Profiling Gubernatorial Aspirants of Kaduna State: JAMES BAWA MAGAJI
His Excellency James Bawa Magaji was born in 1959 and hailed from Fadan Kaje, Zangon-Kataf LGA of Kaduna State. He is a trained Quantity Surveyor from prestigious Kaduna Polytechnic. And later bagged other academic laurels. While in school, James was a radical student unionist whose leadership style and activism attracted admiration within and outside the students’ communities.
On graduation young Magaji moved straight into the private sector by establishing his firm. In a nick of time, he became a big player. His aggressive business drive and strategic thinking gave him an age over his peers.
While in business, Magaji kept his link with home and activities thereof. That made him one of the most popular rising youths in Southern Kaduna. His activities covered the entire Southern Kaduna ie part of State’s South of River Kaduna. He helped communities embarking in self help projects, identified with churches on spiritual voyages, partnered with needy youths in pursued of their dreams, and gave hope to those in depressed situations. A combination of these good gestures made him a household name in Southern Kaduna.
Like a janus with two faces, Magaji kept an eye in the political development in the country. It was a time IBB was embarking on the longest democratic transition in the history of the Nation. When the stage for gubernatorial contests appeared, Magaji rolled up his sleeves and headed straight into the ring under National Republican Convention (NRC).
Young Magaji’s ambition to pick NRC’s ticket hit the hard Rock because of the presence of old power mad vegetarians like Dr. Dalhatu Sarki Tafida (former Physician to Present Shagari and now Nigerian High Commissioner to UK) and Alh. Mohammadu David Lere (chairman of National Supply Company). The fight for the ticket became one of the toughest in the country because the two leading contenders were connected to heads of Kaduna Mafia. Lere defeated Tafida in the primaries with the support of IBB via Aliyu Mohammed (Wazirin Jema’a).
The time to pick a running mate for Lere came. And all possible contenders were weight in tandem with variables pushing the politics of the state, at that time. In their wisdom, the youngest of the aspirants fits their calculations. Who is he? The articulate, dynamic, and charming James Bawa Magaji. Gerontocrats from Southern Kaduna pushed a serious case against him because of his age. One other allegation was, he was single. All allegations collapsed because of the faith Lere’s strategic team had on him. He remains the youngest deputy governor ever in Nigeria’s history at 32, while Governor Lere was 51 and Dabo Lere was 19 years older than James Bawa, in contrast with Governor Mukhtar Yero’s 19 years younger than his Deputy, Ambassador Nuhu Bajoga.
Dabo Lere /James Magaji ticket pulled the biggest surprise at the poll. They defeated Ango Abdullahi/Stephen Shekari’s ticket of SDP despite the fact that SDP had more LGA chairmen, and Lere/Magaji sharing LGA boundaries (Saminaka/Zangon-Kataf), all in the southern belt of the state. With the stepping aside of IBB and squashing of Interim Government by Abacha, they lost it.
While a Deputy Governor, Magaji did well on each occasion he acted. It was during his time that many Southern Kaduna Directors transferred their services to Federal. He never wasted one single second in using such occasions and even asking for more from his boss for his people.
Their tenure witnessed the famous Zangon-Kataf crisis.Young Magaji was made to walk the tight rope because of the interest that was injected into the crisis. The military were there in Abuja controlling the tribunal and his people were on street protesting- this made him helpless because of lack of power and authority over the two events. Opponents who were ready to use any opportunity to blackmail him moved in and cooked many cock and bull stories. Because he was and still with God, all melted like petrol on had dry surface.
When Abacha died and Abdulsalami uploaded his transition on the political atmosphere, Magaji joined APP that later changed to ANPP and contested Southern Kaduna Senatorial seat. Because Southern Kaduna is a colony of PDP, he was defeated by Sen. Aziz. Despite that, he remained in politics.
In 2011 Magaji once more proved his love for Southern Kaduna under a dangerous situation and environment. He was Yakowa’s Chief returning officer in INEC headquarters. In that long night of history making and missed liberation, he was threatened by thugs and representatives of CPC’s interests under the likes of Hameed Ali and other mafias in the collection centre. Magaji stood his grounds until Yakowa was declared winner.
After the victory, Magaji rendered sufficient counsel to Yakowa and stood by him in hard moments. While Zonkwa was boiling due to an attack by terrorist, Magaji followed Yakowa to Zonkwa to cold down tension. He was harassed and cap thrown down by rioting radical youths. He saw that as a price worthy to pay for a brother ruling the state in difficult moment like what he experienced in the early 90s (while there he wasn’t given that solidarity).Of all the club of so-called elders parading themselves today as leaders only James Bawa Magaji stood by Yakowa without his eye attached to materialism. And records show that, he is the only one without a single contract or any monetary reward. Most took the road contracts today that are abandoned sites in Southern Kaduna.
Magaji is highly principled, fearless, articulate and knowledgeable of Nigeria’s politics. He can say the truth and go home pocket empty and hungry than succumb to falsehood. He is the most articulate Southern Kaduna politician, go check his interviews and listen to his contributions.
His Excellency James Bawa Magaji has indicated his interest to contest the 2015 gubernatorial elections. I JOHN DANFULANI OF AWON VILLAGE OF KACHIA LGA, WILL STAND BY HIM UNTIL THE LAST DOG DIES.
Recent Comments