#TrackNigeria: After the last four years of being represented by a loquacious man as their Senator in the National Assembly, the people of Kaduna Central have gone past jubilation over their election of Uba Sani as replacement; they are looking forward to a rewarding four years ahead.
No one blames them for not missing the loquacious lawmaker, who, if anything at all, was no more than an entertainer and troubleshooter of some sort.
For any community desirous of advancement and meaningful progress, a man with such an entrenched penchant for unnecessarily courting avoidable controversies is definitely not a desirous representative in the federal Parliament.
Kaduna Central is not just any community, it is the central district of the most enlightened and most politically-savvy part of northern Nigeria which once served as capital of the entire region.
Such a community of conglomerate of various ethnicities, cultures and varying social statuses could only be adequately represented by a honourable man of commensurate awareness of contemporary developmental politics.
This must have informed their decision to replace the controversial and loquacious lawmaker with a down-to-earth, humble and polite Uba. Having gone through tough odds with the outgoing lawmaker, who spent quality time picking quarrels with his State party leadership and others, the electorate set themselves free by pitching tent with Uba.
The popularity rating of Senator-elect Uba Sani which kept rising all through the electioneering period could be better gleaned from how he defeated his predecessor, Shehu Sani by a landslide in all the seven Local Governments that make up Kaduna Central. Indeed the votes garnered by Malam Uba in just three local governments of the Zone were bigger than the total votes scored by outgoing Senator Shehu Sani. To the shock of Senator Shehu Sani supporters and admirers, Malam Uba Sani captured Shehu’s Local Government and Ward polling units in one piece
Goodwill is one vital asset in politics. Malam Uba, even when you look at him as a private citizen, has unrivalled connections and enormous goodwill as he interacts with men of timbre and calibre. This is a testimony of his very friendly nature – no drama, no tantrums; no infantile political games. Uba naturally has the ability to outclass his rival because wherever politics is being played, he tries hard to raise the stakes.
With enormous political goodwill at a higher level, legendary generosity through the Uba Sani Empowerment Foundation, the mere mention of his name fires the imagination of people across the board.
But his first masterstroke of helping the youth started some 18 years ago, when he convinced the late legal icon, Chief Gani Fawehinmi to provide special scholarship for 200 young men from the North. Today, some of these beneficiaries already possess Masters Degree certificates.
It is significant to note that Senator-elect Uba Sani will soon prove the game-changer he has always been. Those close to him would readily admit that his love for people’s welfare is legendary. Even during the 2019 electioneering campaigns he drew massive number of supporters who understood his only mission as the peoples vision. “Your vision, my mission” was one slogan that replaced the old political thinking where a candidate felt the people’s vision mattered less than his ambition. Uba has, in his own way, raised the stakes by changing the public perception of politics, at least in Kaduna State.
Take it or leave it, Senator-elect Uba Sani’s victory as Senator to represent Kaduna Central will mark a turning point in the history of that Senatorial zone. The people have proved their power to replace incompetence and public nuisance with a man of great work experience and a more matured approach to politics.
The people of Kaduna Central have also demonstrated that they know what their needs have been and what kind of representative has the charisma and capacity to turn around their fortunes. They must have finally drawn a long list of candidates of their choice and zeroed in on one of them, which means Senator-elect Uba fit their bill.
As the newly-elected National Assembly members get set for their legislative duties soon, it is obvious that all eyes are on them – to build a more cordial relationship with the executive arm. The people would now expect a more vibrant legislature, peopled by those with exposure to modern democratic practices. It is a positive replacement of the old order, where the legislature thought that throwing tantrums at The Presidency or frustrating President Buhari’s Bills was the real democracy. Time is it for a radical break from the inglorious legislative past. One can only wish Senator Uba, his distinguished and honorable colleagues success in the 9th National Assembly.
Habeeb writes in from Abuja
