After the declaration of results of the 2015 elections in Borno State, the Secretary to the State Government, Ambassador Baba Ahmad Jida was emphatic saying, “Borno has paid President Goodluck Jonathan in his own coins”. Without any ambiguity or iota of doubt, Baba Ahmad Jida, who was one-time Nigeria Ambassador to Burkina Faso and presently the nation’s Ambassador to China was, in 2015, making reference to the general elections (from Presidential, governorship down to National Assembly) in the state where the All Progressives Congress swept all the seats to Peoples Democratic Party, President Jonathan’s party, that recorded zero in the entire contest. Even in the State Assembly election, the PDP recorded nothing.
The Technical Knockout of the PDP in all the 2015 elections in Borno sounded or appeared a marvel, taking cognizance of men of “caliber and timber” that embraced the party that period. Remember, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, popularly known as “SAS” and designated by his supporters as “Grandmaster of Borno Politics” had defected from APC to PDP that time and pledged to President Jonathan at the PDP rally in Maiduguri before thousands of people that he would deliver Borno and Yobe States to PDP and for any failure, he (Senator Ali Modu) should be held responsible. Other prominent personalities in the state PDP that period included the indomitable Gambo Lawan and Mohammed Iman, as well others. Yet, with the array of personalities and plutocrats in the PDP, the APC had an easy walkover.
The opposition parties will no doubt have questions for President Buhari. They will like to know, among others, why the sudden downward trend in the war against terror. Who are the sponsors of this heinous crime? Can his administration beat its chest of being capable to protect the citizens in the light of the dangerous signals by the gradual but violent onslaught of the insurgents? Will there be an end to this imbroglio?
The inevitable question is: what could have been responsible for the woeful performance of a formidable party like PDP in the entire 2015 elections in Borno? Agreed, the party, by design or default, went into the elections a divided house, especially on the issue of the right candidate for the party governorship which became a contention between Alhaji Gambo Lawan and Alhaji Mohammed Iman, with both parties having their respective supporters. When the court finally gave the nod to Gambo Lawan as the rightful candidate, most supporters of Mohammed Iman were alleged to have denied Gambo Lawan their support or engaged in anti-party activities. Besides, the ability of Governor Kashim Shettima, the leader of the APC in the State to cash on the crisis in the PDP for gains in his party as well his overwhelming mobilisation prowess of party members was not a plus for PDP survival.
The above were some reasons why the PDP could not make it in the 2015 elections in Borno. However, the major and overriding factor why the party appeared to have fallen from perceived grace to grass centered more on the role of President Jonathan in the insurgency war in the Northeast, especially Borno and the abduction of the Chibok school girls. Apart from the shoddy approach of President Jonathan to the Boko Haram crisis in Borno, the initial insensitivity to human feelings of the President to the parents of the abducted girls, undue delay in the expected rapid response of the Federal Government to the rescue of the girls, the delay of President Jonathan to visit Borno, the epic-centre of the insurgency and Chibok, the location where the girls were abducted and sympathise with the people, the politicisation of the abducted Chibok girls saga and the communication gap on this matter between the President and Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State were all combined catalyst that swept completely the foot prints of PDP on Borno soil during the 2015 elections. In short, the perceived inhuman treatment of an orphan to the people of Borno, the indecisive approach to Boko Haram crisis, the snail pace disposition of President Jonathan to the freedom of the abducted Chibok girls and the refusal to visit Borno and Chibok at the compelling time were the albatross Jonathan committed against the people who were very bitter. They were angered, the consequent of transfer of aggression against Jonathan on the PDP in Borno and beyond. Hence, the declaration of Ambassador Ahmad Baba Jida, the then Secretary to Borno State Government, that “We have paid President Jonathan in his coins.”
The current upsurge of security challenges in the country has provoked pricked and prodded debate and altercations. In particular is the insurgency in the Northeast, especially Borno State, its epi-centre. Already, the re-insurgence of the terror war in the state has assumed a frightened dimension and causing the people nightmare, deaths, blood, sorrow both in civilian and military population and gradual loss of confidence of the people in the capability of the authorities to protect its citizens. It is a popular held view that the legitimacy of any government is called to question or ceases at the very stage or point such administration negates in its obligation to safeguard the safety and lives of the citizens when threatened.
Recently, when President Buhari came to Maiduguri to declare the 2018 Chief of Army Staff Conference opened, he called on the Shehu of Borno, His Highness Abubakar Umar Ibn El-kanemi, who told the President in clear terms that the insurgency in the state has surged to the extent that to travel out of Maiduguri few kilometers does not guarantee the safety of lives. Similarly, Senator Ali Ndume from Borno State has expressed his concern and sadness over the sudden rise of terror war by the insurgents in the state. In his Tuesday column in the Daily Trust of December 11, 2018, Gambo Dori wrote, “The fires of the Boko Haram insurgents still smolders, nine years after it began, and even some three years after our gallant troops have routed them out of all the areas they captured. However, Borno State, the epicentre of the war on Boko Haram still reels from aftershocks of the insurgency – guerrilla attacks, here and there, mostly in isolated areas of the vast state, though recently, even nearer to the suburbs of Maiduguri the capital city.”
Take it or leave it, the people of Borno State are now living corpses as death could strike anytime – no thanks to the terrorists.
Like in 2015 elections, Borno will be an issue in 2019 elections, especially on matters of security and in particular the insurgency. There would be debate and questions on the fight against the terror war since the beginning of Buhari’s administration, more so, as fighting the insurgents is one of the assignments of this administration.
No doubt from the onset of this administration, the battle against terrorism has been unrelenting. Successes have been recorded. The insurgents have been degraded and decimated. Their headquarters in Sambisa forest (Camp Zairo) have been captured by the military. All the Local Government Council areas hitherto held by the terrorists have been liberated. Over a 100 of the abducted Chibok school girls have got their freedom, same as over 100 of abducted Dapchi school girls in Yobe State who have been freed. Reports indicated that the Buhari’s administration is still negotiating for the release of the remaining abducted school girls as well others in the same dilemma or fate. Following the unfortunate incident in Metele, where several soldiers were killed, the visit of the President to leaders of neighbouring countries on the way forward in the war against insurgency, is an indication of the seriousness of Buhari to end this madness. With these, Buhari’s administration can beat its chest and tell that electorate that it deserved commendation in the fight against terror.
Nevertheless, it is not over until it is over. The recent intensified prowl of the terrorists, especially in various parts of Borno, including the state capital, is of great concern and heart rendering. The hitherto peace of the people as a result of the military victories over these demons of destruction has been violently shattered with impunity. As the civilians are counting their losses in lives and valuables, the military is not left out. As a matter of fact, one of the state governors making reference to the massacre or killing of several soldiers in Metele in Borno State pointed out that this was a declaration of war.
The opposition parties will no doubt have questions for President Buhari. They will like to know, among others, why the sudden downward trend in the war against terror. Who are the sponsors of this heinous crime? Can his administration beat its chest of being capable to protect the citizens in the light of the dangerous signals by the gradual but violent onslaught of the insurgents? Will there be an end to this imbroglio? Has Buhari’s administration the capacity and capability to tame the terrorists? What is the fate of the remaining Chibok school girls and Leah Sharibu, the Dapchi school girl, held back by the insurgents in Yobe State? Is the Federal Government waiting for an opportune time to secure the release of the girls to score political point? These are questions and issues that the opposition might dust or rake up in the coming weeks to the election.
From the foregoing, Borno will certainly be an issue in the 2019 elections.
Victor Izekor is a journalist and public affairs analyst and writes at victorizekor@gmail.com
