THE race for the various elective positions in 2015 in Bauchi State is getting keener by the day. Now there is a poster war of sorts among the numerous aspirants.
For the governorship election, prominent politicians whose posters are pasted in various locations are the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed (PDP); Former House of Representatives member, Ibrahim Makama Misau (PDP); Deputy Senate Leader, Abdul Ahmed Ningi (PDP); Engineer Sadiq Mahmud (APC); Engineer Nuhu Gidado (APC); and Senator Babayo Garba Gamawa.
Other aspirants whose posters are adding hues and shades to the political horizon include are Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda (PDP); Barrister Lawal Husseini (APC); Mallam Ali Wakili (APC); Senator Adamu Ibrahim Gumba, who are angling for the senatorial seats.
Those aspiring for state assembly seats like Barrister Babayo Dali, Alhaji Uba Boris and Alhaji Salisu Sabo Salihiyya have also flooded their constituencies with posters.
Almustafa Ahmed, Alhaji Aliyu Gebi, and Alhaji Yusuf Ibrahim (APC) are among House of Representatives aspirants whose posters were seen .
None of the aspirants has openly declared his intention to contest or comment on the campaign posters. However, their close aides and political associates claimed the aspirants were not aware of the posters
A political associate of Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed said: “The posters of Dankama displayed in all the 20 local government areas of the state is the handiwork of his supporters across the state who are thinking that the time has come for the state to move forward with people of high calibre who know how to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people
“They are responsible for the posters littering everywhere in the state. They are the ones pressuring him to come out and contest but Dankama kept saying the time was not ripe for him to declare his intention. He said until the electoral body blows the whistle he will not come out and publicly declare his intention that for now he is still consulting with political associates and the people of his constituency. I believe the posters show that he has supporters everywhere and surprisingly, he is not aware that people are already pasting his posters and bill boards”
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Ahmed Isa Tahir said every politician has a campaign organization and most of the posters are the handiwork of the campaign organizations as such organizations believe in their candidate more than the political parties.
“This is the reason you see that when a politician is decamping to another political party, he usually decamps with his entire support group,” he remarked and appealed to politicians to do politics without bitterness by following the rules of the game in order to have successful and peaceful 2015 general elections.
A media aide to Mallam Ali Wakili (APC) said the posters of the senatorial aspirant were pasted by his supporters, friends and well wishers who are asking him to contest.
One of Governor Isa Yuguda’s aides, who did not want his name to be disclosed, said many political groups are calling on the governor to contest for the senate and presidency but he has not publicly declared his interest for any of the political offices.
“The Governor is just listening to calls by the groups but to mount of pressure on Yuguda will make him break the rule. His supporters have gone ahead to print and paste his posters every where, but he is not aware about the development.”
Worried by the display of posters by politicians ahead of time, the Electoral body in Bauchi State organized an interactive forum for stake holders to get inputs for ensuring free and fair elections in 2015.
The state resident electoral commissioner, Mr. Samuel Usman Madaki, observed with dismay that electoral campaigns have been kick-started in the state, saying that such campaigns are capable of over-heating the polity before the elections.