How Adamawa Politicians Plan to Plant Their Children

In line with the law of nature which detests vacuum, some influential elites and politicians in Adamawa state have seemingly started grooming their children to inherit their political dynasties so that in the event they died or became mortally incapacitated by age, the dynasties they established will not crumble like a badly arranged pack of cards.
Since the beginning of the current political dispensation about 16 years ago, there seems to be heightened foray of the children of very powerful and influential people in the state into the murky waters of politics seemingly to continue from where the parents stopped.
The trend, which seems to be more espoused and rooted as the years passed by, has portrayed a tendency that in the near future, the children of the high and mighty will continue to hold the reins of power in the state at home and national levels.
Some of the children of influential citizens who are on the path of inheriting the political dynasties bequeathed to them by their powerful parents include;
Awwal D Tukur: Awwal D. Tukur, the scion of former national chairman of the then ruling People’s Democratic Party PDP and former governor of defunct Gongola state Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, forays into politics in the aftermath of Nigeria’s switch to democratization process in 1999.
Awwal was believed to have the full backing of his influential father who was believed to have used his connections and gargantuan influence in the polity to help him secure the ticket of House of Representatives membership representing Yola North, Yola South, and Girei Federal constituency where he chaired the juicy committee on aviation.
After his sojourn in the National Assembly, Awwal’s interests shifted from lawmaking to the executive arm where he sought to lead Adamawa state though his dream was short lived due to the many obstacles his ambition encountered along the line.
But his closeness to fulfilling his gubernatorial ambition was when his father became the National Chairman of the ruling party as many observers believed that nothing will prevent Awwal from realizing his lifetime ambition should his father remain in office up to the time elections will be conducted.
What apparently put a cog in that arrangement, however, was the impromptu sacking of Tukur as the national chairman of the party about two years into his stewardship following intractable conflagration that led five governors including the governor of his state Murtala Nyako to dump the party for the rival All Progressives Congress.
But before that epic development, many people believed that nothing will stop Awwal from leading the state in view of the unwavering support of the patriarch of the family Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
At a point it became very glaring that the ambition of Awwal got the imprimatur of his father as Bamanga Tukur never mince words in supporting his son’s ambition to lead the state as he reiterated on many fora noting that his son has met all the criteria of leading the state as its governor as such his ambition enjoys his full backing.
To ensure that Awwal realizes his ambition, Bamanga Tukur has allegedly bankrolled all his campaign activities on the three occasions he took a shot at the plum office in the state as sources close to the family told this reporter that every time Awwal made a trial at the position, he usually gets a huge war chest from his rich father.
With the change of guard from PDP to APC, the ability of Awwal to fulfill his life ambition has now become a subject of conjectures.
Dr. Fatima Atiku Abubakar: Dr Fatima Atiku Abubakar daughter of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was the latest entrant among the children of hyper influential politicians in to the game of numbers.
Dr Fatima Atiku Abubakar who was a carbon replica of her father was said to be a chip off the old block as she was said to posses the magnetic influence of her father.
Fatima was introduced into politics following her appointment as a commissioner of health by Governor Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa state.
Although the governor has on many occasions defended her choice to be purely on merit, many in the state who have contrary opinion are bound to swear that they saw the hand of her influential father in her appointment.
Some people even went a bit further by insinuating that her appointment was consummated by her father in order to protect his interests as they noted that the former Vice President has a link and interest with a Dubai company which the governor has had talks to established a 300 bed hospital in the state and also to enjoy other sundry contracts in the state.
But while repudiating insinuations that Atiku influenced his daughter’s appointment, the Chief of Staff to Governor Bindow, Alhaji Abdurrahman Abbah Jimeta, has on many occasions said that the former Vice President was never instrumental to the appointment of Dr Fatima Atiku Abubakar, noting that in effect, the Vice President was against her selection to serve as commissioner in the state.
