By Muktar Mohammed
Alhaji Jafaru Sani was over-hyped as the inheritor of Malam Nasir El Rufai’s political dynasty but he has turned out to be a huge disappointment. He was favored at various times as permanent secretary, Commissioner of Local Government and headed other sensitive committees during the El Rufai administration. Jafaru was in charge of the infamous primaries where aspirants were disqualified as being “unsuitable “even before delegates cast their votes.
So, when El Rufai started to play God by nursing the idea of denying Governor Uba Sani a second term, all eyes were on Jafaru Sani as the heir apparent or “Governor in Waiting”. In fact, the man followed the former Governor to SDP and when Malam was frustrated out of the party, he went to ADC with him.
Besides, Jafaru was always in court every time El Rufai was arraigned. He was always beside Hon Bello El Rufai when the legislator is making a case for his father’s release in press conferences.
However, instead of reaching out to the electorate and party members for support, Jafaru was waiting to be anointed. In fact, El Rufai made him think that his coronation as Kaduna State Governor in 2027 was just a matter of time. The man was made to believe that he will be the ADC gubernatorial candidate on a platter of gold, without working for it and the consent of ADC members!
With this mindset, the man was busy carrying on as a “Governor” even before primaries were conducted and the general election are held. Reports indicated that he was even holding court in his house, where potential cabinet members have started lobbying to be Commissioners!
In contrast, Alhaji Isa Ashiru saw an opportunity and cashed in on it. With a better structure, having defected to ADC with a chunk of his PDP supporters, and a name recognition, Ashiru soon became the candidate to beat. However, Jafaru was still living in his own bubble, believing that El Rufai’s magic wand will make him clinch the party’s ticket in a kangaroo consensus. When that illusion disappeared and reality sank in, the former Commissioner of Local Government still nursed the dream of riding on El Rufai’s name to victory.
Alas, Ashiru trounced him at the ADC primaries which held recently and the entire support base of El Rufai has been in disarray after the polls. Most supporters are blaming El Rufai for not standing firm for Jafaru Sani. According to them, Malam made a mistake for choosing a political paper weight who has little electoral value and a “Dan Boko” who is out of touch with reality.
Owing to Jafaru Sani’s naivety and lackadaisical handling of the entire contest, almost all of Malam’s candidates crashed at the primaries. In one fell swoop, Ashiru who is an outsider, has seized ADC in Kaduna State as most of his candidates have coasted to victory.
The irony is that El Rufai’s camp which prides itself as more learned in policy formulation and governance, will now be led by someone whom they have low regard for his intellect and integrity! What El Rufai has done to Jafaru is the ultimate betrayal of trust and everything that he has worked for has gone with the wind, including his inordinate desire to deny Governor Uba Sani a second term.
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