HISTORY OF SENATORIAL ELECTIONS IN SOUTHERN BORNO

HISTORY OF SENATORIAL ELECTIONS IN SOUTHERN BORNO

By: Ibrahim Gwamna Mshelizza

The present Presidential system in Nigeria has made provision for each state to have three Senators who will represent them at the Red Chambers of the National Assembly.

Borno just like any other state has three Senatorial Districts of NORTH, CENTRAL and SOUTHERN senatorial Districts. In this write-up, I shall be dwelling on Southern Borno to remind my people that it is the right of all of them to aspire to the position of Senator if such person is constitutionally qualified to do so.

It becomes necessary to make this reminder because some people have been erroneously made to believe that the position of Senator can only be contested by people from a particular Local Government Area to the exclusion of all others.

This is false and those who desire to contest for the position should get set to do so as soon as the whistle is blown for such a contest.

To buttress this position, let us go down memory lane and examine the various contests and those that vied for the position.

During the Second Republic late Senator Jafaru Mangga from Askira- Uba represented the area at the hallowed Senate between 1979- 1983.

During the short-lived Third Republic under General Ibrahim Babangida who hoisted the Diarchy system of Government on the country where a Military President was at the Head with Civilians at the National Assembly between 1992-1993 , Senator Abubakar Mahdi from Gwoza held sway.

His party the Social Democratic Party (SDP) had defeated Major Bukar Haruna of the National Republican Convention (NRC). Senator Mahdi is from Gwoza while Major Haruna is from Biu.

During the first elections conducted within the Third Republic, Senator Abubakar Mahdi from Gwoza was again re-elected to represent Southern Borno between 1999-2003 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In 2003 senator Mahdi of the (PDP) from Gwoza and Barrister Charles Uba from Uba of Askira-Uba local Government Area of Alliance for Democracy (AD) lost to Umar Abubakar Hambagda (late) of the ANPP . Hambagda was also from Gwoza and served two terms from 2003-2011.

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In 2011 Hon. Ishaku Joshua Shara contested from Askira-Uba lost to Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume from Gwoza local government area.

In 2015 Senator Mohamed Ali Ndume from Gwoza recontested against Mr. Nicholas Mshelizza from Hawul of the PDP where Senator Ndume won the majority votes cast to be declared winner and has ever since been at the Senate.

From this brief account therefore it is clear that people from any of the Local government areas of the zone had at one point or another exercised their right and aspired for the position.

Southern Borno is an area which is politically enlightened and the recent campaigns by some individuals to dissuade aspirants from other local governments from contesting should stop as Democracy should be allowed to be practiced in its true form.

Southern Borno believes in the sanctity of freedom of choice because we are true democrats and shall practice Democracy for the advancement of society.

It is our belief that as we get set to elect our next Senator, all aspirants should come with full force so the best person will be elected no matter from which area he comes from. No local government area should think it is their preserve or no area should be excluded as some people think political considerations are based on Emirates.

*Mshelizza writes from Maiduguri

HISTORY OF SENATORIAL ELECTIONS IN SOUTHERN BORNO