There is always an interesting kind of political mathematics that plays out during elections that is absent from reality every other time. It is very rare in real life for the proverbial David to slay Goliath. Instead, it is the more powerful and influential Goliath that typically dominates the ring. Alas, Kebbi State has turned the narrative on its head, a feat that only Senator and former Governor Adamu Aliero has been able to perform.
All is not looking well in Kebbi. The reason for this is that the present Governor of the state, Abubakar Bagudu, has lost the senatorial bid to which he dedicated a lot of his time. More so, the winner of the senatorial contest that Bagudu participated in is none other than his gubernatorial predecessor, Aliero, who is also the current senator of Kebbi Central senatorial district.
The current reality smashed into the faces of observers when the National Assembly elections took place in Kebbi and Aliero polled more votes than his successor. From the reports of the election, the former Governor and current senator of Kebbi Central got 126,588 votes while the incumbent Governor of the state got 92,339 votes. As a result, the votes showed that the people of Kebbi Central senatorial district were more than willing to have Aliero continue to be their representative in the Senate, not minding the intentions of Governor Bagudu.
As one would expect, Aliero has not been able to contain his joy at the fact that his people considered him more worthy to represent them than the governor of their state. He expressed this joy without restraint. Although he did not cast aspersions at his opponent, he was very deliberate in thanking the people for showing him their support and promised to uphold their trust in every way possible.
So, are sparks flying between Aliero and Bagudu? Has the line been drawn? The coming days will show.
