BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE& ABDALLAH EL-KUREBE
ABUJA — TODAY is a decisive day for five of the nation’s 36 governors. The Supreme Court will give a ruling on whether or not their tenures should start from the day they were re-sworn-in after re-run polls or from their first swearing-in date.

The affected state helmsmen are Governors Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa), Ibrahim Idris (Kogi), Liyel Imoke (Cross River) and Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (Sokoto).

Their tenures were truncated upon the decision of various Courts of Appeal that they did not win the 2007 gubernatorial election which first brought them into office.

After winning the re-run election they subsequently obtained the approval of the courts that their tenure should run from the second inauguration after the 2007 election, a decision the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is challenging.
Four of the five governors are in their first term and are seeking re-election. Idris is the only second term governor.

Apart from Sylva, the other three governors won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) re-election tickets and will stand for forthcoming polls.

Governor Imoke, on Monday won the PDP gubernatorial ticket to contest for a second term and thereby joined his colleagues – Murtala Nyako and Aliyu Wamakko.

Governor Sylva is the only one of the affected governors excluded from a second term having been barred from participating in the PDP gubernatorial primaries last November. The governor is presently in court pressing his case that he was unjustly excluded in the contest.

Thus, today’s decision of the court has varying implications for the five governors.
In Kogi, an election has been held already. If the verdict goes against extending Idris’ tenure, he will hand over to the Governor-elect, Capt Idris Wada in March. Otherwise, he will remain on the saddle till April 5.

Relatedly, a positive verdict will see the other governors remaining in office as follows: Nyako (April 30), Wamakko (May 28) and Imoke (August 28).  Otherwise, the guber polls will go on as scheduled next month in Adamawa and Bayelsa while that of Sokoto and Cross River  will hold in March and April respectively.

The wait in Sokoto In Sokoto, the wait for the apex court’s ruling has been characterised by agitation, optimism and hope.
While supporters of Governor Wamakko are optimistic that the bang of the Judge’s gavel would be in Wamakko’s favour, opponents within his Peoples Democratic Party and those in the opposition parties, particularly the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) are hoping that the ruling would be against the governor.

However, those rallying for peace are hoping and praying that whatever happens at the Supreme Court should not result in chaos.

Sokoto State PDP Secretary, Aminu Bello Sokoto is optimistic that Governor Wamakko would cross the hurdle if the full tenets of the laws were followed. “As far as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act are concerned, the five governors and, in this regard, Governor Wamakko, will win the case at the Supreme Court,” he said.

He opined that the courts listen to all manner of persons who approach it regardless of the frivolity of the claims, “but that is not to conclude that because it must listen, then one has a good case. Wamakko has every justification to win the case.”

Ibrahim Magaji Gusau of the CPC decried alleged political intimidation of members of the opposition parties in the state. “You see, Wamakko should give way for peace and political tolerance to reign in Sokoto State. My hope is for the Supreme Court to remove Wamakko from office in order for us to have peace in Sokoto state,” he said.

ANPP’s Yusuf Dingyadi wants Wamakko removed in order to save other political parties from being manhandled by the security agencies. “Look at what is happening in Sokoto now. The ANPP state Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Milgoma, was arrested by the police after a meeting convened at the instance of the Security agencies.”

According to Dingyadi, “the meeting turned out to point accusing fingers at leaders of opposition political parties that they were sponsoring thugs during the nationwide strike. That afternoon after the meeting, Milgoma was invited to the Police headquarters and detained until the following day when he was released on bail. Why should peace not reign because Wamakko doesn’t want anyone to be?”

However, Special Assistant to Senator Abubakar Gada sees the Supreme Court removing the five governors including Wamakko because the PDP failed to organise an all-inclusive primaries thereby making  a wrong choice of candidate in the person of Wamakko.

According to him, PDP risks losing the governorship election, which holds in March because of the wrong choice. “The party is the largest political organization in Africa and should not stand any chance of losing its popularity nor grip from the support of the people that gave it overwhelming victories from 1999 through to 2011 at both state and federal levels of politicking.”

All over Sokoto, people are discussing the outcome of the Supreme Court judgement. Although security is in place, the mood in the polity appears tensed.