Faced with strong challenge from a section of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in his state, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has been forced to bolster his support base by drawing support from elements in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

By Bashir Bello

Governor Masari

Faced with strong challenge from a section of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in his state, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has been forced to bolster his support base by drawing support from elements in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The division in the APC in Katsina State became formal last year after some prominent members of the party formed a parallel structure of the party to confront the mainstream that is loyal to Governor Masari.

The rival faction is known as APC –Akida, literally meaning those aligned to the true principles of the APC.

Among those who claimed to identify with the rival faction were Dr. Usman Bugaje, Senator M.T. Liman, Senator Sadiq Yar’Adua, Senator Abdu Yandoma, and Hannatu Musawa among many other ranking party chieftains in the state.

The APC-Akida who came to public reckoning in the last quarter of last year have been especially critical of Masari’s style of governance lampooning the administration as incompetent, corrupt and lacking in focus.

Faced with the internal challenge from such formidable political forces, it is not surprising that Governor Masari had to re-strategise as a way of cushioning the attacks against him. The governor has as such recently gone on a charm offensive to win friends from outside the APC with the governor mainly focusing on the opposition PDP.

It is remarkable that Governor Masari had in the first two years of his administration won the reputation of labelling anything by the preceding PDP administration in vile terms.

Indeed, the governor’s targets have been mainly loyalist ‘boys’ of Shema who are also said to be influential in their zones. The Governor has since received the persons in the party, APC in a formal ceremony but promised a colourful ceremony in a date yet to be announced.

Prominent among those who have defected from the PDP to the APC and joined Governor Masari’s camp include the former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly in the Shema administration, Umar Ya’u Gwajo-gwajo.

Gwajogwajo was before his election to the House of Assembly, chairman of Maiadua Local Government Area for eight years which was itself a stronghold of the PDP in the area as well as Daura zone.

Bilya Rimi from Rimi local government area who also served as deputy speaker to Gwajo-gwajo followed suit in defecting few days after the former speaker changed political camp.

Others who have defected include the former commissioner of agriculture, Musa Adamu Funtua from Funtua zone, former senator representing Katsina Central,  Senator Ibrahim Idah, former member representing Kankara at the Katsina State House of Assembly, Abdulaziz Hamza Kankara, former PDP Vice Chairman in Funtua Zone, Sabiu Maijama’a. former Chairman, Funtua Local government area, Abdul Isah Funtua and former speaker, under late Governor Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Rt. Hon. Kabir Kofa from Kankia Local Government Area.

The defections to the APC, it is perceived, may have conferred on Governor Masari a buffer against the agitations of the APC- Akida elements in his party. But how the developments play out in the presidential contest is something that would be seen in the months to come.