The March 18, 2023, governorship election in Kaduna State will be keenly contested between the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mallam Isa Ashiru and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mallam Uba Sani.
Ashiru contested against the incumbent governor, Mallam Nasir El-rufai of APC who defeated him in 2019.
But the 2023 governorship election soon to take place in Kaduna, the political capital of the north, is seen as strategic and interesting because of antecedents of political actors behind each of the two candidates of the political parties.
Already, politics in the state has divided people along ethnic and religious lines, as some muslims had vowed that the APC governorship candidate who rode on Muslim-muslim ticket would be supported irrespective of past mistakes.
On the other hand, Christians in the state had also vowed to support the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Hon. Ashiru who decided to run, based on a Muslim-Christian ticket. They believe there are two Major religions – Christians, Muslims in the state, and vowed to support a candidate with the interest of the two religions at heart.
It’s believed that the incumbent governor, Mallam Nasir El-rufai who is seen as a godfather to the APC governorship candidate, Uba Sani, will still stand strong behind him during the governorship election in the state.
But, many voters in the state who saw governor El-rufai’s eight rule in the state as a threat vowed that this is now a payback time for all the injuries and injustices done to them.
There are serious lamentations among the people of the state that the eight years of APC rule in the state was a double tragedy as several workers, including teachers in the state were disengaged from service without payment of their benefits, demotion of market shops and houses without compensation, sacking of several traditional rulers and undue regard to the people of Southern Kaduna state.
This is besides the high rate of insecurity in the state, even as many believed the APC government brought untold suffering among residents, especially market women, whose shops were demolished without compensation, as well as ban on okada riders in the state, without providing job opportunities to the unemployed youths in the state.
Many believe that the recent presidential election where the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar scored 554,360 against the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu with 399,293 votes, is a pointer to the fact that the PDP will take the state.
Also a few days ago, eight governorship candidates agreed to step down for the opposition PDP candidate, Hon. Ashiru
Already, the PDP has won all the three Senatorial Districts in the state, coupled with political strength of former vice president, Nmadi Sambo, former Governor, Alhaji Muhammed Makarfi, ex-Deputy governor, Lamaran Yero, and other Political bigwigs, they believe the governorship candidate of the party stands a good chance.