Muawuya Zakariah Adam Gombe

“Atiku as consensus candidate of the North. Jonathan is going into the battle of his life. If he wins, he’ll demystify the North PERMANENTLY. If he loses, he’ll be crippled PERMANENTLY, politically” — A text message. The famous Chinese curse is very apt in a moment like this; it simply says “May you live in interesting times”! And who can deny that these are very interesting times in Nigeria? We are on the verge of one of the most titanic political battles in our history. I have chosen today’s title from a re-working of the text I received on Monday night, after the Northern political establishment announced Atiku Abubakar, as their consensus candidate. Stripped of subterfuge, it means that the Northern wing of the PDP has chosen Atiku to do battle with Jonathan Goodluck, for candidacy of the PDP in 2011. It is zoning versus its undertakers; and a lot more besides! My initial impression was that Atiku was chosen, because the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) deliberately decid

Thursday, 25 November 2010 05:26 Suleiman M. Bisalla 48 Share Adamu Ciroma The committee of elders that chose the Northern PDP consensus presidential candidate voted on Monday in strict confidence such that no member knew how the other voted, its chairman Malam Adamu Ciroma has said. Ciroma said based on the procedure adopted by the committee, which was meant to protect the confidentiality of the process, nobody has a way of knowing how the members cast their votes. Speaking to Daily Trust in Abuja in reaction to media reports mentioning the supposed manner in which the committee members voted, Ciroma said he could not comprehend “how people sat down and imagined the story as it came out in the papers.” The Northern Political Leaders Forum on Monday announced that former vice president Atiku Abubakar was selected as the consensus candidate of the North

Wednesday, 10 November 2010 00:23 E-mailPDF My attention has been drawn to an advertorial published on page 49 of Daily Trust Newspaper of Monday November 8, 2010 where a group that goes by the name Civil Liberties Concern, (CLC) Gombe Zonal Office reacted to a piece written by my friend Musa Madugu and published in a national daily with the title Baba Biri, Dankwanbo and Gombe Governorship. Let me start by saying that this piece is not set out to defend or campaign for Alhaji Baba Biri. I for one, I am confident that the man is capable of defending himself. All the same, for a group campaiging for the Accountant General of the Federation Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwanbo to dismiss a whole Commissioner for Local Governments as inconsiquential is most undeserirable. While Civil Liberties Concern made frantic but unsuccessful efforts to discredit the person of Musa Madugu, a well- focused and honest crusader for accountability and best service delivery, as well as tell the w

Saturday, 25 September 2010 00:13 Nuruddeen M. Abdallah Alhaji Abdulkadir Hammasaleh, a businessman and philanthropist has joined the 2011 governorship race in Gombe State. The aviation tycoon is contesting the governorship seat under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Hammasaleh, alongside his political associates and supporters, was at the PDP’s Wadata Plaza National Headquarters, Abuja yesterday, where he submitted his nomination form. He told newsmen that he was convinced into joining the race after consultations with his family members, friends and associates. The philanthropist explained that “There is need to continue with the developmental projects started by the incumbent governor of the state, Alhaji Muhammadu Danjuma Goje. We need to continue from where he stops. I am making myself available for the race to enable me continue with the laudable projects executed by Governor Goje in the last seven and half years.” He said

I read with interest an article by Mohammed Abubakar titled Gombe 2011: Who succeeds Goje? Which was published in the Daily Trust of Friday, August 13, 2010 . In it, the writer did an analysis of the race for the governorship of Gombe State as the tenure of the two-term occupancy of Goje comes to an end next May. He analysed the strengths and weaknesses of those in the race and as is typical of that kind of enterprise, he dwelt on the real contenders and also on some of those I will characterized as clear pretenders and those that will eventually be addressed as the also-ran. I will not waste my time here on the last two categories but will focus on the first one, the real contenders. And even here I want to narrow my focus on only one person. And that person is Usman Bayero Nafada. Although Abubakar could not indicate which of the aspirants stands the best chance of clinching the seat, I wish to state that if my opinion and the opinions of many other patriotic and

Gombe has been a hot bed for political struggles since 1999 but 2011 is promising to be even hotter in the bid to succeed Governor Danjuma Goje who is serving his second and final term in office as governor. There is no doubt that Goje has been one tough politician that has remained a thorn in the flesh of big time politicians. In 2007, when he was seeking re-election for a second term, several aspirants attempted to boot him out of power in vain. Even a gang up by some prominent politicians like former governor Abubakar Habu Hashidu, late Dr. Suleiman Kumo, governorship candidate of Action Congress (AC), Colonel Musa Mohammed, ANPP’s governorship candidate, Alhaji Jamilu Ishia’ku Gwamna, business mogul and Chairman Hamsal Air, Alhaji Abdulkadir Hamma Sale, former PDP governorship aspirant, Ambassador Yerima Abdullahi and a host of others did not see the light of the day. Now that he is approaching the tail of his tenure as governor, Governor Goje appears certainly d

While the possibility of surprises cannot be ruled out between now and when the 2011 general elections would be held, the race towards the Gombe Government House has continued to gather great momentum in the state. Our correspondent Auwal Ahmad reports. There are about nine persons from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who wish want to contest for the governorship but are yet to officially declared their interests. All of them are waiting for Governor Danjuma Goje to say ‘come and contest’ before they come out for the campaign. On many occasions, however, Governor Goje has said he does not have any one as his candidate. The governor also emphasised on several occasions, that “any person that the people say they want, I want him too.” Those that want to contest include the state Commissioner of Finance, Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahya; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Usman Bayero Nafada; Chairman of Hamsal Airline, Alhaji Audu Hamma Sale and the National Pre

It started like a rumour, but like wild fire, it has spread and is threatening to consume the polity. It is the story about the Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwanbo, s alleged gubernatorial bid, that he is contesting the position of the office of Governor in Gombe State. When the rumour started filtering through, we ignored it but now we have reasons to believe that it is true because Dankwanbo has not only made up his mind to join the political foray, but completed all arrangements to do so, to the bewilderment of all of us who had prayed fervently that it should be a hoax. Dankwanbo, as a bonafide citizen of Gombe State has every right to contest for, and get elected into any office of his choice, but there are contending issues. Firstly, he is the Accountant General of the Federation, impliedly; he is in charge of Nigeria’s finances. Secondly, he is basically a civil servant who has neither retired nor resigned his post, as