Katsina North poll: It’s Kaita vs Kaita

Two blood brothers are contesting the senatorial by-election in Katsina North tomorrow. Who wins between Kabir Kaita of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Ahmad Kaita, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC)? AUGUSTINE OKEZIE writes on the sibling rivalry.

Two biological brothers, Kabir Babba Kaita and Ahmad Babba Kaita, are contesting for the vacant Katsina North senatorial seat in tomorrow’s by-election. Kabir is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ahmad belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) respectively. Though there are other candidates in the race, the two brothers are considered by all political permutations as the frontrunners in the contest.

They hail from Kankia Local Government Area. They have been successful in their various fields of endeavours before entering politics. Kabir who is older, emerged as the flag bearer of the APC after a hotly-contested primary, while Ahmad secured the PDP ticket through a consensus arrangement.

The PDP flag bearer, Ahmad, is known as ‘’Garkuwan Kankia’. He is a retired custom officer. Kabir is known as ‘’Sardaunan Kankia’’. He is currently a member of the House of Representatives.

Malam Musa Salisu, a politician who hails from the same local government area, said: “I know Ahmad well enough and closely to know that he will forever respect and cherish his elder brother, regardless of political differences. I am sure he has no problem with his brother contesting against him on the platform of the PDP and I know Garkuwan is too much of a man to engage his younger brother in any way or form that is less than honorable.”

Not a few stakeholders believe that the teeming number of aspirants in who clamoured for  the ticket of the ruling APC for the vacant Katsina North senatorial seat, attests to the fact that the pendulum currently swings to the direction of the party, due to several contending factors.

The campaign have been hot. Supporters of the APC defied rainfall to flag off the party’s campaign ahead of the by-election. The party faithful who trooped out in their numbers stormed the Emir of Daura palace, the arena for the campaign.

Speaking during the flag off, the party’s flag bearer, who is also the member representing Ingawa, Kusada and Kankia federal constituency, vowed to ensure that the dream of getting a federal university in Daura becomes a reality, if elected.

He said: “The late Senator, Mustapha Bukar, has started a good work before death snatched him away. He started by moving a motion before the Senate for the establishment of a Federal University in Daura. The motion has passed its first reading and the second reading and I will continue from there and ensure that it becomes a reality.

He said: “We will also carry everybody along by providing level playing ground and justice to all.”

The party chairman, Shittu Shittu, urged party faithful who registered for the Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) to collect their cards. He said that information reaching him from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was that many of the cards were yet to collected.

Shittu also called on the party to enlighten  voters about how to cast their ballot, particularly since the two major aspirants have similar names.

The Chairman of the APC in Daura Local Government, Alhaji Sani Al-Tine,  said a vote for the APC flag bearer is a vote for President Muhammadu Buhari.

The PDP flag bearer promised to re-invent the zone, empower the youths and attract investments that will improve the lives of the rural poor.

Being the constituency of President Buhari, the APC obviously has an edge in clinching the seat.

The PDP appears to have conceded defeat, by fielding a relatively-unknown candidate. Again, the PDP also lacks a formidable war chest, compared to the APC, hence its campaign was largely low key and devoid of media coverage.

An observer who craved anonymity said going by the present political scenario that other parties do not stand any chance of defeating the APC in the election.

He said: ”From the look of things, this bye-election is just an APC affair. Whoever is nominated to be the candidate of the part will emerge the winner at the poll.

“Do you know that most Daura people, particularly those in Daura town, the hometown of the late Senator Mustapha Bukar and the President, are so concerned that the seat should be re-occupied by their kinsman. They don’t want it to go outside Daura Emirate.”

Aliyu Suleiman of the APC said: “If you vote for someone and he is performing credibly well in some parts of the country, you will be hopeful that he will also move to your area. That is the issue. The supporters of Mr. President believe he is doing well in other parts of the country and there is no way he can forget his home.

“Buhari is delivering dividends of democracy on other geo-political zones for now, but hopefully when he goes for the second term, he will come back home and deliver more dividends of democracy. The people of Daura zone are nursing that expectation and will continue to be loyal to the APC and Buhari in the forthcoming elections.”

Many across the zone are sympathetic to the APC and its flag bearer, because of the track record of service and open door policy of Governor Aminu Bello Masari.

The generality of the views of Katsina people is that Governor Masari has executed several people-oriented projects that will direct positive impact on their lives..

Political watchers also believe that the defection of Umar Yau Gojo-Gojo, two-time Speaker of the state House of Assembly and leader of the PDP and in Katsina North to APC has reduced the opposition party to a shadow of itself, especially in Daura Emirate.

A PDP faithful, Abubakar Sani Mashi, said that the Daura Emirate born Gojo-Gojo, had the political structure and machinery to single handedly influence the outcome of the by-election.

 

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