By Prince Chidera Ejike-Umunnabuike Jr & Nazir Galadanchi
Ahead of the February and March this year’s Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and State Assemblies elections, Distinguished Senator Ibrahim Saminu Turaki, the TURAKIN KAZAURE and former civilian Governor of Jigawa State between 1999 and 2007, has proved to be the deft political strategist with growing grassroots acceptance.
The reasons for this is not far fetched,since he left office as the first Executive Governor of the state at the successful completion of his two -term tenure, he had maintained the strong cordial relationship that he built with the grassroots, the middle-class , the elite-class as well as the complex political subpopulations across the three senatorial zones in Jigawa State.
His deft political interests- aggregation moves and growing grassroots acceptance , is not surprising.
Surprisingly, Senator Ibrahim Saminu TURAKI , does not believe in the common-place social concept of a political leadership figure , having imagined , perceived or real enemies.
His responses to the often negative social stimuli which encourages some political personalities , bearing grudges against certain political associates or followers , is one that baffles even a growing child in the remotest part of Hadeija, Dutse , Gumel or Kazaure Emirates of Jigawa State.
He has no perceived political enemies. A highly nocturnal personality , who uses the wee period of the night and the early hours of the morning to carry out his reading routines, ICT engagements and electronic supervision of his business concerns , interests as well as political consultations , is a puzzle for special studies.
Calm, calculated , fast-thinking and slightly a stammerer in the mood of the likes of General Omar Sanda Ike Nwachukwu, he takes his time in espousing his thoughts in his carefully worded speech processes.
Any independent view you seek in Jigawa State , even from amongst those , who may not share the same political persuasions with him, they will tell you that the man, Sen Ibrahim Saminu-Turaki, has a good rapport with the voting electorates , besides having very brilliant ideological concepts aimed at building strong political affiliations
The Jigawa State is gradually re -awakening the same political consciousness that Sen Ibrahim Saminu-Turaki introduced when he became Governor of the State , when he was barely 32 years old.
Though his Jigawa kinsmen and women , see him as a man of simplicity and unparalleled generosity to the less privileged, his endorsement of young Alhaji Mustapha Sule Lamido Jr , who father , Alhaji Sule Lamido, at some point in his political career waged a ferocious political war against Sen Ibrahim Saminu demonstrates his desire to see that politics of bitterness doesn’t gain ground in Jigawa.
Turaki, is beginning to alter and positively influence the Sociology Of Voting Behaviour of the Jigawa State electorates towards massively throwing their support for the governorship candidate of the youthful Alhaji Mustapha Sule-Lamido Jr, as the next Executive Governor of Jigawa State.
The PDP December 23, 2022 North – West Zonal rally in Gumel District clearly attested to Sen. Ibrahim Saminu Turaki’s towering political control ,dominance and influence.
It was at this epoch making grand breaking political rally that the youthful and equally brilliantly intelligent son of Alhaji Sule Lamido, Alhaji Mustapha Sule Lamido Jr , the PDP Governorship candidate and his running mate , Alhaji Babandi Ibrahim-Gumel , were presented to the enlightened voting electorates .
The electorates volitionally pledged to plough in their electoral investments in the duo of Alhaji Mustapha Sule Lamido Jr and Alhaji Babandi Ibrahim-Gumel, as the pair that will restore the declining and somewhat lost glory of Jigawa State.
The mega rally was essentially Issue-based and by coincidence, such concerns of the development administration that had agitated and still agitate the minds of the electorates as a stable economy, defined the campaign drive.
Issues of overhauling the revenue generating platforms of the state, through increased Internally Generated Revenue [IGR], need for the exploration, exploitation and generation of untapped solid mineral resources, the exponential growth in the unemployment rate of Jigawa State,
Others issues that need attention are curbing youth restiveness, education of the girl-child as well as the often neglected empowerment of the women, development of the various local market hubs, conversion of the current Dutse International Airport to a cargo terminal to cater for the entire north-west region and revamping the moribund tourism potentials that Jigawa state, is endowed with, amongst other issues that hindered the rapid growth and development of the state.
Considering that Jigawa State, is a land-locked state , the novel ideas initiated by the Senator Ibrahim Saminu-Turaki led administration between 1999 and 2007 need to be revived.
