Growing opposition against the nomination of northern Kaduna state governor Namadi Sambo has created tension in the state, forcing the authorities to raise the level of security in the state.
President Goodluck Jonathan formally sent Sambo’s name to the National Assembly last week, and the lower chamber of the parliament is expected to screen the nominee Tuesday. The upper Senate is expected to carry out its own screening later.
The local media have been awash with reports on the anger at the nomination with in the Senate, which reportedly favoured one of its members – former Kaduna Governor Ahmed Makarfi – for the nation’s number two post.
Also, the private Punch newspaper reported Sunday that a Kaduna-based lawyer, Sa rdau Garba, had dragged the VP-designate before the anti-graft Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the report, Sambo is accused of failing to account for the 1.2 bill ion naira which the state spent on the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, which Nigeria ho s ted last year, as well as for failing to capture, in the state budget for 2009 as required by law, the US$17.32 million loan obtained by the state (US$1=150 naira).
But the biggest source of tension is the campaign by some unnamed groups, using text messages, against the nomination of Sambo, which they contended will elevate his deputy to the post of governor. Sambo is a Muslim while his deputy, Patrick Yakowa, is a Christian.
Kaduna state is almost equally divided between Muslims and Christians, and the a dherents of the two religions are constantly tugging at the power chord in the state.
Reflecting the power play, one of the text messages read: ”Suhan Allah, this (nominating Sambo as VP and elevating his deputy to governorship post) means that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has won. Their agenda of taking over Kaduna and Nigeria has succeeded.”
But Kaduna state government spokesman Saidu Adamu has dismissed the claim of tension in the state, calling it the handiwork of detractors.
However, state police command spokesman Aminu Lawan said the police had beefed up security to foil any attempt to breach peace and security.
”We are on top of security and trouble makers have no place here,” Lawan said.
Riot police riding in armoured personnel carriers are patrolling possible flash points in Kaduna as part of the extra security measures put in place to forestallany violence.