Popular Borno Senatorial Aspirant, Tarpaya, Gets Stakeholders Endorsement  for  Reps…

“as party begs him to step down senatorial seat for Senator Ndume… 

As the wind of politics blows hot ahead of the coming party primaries, politicians in Borno are realigning their interests to suit prevailing political realities. 

The All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state is not leaving any stone unturned in ensuring that it goes into the election primaries with a less divided house. 

The recent of such moves was the withdrawal of a very popular senatorial aspirant in Southern Borno, Tarpaya Asarya, who is considered one of the most popular aspirants in the district. 

The HumanitarianTimes leant that the party leadership in Borno state came under undue pressure to allow Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, the current occupant of the seat.

Senator Ndume’s seat became shaky ahead as dozens of influential aspirants within the APC came out to unseat him ahead of the coming primaries. 

Ndume has occupied the southern Borno senatorial seat since 2011 and twice announce his readiness to quit re-contesting the seat only to change his mind about the elections. 

Tarpaya Asarya a retired permanent secretary leads among the formidable challengers of Senator Ndume’s seat. 

The Humanitarian Times learnt that Ndume was saved from going into chaotic primaries after some top powers that be made calls to the APC leadership allegedly pleading to let him retain his seat. 

The APC stakeholders had to make a passionate appeal to Honorable Asarya to kindly step down and go for the  Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency with a strong assurance that stakeholders would be mobilised to massively support him during the primaries. 

Hon Asarya has been a Permanent Secretary Ministry for Local Government and Emirate Affairs in Borno state until recently when he put up his resignation and now to the call of his people to represent them politically. 

Honourable Tarpaya will have to slug it out at the primaries with the incumbent Dr Haruna Mshelia, a first-timer whom many adjudged as “not very popular” and may not enjoy the support of the party and government to retain the seat in the coming primaries. Dr Haruna, a former Commissioner for health has days ago purchased his APC nomination form with the intention of recontesting the Askira-Uba, Hawul federal constituency. 

However, those who are conversant with the republican nature of power-sharing in the Askira-Uba, Hawul federal constituency, would attest that it is very difficult for an incumbent to retain his seat or be reelected. Only Honorable Ishaku Shara got elected twice to represent the federal constituency. And the reason was that he contested under different parties. He once contested on the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD) as the then ruling party in Borno, before he defected to join the APP in 2003 and was rewarded with a return ticket to go for a second term in 2007. 

Besides that, the seat had always been rotated between Askira-Uba and Hawul local government areas. To refresh our memories, the constituency seat was once occupied by Major Dika Ngada from Hawul from 1999 to 2003; then Honorable Ishaku Shara of Askira-Uba succeeded him from 2003 to 2011.  Shara was succeeded by a Hawul man, Abdul Mshelizza from 2011 to 2015. Jubrin Satumari of Askira-Uba took over the seat from 2015 to 2019, and then Dr Haruna Mshelia of Hawul took clinched the seat from 2019 to date. 

So if the rotational principle is to be maintained, the next occupant of the Askira-Uba, Hawul seat would certainly come from Askira-Uba where Honorable Tarpaya Asarya comes from. And if the assurance given to him when he was asked to withdraw and allow Ndume to continue as Senator representing Southern Borno, he is likely to be the next Reps member representing Askira-Uba, Hawul federal constituency. 

Confirming the recent developments to The Humanitarian Times, Honourable Speaking exclusively in a telephone interview with Hon Asarya said he has to respect party hierarchy in taking the critical decision to step down from the senatorial race. 

“I am a law-abiding member of APC. And I  have agreed to step down my aspiration as  Senator representing Southern Borno on the platform of our great party.

“I have now joined the race to aspire for the House of Representatives (Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency. 

“If given the mandate as Candidate and elected into the office, I pledged to commit myself to transform the constituency for the better.

“Qualitative healthcare delivery and education, job creation, infrastructural development, agricultural modernization, youth and women empowerment among others would be my priority “. He said.