievous challenging attempts to checkmate him, he had said. More so, the rumoured zoning system in the party is on his side as he is said to be filling out under Gombe North.

Inuwa Yahaya

Amongst them all, he seems the only one called if pundits get it right. Inuwa Yahaya is from a background that is blessed with affluence and influence and this he intends to translate into popularity as he ventures into the race to take over the reins of steering the affairs of Gombe State from Governor Muhammad Danjuma Goje come 2011. He is yet to make public his intention but talks making the rounds have it that this man is quietly warming and working his way to the top job in the Jewel State.

Presently, the state Commissioner of Finance, an office he had held since 2003, Hon. Yahaya is one of those believed to have his way with the incumbent, and therefore he is dubbed a political surrogate son of the man he had served all these years.

Senator Abdullahi Idris Umar

A Kano-based legal practitioner turned politician, Barrister Idris is one of those who are still doing everything to conceal their ambition for reasons best known to them. But he is said to be leaving nothing to chance in the resolve to replace Governor Goje in the next two years. His hide-and-seek overtures notwithstanding, the present governor is said not to be fooled and what is being advanced as a pointer is the sparse relationship between Goje and him.

While he may perhaps be banking on being from Gombe Central, which has over the years contributed greatly to the PDP, whichever direction the electoral pendulum swings, the present governor is from the same zone and that marked the beginning of a split in the fortunes of the party in that area. But one never can tell. The rumored synergy between Barrister Idris and Abu Mua’zu, if indeed it’s true, may pay off for the senator.