Abdurrahman, who made the position in a breakfast meeting with members of NUJ and NLC during the last Ramadan fast and during the traditional courtesy call by emirs and chiefs in the state on the occasion of last Eid El Fitri, noted that the appointment of Dr. Fatima Atiku Abubakar even caused a friction between Atiku and the mother of Dr. Fatima which was later resolved in favour of the mother as she insisted that her daughter should be allowed to take the appointment so that she can be close by which may even facilitate the chances of her daughter getting a husband from the state.
Abdul’Aziz Nyako: The road to Abdul’Aziz Nyako’s foray into politics started when his father Admiral Murtala Nyako Rtd became the governor of Adamawa state.
Having weighed his chances very well, Abdul’Aziz dumped his profession as a commander in the Nigerian Navy where he started shaping and rooting his political structures through the instrumentality of the title of Emir of the Youth (Chief Matasa) given to him by Lamido of Adamawa, Dr Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha.
Through the instrumentality of the traditional title, Abdul’Aziz Nyako popularly addressed asSarkin Matasa, ensured the formation of a formidable political spring board that he used in rooting a structured political force across all nooks and crannies of the state which tricked down from the center to all the 226 wards of the state.
Abdul’Aziz succeeded in launching his political structure via the replication of the appointment of the emir of youths (Sarkin Matasa) in all districts, local governments and even ward level, a structure which he intended to use to succeed his father as governor of Adamawa state.
Even though the dream of Abdul’Aziz to lead Adamawa state as governor was truncated following the impeachment of his father from office few months to the expiration of his tenure, he nevertheless, used his well structured political machinery to become the senator representing Adamawa central against all odds.
One thing that was very glaring in the rise of Abdulaziz’s political destiny was the ample support he got from his father as Nyako glaringly relinquished enormous powers and political war chest to Abdul’Aziz which even earned Abdul’Aziz the sobriquet of the de facto governor then.
Governor Bindow: The political trajectory of Governor Muhammdu Umaru Jibrilla Bindow would have been a mirage without the goodwill and support he enjoys courtesy of his philanthropic father and business tycoon late Alhaji Umaru Jibrilla.
His sojourn into politics when he aspired to become the senator representing Adamawa North under the banner of then ruling PDP encountered some obstacles as the then governor Murtala Nyako who supported the candidature of Muhammadu Mana was not disposed to Bindow’s aspiration. But despite governor Nyako’s cold feet to his ambition, Bindow trounced Mana at the primary election and also defeated another big name and former governor Boni Haruna to clinch the senatorial ticket of his constituency. His success which prepared him to contest for the state’s plum position, was highly accentuated by the goodwill bequeathed to him by his father.
Similarly, the same goodwill was ascribed to help Bindow to defeat Atiku’s favorite candidate twice during the party primaries of the All Progressives Congress in Adamawa state and also helped him to beat big names at the general elections to emerge victorious in the April gubernatorial polls in the state.
Sa’ad MC Tahir: The political feats scored by Sa’ad Muhammadu Chubado Tahir, the immediate past deputy governor, would have been impossible without the role played by his father who was a successful businessman that cut his niche in the hospitality industry.
Sa’ad served as the federal lawmaker representing Yola Noth, Yola South and Girei constituency and was defeated by Hajiya Aishatu Ahmed Binanai in 2011. However, providence made him to be selected to serve Governor Bala James Nggilari in the capacity of a deputy following a court pronouncement which reinstated Ngilari as substantive governor of the state following anomalies in his removal from office by the state lawmakers.
The influence of Sa’ads father, MC Tahir ,was believed to have played significant impact in his success as a politician.
Muhammad Mustapha Barkindo: Muhammad Mustapha Barkindo, the eldest son of Lamido of Adamawa began his political sojourn during the administration of former governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state.
It was rumored that as a payback to the unwavering support the monarch has been rendering to Nyako, the governor appointed the eldest son of the Lamido into his cabinet.
Also in order to be on the good books of Lamido, incumbent governor of Adamawa also absorbed the eldest son of the monarch into his cabinet so as to equally enjoy full support of the Adamawa emirate council. http://desertherald.com/how-adamawa-politicians-plan-to-plant-their-children/