By Saadu Umar.
Is it right to make marriage an issue in this election: why is Qaura and PDP making it the centre of attention? They dread to run on their record and policies of attrition. Indeed, like wild swines freed from lions’ canines, Qaura and PDP are running, fearfully, away from their records in their doomed bid to retain the office of the governor of Bauchi in 2023.
Fairly speaking, nobody will run on the ruinous record they set and the devastating damage they did to Bauchi State. Below is, partly, the record:
Silly sales of offices; corrupt cornering of public properties; historic debts – most indebted State in the North-East; high poverty rate; high unemployment rate; 1.2 million out of school children; over 100 children died of acute malnutrition; deteriorating healthcare; degenerated educational system; excerbated insecurity; high crime rate; nepotism; neopatrimonialism; failed and unfulfilled promises; unpaid salaries, pensions and gratuities; phantom Local Government Election; unconstitutional local government system; emasculation of the judiciary and legislature; and contortion of spending priorities.
Worse still, they can’t run on what they would do if they are re-elected. Why?
(1) No one would believe them because they didn’t do what they said they’d do. Example, they told government workers that they would pay them leave grant, gratuities, promotion etc, but they failed to even pay workers’ salary regularly.
(2) We now know they will do what they will never tell us because it’s anti people, anti workers and anti Bauchi. For instance, they didn’t tell us they will sale and privatised everything . They didn’t tell us they will engage in reckless borrowing. They didn’t tell achaba riders or almajiris that they would ban them. They didn’t tell us they’d stop paying NECO/WAEC or cut education funding. But that’s what they’re doing now.
Besides, they won’t tell Bauchi this now but, If Qaura and PDP get re-elected, they will privatise water. They will jail husbands for copulating with their wives – the law Qaura signed calls that rape! They will destroy Bauchi.
Unfortunately, since they can’t campaign on their paltry past or on their frightful future, they are now resorting to the profanation of the marriage institution.
Marriage and family privacy are above politics. But, nothing is beyond politics for PDP and Qaura!
Sadly, the dangerous drumbeat of politics has lulled them into singing a blasphemous song politicising and insulting the sacred institution of marriage, and hypocritically so.
For Qaura and PDP, it’s good to marry a Christian woman of Lebanese descent but bad to marry a decent, hard-working, public servant, successful Muslim lady, a Nigerian from the cradle of Shari’ah – Zamfara State.
Hypocrites.
Wasn’t Qaura married to Ms Natasha Mariana? Was the failed marriage not consumated in Government House, Bauchi? If it wasn’t wrong for Qaura to marry a Lebanese lady who’s a Christian why is it not right for Sadique to marry Hajiya Sadiya Farouq? Is marriage not about choice? Do they have problems with Allah that says in the Qur’an “Marry spouses of your choice ….”? (Qur’an 4:3).
Assuming that divorce didn’t happen, would it be acceptable to PDP if APC were to insult Ms Natasha’s marriage to Qaura because of politics? Common, show some dignity, decorum and respect, please. Rein in these rapscallions, your excellency.
When Qaura was reported to have said after God it’s Goodluck Jonathan (not Allah and His Messenger) I thought he was just inelegantly unctous. But now I am wondering whether it’s a slip of tongue or a Freudian slip given their attack on marriage, Sunnah of the Prophet.
I believe that those who truly love Allah and His Messenger won’t dare, even for political purposes, denigrate the marriage institution and insult a lady whose only crime is that she followed Allah’s and His Apostle’s injunction and married a Muslim who happened to be from Bauchi State and contesting for the office of the governor of Bauchi State.
Unsurprisingly, the Honourable minister is not alone. There’s at least, another gubernatorial candidate who is married to a lady who isn’t originally from Bauchi State. The wife of this candidate is of Arab heritage – like Natasha Mariana – most likely from the middle East or North Africa. Certainly, she’s neither from Bauchi nor Nigeria.
Now, why is Qaura and PDP not making this candidate’s wife an issue since he is also running for governor against Qaura just like Sadique is? The answer is simple:
Air Marshal Sadique is the clear front-runner to become the next governor of Bauchi State. Qaura and PDP are petrified by this. Sadique is head and shoulders above Qaura. They have also seen that the good people of Bauchi State have bought into the promise of Air Marshal Sadique.
Before the start of politicking, even Qaura was on board, and he said that much to the whole world, when he solemnly declared that: Air Marshal Sadique “is a definite role model” and “the entire people of Bauchi are proud of him”.
Qaura said that on the NTA. And Qaura’s right, Air Marshal Sadique is one of a kind, he is made for this moment.
Sadique is uniquely qualified for the office of the Governor given his many years in public service. He is a steady and seasoned hand with the requisite wisdom, knowledge, skills and experience that comes with a post at the highest level of governance.
Air Marshal Sadique will bring vigour, wisdom, sagacity, humility, unity, experience, empathy and integrity to governance while meeting the expectations of voters. He’s unblemished, selfless, pure as snow-white devoid of any political baggage or flaws; a breadth of fresh air!
That’s who Sadique is. What he is strikes fear in the camp of Qaura. The fear gave their mouths diarrhea. So, we may hear worse stuffs I guess. But spare Sadiya please. The honourable minister is not on the ballot. Indulging in sciamachy won’t help Qaura or PDP. Respect the sanctity of marriage and leave her out of it.
To continue to attack her with such depravity using obscenity is repulsive to the purity of chaste ears of the children of out-of-state mothers and husbands of out-of-state wives as well as all believers in the sanctity of the marriage institution. And If they cease not to insult her marriage, all defenders of the marriage will remind them that: Mijin Hajiya ya fi mijin matsiyaciya!
Finally, marriage transcends partisan politics and must be respected as such.
Saadu is the Deputy Chairman, APC Publicity Committee, Bauchi State. saadumaresq@yahoo.com
