Alhaji Mukhtar Shehu Idris was recently declared the governor-elect in Zamfara state but most political scientists are wondering if the easy-going gentleman can fold the state into one indivisible entity considering the fact that he has little or no administrative experience as he has never held any serious administrative position.
This, however, is a litmus test for the young politician who jumped into political limelight through his political godfather, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari who has now relegated the doyen of Zamfara politics to the political background in the state.
But some people are saying that there is a political cold war between them even though both of them are pretending that all is well with them.
However, many political pundits have predicted that the whole issue would still remain old wine in a new bottle, saying that the would-be governor is still the product of the same old brigades brought up and nurtured by the same cabals.
According to them, Mukhtar Shehu Idris would only be a figurehead since he did not think of governing fourteen local government areas of the state, stressing that his aim was to represent Gusau/ Tsafe federal constituency in the National Assembly.
Political analysts submitted that the governor-elect would only be a rubber stamp while the governance would be coming from Abuja, directing the governor on what to do and what not to do.
However, being a very young man, the youths have great expectations from Mukhtar Shehu Idris to bail them out of the challenges of youths development so that they can define their roles in the present dispensation.
Majority of the people are very much aware that the youths are the perpetrators of all these heinous crimes in the state due to lack of gainful employment in the state even with a lot of graduates.
Based on this, it is expected that the incoming Governor should reopen the state youths acquisition program that has been closed down by Governor Abdulaziz Yari since 2012.
That program has been identified by the political analysts as the source of youths development where the youths could be self-reliance and shift away from the heinous crimes ravaging the Sharia state today.
On the issue of employment, the incoming governor is however expected to complete the state investment house that has been abandoned by the government of Abdulaziz Yari even though he was not the person that initiated the project and if completed, the project would give many job opportunities to Zamfara citizens.
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Though the emergence of Alhaji Mukhtar Shehu Idris to the most prestigious seat in the state has generated a lot of political controversies. His closest rival, Dr.Bello Mohammed Matawalle rejected the results released by INEC.
But he has won. We are hoping that democracy should be given a chance to survive in the Sharia state. Let us pray that God would guide democracy in the state and Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari being the political godfather of Mukhtar Shehu Idris should also note that the people of Zamfara state would not forgive him if his anointed Governor fails them.
He should also note that three things propel a man in life, his conscience, history and God. If he offends the people, he should know that even if life forgives him, history would never forgive him.
Alhaji Mukhtar Shehu Idris should be advised to make an adequate structure to promote unity and economic progress. But can he emancipate the people from all these shackles of limitations especially the issue of poverty and its likes.
What matters most is the commitment to democracy and the rule of law, integrity, probity, and fairness. But the experts feel that Governor Abdulaziz Yari has failed in the areas of human development, economy, education etc.
The electorates may have heard the governor reel out his achievements in the past eight years that he piloted the affairs of the state.
So, Alhaji Mukhtar Shehu Idris should know that his responsibility would be to champion the cause of economic progress rather than fully depending on the monthly federal allocations to the state. His objective should be to pursue and map out blueprints that can transform a state in total penury to an Eldorado and pursue tangible economic reforms in all their ramifications.
It could, however, be recalled that the first public statement by Alhaji Mukhtar Shehu Idris after he was declared the governor-elect by INEC was that his government would be the continuation of the policy and programs of his political mentor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari.
But political pundits picked holes in that statement, saying that Abdulaziz Yari did not follow the part of democracy which they pointed out that if the governor-elect should follow that policy and programs of Abdulaziz Yari, then Zamfara citizens would need divine intervention.
The truth remains that all the rulers of Zamfara state have been following one pattern since 1999 when the country regained democracy from the military cabals. That pattern was introduced by Ahmad Sani Yarima who was the first executive Governor in the state.
Sani now a senator focused very much on human development thereby abandoning other economic sectors. He enthroned Abdulaziz Yari in 2011 and Yari followed his footsteps. Though Yari focused much on roads construction but also abandoned other sectors.
That may not be unconnected to the reason why analysts believe very well that Mukhtar Shehu Idris’s government may not make any difference since he has made it clear that his government would be the continuation of Governor Abdulaziz Yari.
