By Samaila Musa Rijau.
‘‘It is not ones age that matters it is the age of one’s ideas”.
–Babatunde Raji Fashola
The political climate in Niger State has taken a near fratricidal turn, especially in the type of rhetoric being bandied by members of PDP in their private corners. It has become the trade mark of the supporters of Sen. Aliyu Auna to the bidding of their principal by spreading wanton falsehoods about the person of Umar Muhammad Nasko,
one of the frontline candidates of the PDP.
It is the stock in trade of political neophytes who can’t read the pulse of the populace to undermine the support and goodwill currently enjoyed by Nasko, this has left them with no option than to conjure political fabrications which reeks of immaturity. For a man of Sen. Auna’s standing in Niger North and Niger State’s politics, the attacks from his camp on the person of Alhaji Nasko is unbecoming of an elder statesman. It is in order to that the sky is wide enough for all to
contend with.
Let us for the sake of the context of this article examine who Rtd DIG Nuhu Aliyu Auna is, he joined politics in 1997. He became a card carrying member of the then United Nigerian Peoples Party (UNPP), and in 1998 became one of the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger state. He became the state chairman of the party
before; he resigned to contest for the senatorial seat in 1999. In the Senate, Senator Nuhu Aliyu Auna served as the Chairman Senate Committee on police affairs and in 2001 he became the Chairman Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence respectively.
This is the man who still wants to govern Niger State. But like the Fashola quote at the beginning of this article, we are not worried about Sen. Auna’s age, but it is the age of his ideas that we are worried about. At a time when the world was moving towards more a innovative leadership, where the fulcrum of change is shifting towards a centre of gravity peopled by young people, Sen. Auna has offered himself for service. But, it is not even the offer that has me worried it is the fact that it is coming at the twilight of his sojourn in active public participation. As such methinks this is the time for him to offer the proverbial wise counsel to younger candidates who are in every rational his son, his not a stranger to his contemporary and friend Gen. Gado Nasko.
It is befuddling for him to continue in the race with his sons, in a manner that he has continued; in a society deeply entrenched in the abyss of patriarchy one will think that Sen. Auna will endorse Umar Nasko and give him the much needed parental guidance and counsel he needs at this critical time.
But what we have seen is an avowal to contest the Niger Guber elections and even go ahead to slug it out with the younger Nasko. But the records are there for all to see. In terms of bequeathing legacies to Niger State in general, the once tough cop has nothing to point to, when compared to Alhaji Umar Nasko.
One of his constituent members Fodio Ahmed had this to say about him in his article published on the 17th of August on Abusidiqu.com “He became a Senator in 1999 until 2011 after serving as a senator for twelve years. Obviously, the Zone got fed up with his failed representation in many aspects. His fellow constituent members sump up his inactivity enthusing that he lacked the spirit of integration and he was faulted on the following lines; sharing, power in decision
making, Poor listening ability to electorates, very low leadership fore-sight, low concentration on Youth engagement programs, and Poor stewardship among others, are among the ills which saw to his losing out of favour with his constituency”.
For Umar Nasko this is an ongoing struggle, that to bring about a radical turn in the affairs of Niger State indigenes, it’s a battle that must be achieved with stealth and determination, not even an ex-cop can arrest the tsunami of ideas that is coming to Niger State.
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Article written by Samaila Musa Rijau
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