News analysis.
By Dada Ahmed, MNGE.
For three solid days, the Ahmadu Bello University community, Samaru, Kaduna state, North Central Nigeria stood still as it received hundreds of graduates of the 60-year-old great institution.
The old graduates, better known as alumni, were in Samaru from September 28 to September 30, for their 16th ABU Annual Genera Assembly /Homecoming 2023.
The annual event was not only a normal ritual for members of the executive council of the association to reel out their achievements challenges, and plans, it was also characterized by glamour, winning, and dining by members.
Many of the alumni also used the occasion to create an atmosphere of conviviality to relate with one another, reflect on their past experiences during their days in the university, and share ideas on how to move Nigeria forward among others.
Perhaps, the most interesting aspect of the event was the delegate election that put in place a new executive council, with Alhaji Adamu Mamman Kontagora as the President worldwide and Dr.Danjuma Mahmud as the Secretary General down the ladder of other positions.
All of the elective positions, only the national publicity secretary office, were unopposed except that of national publicity secretary with the keenly contested that set many tongues wagging.
At the end of the various speeches, including that of the outgoing executive, the delegates dissolved the executive, led by Dr. Ibrahim Sani Khalil.
The house quickly put in place, a three-man electoral committee, chaired by a retired High Court Judge, retired Justice Idi Apollo, to conduct election of a new executive.
As members of the electoral committee (two men and a woman) settled down for their work, it quickly down on them that they had less work to do.
This is the sequel to the fact that, most positions; from deputy president to the six vice president offices down the ladder were unopposed.
Dr.Danjuma Mahmud, the immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the association was the only candidate who offered himself for the of Secretary General and was cleared by the electoral committee as unopposed as well.
However, three members who put in for the office of National Publicity Secretary stuck to their guns in testing their popularity before the delegates through the electoral college.
At the end of the keen contest, Madinah Azaki scored 118 votes, followed by Musa Aliyu with 94 votes and Gusau, with 70 votes, as announced by the electoral committee chairman.
Immediately the electoral committee concluded its assignment, jubilation enveloped the hall as victors became the toast of the moment as were hugged and they also hugged candidates who stepped in for them.
Dr. Khalil, who stepped down for Kontagora, moved to the new President worldwide of the Alumni Association, Alhaji Adamu Mamman Kontagora, and stretched his hand for a warm handshake and Kontagora responded with the speed of light by shaking him as well.
The two personalities hugged each other firmly with infectious smiles and warm embracement with Dr.Khalil promising to cooperate with the Kontagora-led exco members to ensure their success.
In his acceptance speech, the news ABU Alumni Alumni Association described the election as the best in the history of election in the association and commended Dr.Khalil for exhibiting an absolute sense of good sportsmanship.
Kontagora and his team, whose tenure will last for two years, promised that his administration would ensure that the association witnessed more positive developments to justify the confidence members reposed in him and his management.
The consensus opinion among the delegates has been that, hope is not lost for Nigeria to have an election where negative developments such as money politics, maiming, shedding of blood, thuggery, and others will one day, cease to determine the pattern of the electoral process in the country.
Reflecting on the exercise, the Secretary General of the alumni association, Dr.Danjuma Mahmud, noted that the election was devoid of any inducement, money, or material and crisis, adding that it is a replica of any election capable of standing the test of time anywhere in the world.
“Election of ABU Alumni Association is very exceptional in the sense that it is usually done in orderliness and how a contestant can reach out to the 36 stand branches and FCT to will an election.
Giving a vivid picture of the exercise, Mahmud described the conduct of the election as “open, transparent, free and fair, noting with delight that no inducement while the exercise lasted”.
He further observed that delegates from the state branches of the association were called to step out, they responded in an orderly manner, cast their votes for the candidates of their choice, and went back to their seats to await the announcement of the results.
He disclosed that before, some contestants withdrew from the race, purely on their volition or that the other co-constant would be better than them in performance.
“There is nothing like inducement here, you will only show your capability to perform to the expectation of the delegates if given the mandate”.
On what Nigerian politicians stand to gain from the delegate election, the secretary general reminded them that power bongs to God, stressing that whichever way you acquire power will be the way you are going run that power”
He advised politicians to shun the culture of seeking power with all they have, saying that the important this would be for them to allow the process, guided by the electoral to take place, to ensure political stability, economic development, and social cohesion in the country.
“As soon as the results were announced, a galore of jubilation set in with contestants congratulating themselves, this is the way it is supposed to be.
“In as much as the purpose of election is service for the people, there is no need for any politician to go the extra mile to seek power out the norms of the election.
“If you look critically, you notice that we are also nurturing prospective political leaders that will ensure that elections are done, free and fair”.
In all, while political crises may not spring surprises to discerning minds in Nigeria, the fact remains that the negative is a phase that be a product of history some years to come. This is the Nigeria has many of its citizens desirous to the narrative reminiscence of what happened in the just concluded, successful ABU Alumni Association delegate election in Zaria.
A Political analyst,Alhaji Kabit Mohammed expressed optimism that “It is a question of time, Nigeria will surely get there, sooner than later.
“What happened regarding the recent election of the national offices of ABU,Alumni Association has eloquently shown to the world that, indeed, Nigeria is capable of conducting,peaceful,free, fair and acceptable election to pave way for good governance,”he said.Kudos to the alumni of this great citadel of Education in Nigeria.
In all, the need for peace election of any kind in Nigeria, as exemplified by ABU alumi association members in their delegate election in Zaria recently, cannot be overemphasized.
Therefore, it becomes imperative for politicians in Nigeria to borrow a leaf from the event and internalize that in subsequent elections,particularly the governorship elections coming up in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States, simultaneously on November 11, 2023.
The alumni members left samaru, two the venue of the event with the mindset that they have not only contributed their quota towards ensuring sanity in the electoral process and procedure of in the political landscape their father land bu elected men and women of impeccable character whose pedigree will move the association to a higher level of development.
The national officers elected and their officers as well as one ex-officio are:
The President,
ADAMU, Mamman Kontagora.
Deputy National President
AGBI, Sam Ojie.
Vice President North Central
AHMED, Yusuf Olanrewaju.
Vice President North East
Hon. SULEIMAN Seed Darazo.
Vice President North West
MUHAMMAD, Ibrahim Daku.
Vice President South-East
Dr. NWOKOYE, Mathew Okechukwu.
Vice President South-South
OVONRAMWEN Ssmwonyi Nosuyi.
Vice President South West
ABDULSALAM Lateef Saka
Secretary General
Dr. MAHMUD, Danjuma Muhammad.
Assistant Secretary General
BALI, Noel Sunday.
Financial Secretary
MATO, Magaji Abubakar.
Treasurer
JUMARE, Haruna Muhammad.
Public Relation Officer
AZAKI, Madina.
Social/Welfare Officer
Prof. AMINU, Maryam Mukhtar
Legal Adviser
IROAGALACHI, Anthony Auditz
Internal Auditor
SAIDU, Muhammad Salisu.
Immediate Past President
Dr. IBRAHIM, Sani Khalil, fnia
Ex-Officio
Hon. LADAN, Abubakar Chika
Ahmed, a journalist and media consultant, graduated from ABU, Zaria in 1988.
