Profiling Gubernatorial Aspirants of Kaduna State: MUKTAR RAMALLAN YERO
Gov Yero was born in Zaria on 1st May, 1968, went to schools in his place of birth, and started work there. He later left public service and joined Nalado Nigeria Limited owned by Arc Namadi Sambo Governor of Kaduna State between 29th May 2007 to May of 2010, and now Vice President of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
When Namadi won election in 2007 and took over, Yero was part of the G6 (a group 6 trusted cabals) he imported to help him run the state. Gov Yero was made Commissioner of Finance at 39 years of age.
Yar’Adua answered the call of angels of death in 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan nominated his godfather as his Vice President. Gov. Yakowa moved up as chief executive and upgraded Namadi’s Commissioner of Finance to Deputy Governor at 41 years of age. Yakowa and Yero completed that tenure and got a fresh one in 2011.
On 15th December 2012, Yakowa died in Bayelsa State in a plane crash. Yero was sworn in immediately at the age of 44.
He has been in charge for 11 months now. He worked with the team Yakowa left for a while and finally dissolved them some weeks ago. The dissolution of the State Executive Council and impeachment of Speaker Mu’azu Gangara completed the circle of his dismantlement of Yakowa’s political structures in Kaduna State.
Yero is a classical case of mentorship and destiny by political godfathers and communities that knows how to invest in the future. His father, Alhaji Ramalan Yero, the Turakin Dawakin Zazzau on 30th December, 2012 argued that his son has been a leader since birth, saying:
“Muktar is my first son. His background would also help him in the discharge of his duties as governor of Kaduna State. He has 23 paternal and maternal siblings. Apart from that he has over 100 cousins from our extended family and he is my eldest son. By this, you can see that he has been a leader since childhood and he is used to handling complex issues.”
To validate his father’s claim, within six years of appearing in the political scene, he became a commissioner, deputy governor and now a governor. He is young and has enough gas to run the office without physical or mental challenges. All is set for him, and so far, he is the sole candidate of his party PDP.
Many questions are coming up about his independent mindedness and courage to take decisions without referring to Vice President Namadi. People are saying Kaduna is too big to have a ceremonial Governor like what Adamawa had between 1999 to 2007 under Boni Haruna. Another palaver rising is the allegation that he has an anti-Christian agenda and gradually carrying out a policy of political and economic extinction of Southern Kaduna people. There is also complain that, so far, he has not been able to live above board regarding fairness to believers to the two religions in the state. He is said to be a manipulator and act different from his promises.
Researchers of Kaduna politics had opined that he is crowded by ‘paper tiger’ aides that lacked basic technical know-how of Kaduna complex politics. I don’t know more of them, but watchers of Kaduna polity scores his top officers, SSG, Political Adviser, and Chief of Staff low. It is said to be a reunion of former local chairmen who lost elections, recently. This fact I could not ascertain…but doubt whether there is a smoke without fire.
Other factors huddling his 2015 path are; lack of men and machines at sites in all the roads contracts Yakowa gave. They are dead ends like the Western front. Again, there is disturbing allegation of billions paid to his god-father for consultancy services rendered to the state. The biggest allegation on his neck in Southern Kaduna is the ATTAKAR KILLINGS and his government’s failure to arrest and prosecute the criminals, despite promises to do so.
He has many fights in Kaduna State, in his native Northern Kaduna; he has a growing opposition among their conservatives and also vibrant All Progressive Change led by their spirit and charismatic General Muhammadu Buhari. In Southern Kaduna, there is an outright anti-PDP movement despite series of lies in the political market. The PDP internal crisis in Southern Kaduna itself is a major setback, and the growing profile of politics of opposition.
Finally, these pyramids of quagmire and brouhaha have virtually denied him the power and advantages incumbents enjoy while contesting. But he still enjoys many slim advantages as sitting governor, from power of incumbency to state resources at his disposal and state security apparatus, but the fact remained that only time will tell, whether he will clinch 2015 election as political revolution is imminent in Kaduna State.
Good luck, Governor Yero.
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