Such as the Maitagari Export Processing Free Zone , which will be driven by the strengthening of the short , medium and long term economic modules, ably supported by the resuscitation and revitalization of the local markets and sources of raw materials in order to create paid employments for the teeming youth populations in Jigawa State.
These initiatives will vigorously be pursued if the Jigawa State electorates massively and decisively vote in the Alhaji Mustapha Sule Lamido Jr and Alhaji Babandi Ibrahim-Gumel, as Governor and Deputy Governor -Elect respectively.
In all the campaign rallies of the People’s Democratic Party ,that were championed the great grassroots’ mobilizer, Senator Ibrahim Saminu Turaki , the TURAKIN KAZAURE, such pertinent matters that had been ignored after his exit from gubernatorial leadership , more than 20 years ago , came up for mention and reintroduction.
For instance , it is on national record that it was in the tenure of Senator Ibrahim Saminu Turaki, that the idea of harnessing the exportable agrarian , solid mineral and human resources potentials of Jigawa State were first mooted and introduced.
Then, it was a very strange economic concept to the people, who saw him as a weird Sir Albert Einstein, who had superior intellectual property ideas and ideals , the people were not ripe for its experimentation and implementation.
Again, the concept of e-Governances introduced by Sen. Ibrahim Saminu-Turaki , that linked all the Emirate Councils , the Government Ministries , Departments & Agencies , was the first of its kind in Africa, even as the former President , Chief Olusegun Obasanjo , acknowledged the success story of the concept.
At the time of introducing the Information Communication Technology [ICT} in Jigawa State primary & secondary schools on a pilot scheme basis , Jigawa State schools made history nationwide.
At least , if and when the PDP by the calculations of the party chieftains , the duo of Alhaji Mustapha Sule Lamido Jr and Alhaji Babandi Ibrahim-Gumel , eventually wins and are sworn in as Governor and Deputy Governor , respectively, disturbing social and security problems bordering on Herders – Farmers crisis, Effective Border Patrol Interventionist Solutions , Strong legislative Bills against crimes, effective collaborative synergies between the Jigawa State Government and the Federal Government, will be addressed.
Basic matters concerning , good governance culture , education, agriculture ,commerce , the formation of a Jigawa State Graduate Database for all graduates of Jigawa State origin ,tackling the animated ecological problem of flash-flood experiences , drought control mechanisms , waste management control, management of desertification and an aggressive malaria-mosquito control campaign, amongst others.
Like it is the current practice in most Nigerian states such as Imo, Lagos , Kaduna , Kano as well as the Federal Capital Territory , Abuja , the pair of Alhaji Mustapha Sule Lamido Jr and Alhaji Babandi Ibrahim-Gumel, if elected into office , would want to add Jigawa State to the growing list of states that have automated the complex processes of land administration , allocation and control in their development administrative scheme of affairs.
No doubt Sen. Ibrahim Saminu Turaki who has been credited as the pioneer creator of Galaxy Backbone Limited, now 100% owned by the Federal Government, is seeking re-election to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and would leave nothing unturn to ensure he returns.
Having Senator Ibrahim Saminu-Turaki, as a second time and returning Senator, will no doubt enrich the highly technically tasking routine weekly contributions on the floor of the upper chamber of the National Assembly, Abuja.
His versatility, fast-thinking responses to stimuli, sharp instinctual reaction-processes in matters of superior intellect and debates, would be highly needed in the country likely youth driven democracy and upper law making chamber.
Indeed, having a consummate personality like Dist Senator Ibrahim Saminu Turaki, is what the Nigerian people as well as his kinsmen and women from the North-West geo political zone of Northern Nigeria, need.
Issues and values so far raised by the voting electorates concerning the February 25th , 2023 National Assembly polls that would holds same day with the presidential elections, had centered on the visible and tangible contributions of candidates.
To this end, Distinguished Senator. Ibrahim Saminu Turaki, can justifiably lay bold claims to showing very credible democratic scorecard as his successful lines of achievement, necessitating an overwhelming electoral re-investment by his ever reliable Kazaure kinsmen and women.
The authors wrote in from THE COSMOPOLITAN Nigeria