It may not be the same old story in Nasarawa State in respect of the senatorial polls billed to hold on Saturday.

Gone seems to be the era when a political party would maintain its tenacious hold on power through manipulation at the polls. This time, because of balance of forces, votes may count.

In the just-concluded primaries for senatorial aspirants across Nasarawa State, there were a lot of intrigues, especially within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The aspirants jostled to outwit their opponents anyhow.

Those who could not on their own pick the ticket were said to have run to their god-fathers cap-in-hand, to save their political careers from crumbling. While some returned jubilating, others went home biting their fingers.

But those who bit their fingers never went to by defecting sleep. They fought back to another political party that would help propel their ambition of participating in the race. In all the camps, it has been a game of wits.



Nasarawa South

In the Nasarawa South senatorial district, the battle for the ticket of the PDP was fiercely fought. Every aspirant believed that he would win. Yusuf Agabi, a director at a federal ministry was tipped to pick the ticket even as Tanko Wamabi, a good friend of Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma was also tipped for the ticket. But at the end, the incumbent, Senator Suleiman Adokwe got the ticket in a manner that left others panting.

For this development, many accusing fingers have been pointed at the governor for allegedly interfering in the affairs of the party by not allowing a level-playing ground for all the contestants. They believe that the governor stood by Adokwe because of their tribal linkage, thus forcing the remaining contestants out of the race.

While Agabi accepted his fate by stepping down for Adokwe allegedly on the governor’s insistence, Wambai on the other hand would not accepts. He moved to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) where he hopes to slug it out with Adokwe on Saturday. The Wambai move has no doubt brought sleepless nights to Adokwe and Governor Doma’s camp, thanks to the spread of the CPC like a wild fire in a dry season especially in Keana and Awe axis.

At the moment, Adokwe is said to be facing the toughest fight of his political career against the CPC and will take more than the intervention of the governor to help him retain his seat. And sadly, the governor too is not finding it easy politically in that axis.

Though there are other contestants like Idris Dantata Ahmed of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Dauda Muhammed of the Labour Party, and two others in the race for the Southern senatorial district race, the fight, however, is believed to be between Suleiman Adokwe and Tanko Wambai at the moment.



Nasarawa North

In the Nasarawa North is incumbent Senator Patricia Akwashiki. Her hope to return to the seat with the so-called power of incumbency is no longer guaranteed. She has to square it up with Barrister Solomon Ewuga who has also joined the CPC after crying foul of PDP’s manipulation at the primaries.

She too, like Adokwe in the South, is said to be enjoying the support of the governor and Minister for Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, but it will take a miracle for her to pull it through as the combined forces of both the governor and Maku will still find Ewuga a hard nut crack in their hands.

Long before Ewuga moved to the CPC, Akwashiki had not found things easy in her constituency. She has come under physical attacks by youths from the area in the recent past because of what they described as her lack of performance since she got there.

During the "meet the people" tour of Governor Doma to Wamba, one of her constituencies sometimes ago, she was prevented from entering the Paramount ruler’s palace by the youths and was nearly lynched by angry youths.

And just last month, the same incident played out when she went out with the state governor’s wife on a campaign tour of Wamba. She was held hostage by the youths of the area.

The target of the assault was Akwashiki whom the youths prevented from leaving the palace. It only took the intervention of security forces that mobilised to rescue her from the hands of the angry youths.

Her ascension to the Senatorial throne of the zone in 2007 was through protest vote as she was already on her way out, but because of the Ewuga factor who was then in the ANPP where Akwashiki decamped to, people voted her in against the incumbent Senator John Danboyi who was on the side of Doma.

At a point, Ewuga’s name was said to be missing in the INEC list posted on the website and many were of the view that if it became the true situation, then Akwashiki might heave a sigh of relief, but otherwise, then she might well be on her way out of the National Assembly with Ewuga in the race.

The omission of Ewuga’s name is however said to be because of Dr. Yusuf Musa Nagogo who also is in CPC and laying claim to be the original candidate instead of Ewuga. But analysts believe that Nagogo may not prove a hard nut for Akwashiki in the general elections even if he secures the ticket eventually.

Though there are other candidates including Barrister John Mathew of the ANPP, Isa Usman Ambaka of the LP and Haruna Adamu Sankwa of the APS, the focus at the moment is between Ewuga, Akwashiki and Nagogo.



Nasarawa West

In Nasarawa West Senatorial District, there is another big fight as the immediate past governor of the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu will be up against General Ahmed Abdullahi Abokie who, it was learnt, brought him to the lime light.

Adamu had a tough fight against the incumbent, Senator Abubakar Sodangi at the primaries, but managed to beat him with a slim margin and was confident of winning until the entrance of Abokie into the race.

Abokie, a former military administrator of Kwara State, one-time Director of Military Intelligence and GOC of the Nigerian Army is said to be giving Adamu sleepless nights in the zone.

Things have become even more complicated for the former governor because of the inroad of the CPC in the zone. The entire area is said to be firmly in the hands of the CPC which influence has kept the PDP on edge.

Though Adamu sees the CPC as a new political party that may not make much impact in the state, the testimonies left on the trail of its campaigns would likely puncture that claim.

The tussle between the CPC and PDP in the state will be tough. However, analysts believe that the CPC is counting on an election devoid of manipulations. How it end will be decided on Saturday.

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