hajia

The sun was hot and Asr time was along way off. Lunch had been eaten, plates washed, and about five or six of us were sitting idle in a friend’s sitting room. Really ten would have been the number or more. Am notso sure... We all squatted on the floor and I thought that was a weird thing to do. Our discussions gravitated to that old, old topic: men. And the things they do. This is a topic women can never really conclude or even come to terms with. It just goes on and on and on as new contributions and revelations emerge. It was going that way when I surreptitiously changed the subject. I asked the audience, who among the KT governorship aspirants was best suited for the post? I quickly added that we should assume that the election would be decided by women votes only.
Faces turned at me and a blanket of silence fell on the room. They were busy gauging the candidates using a new evaluative criterion. These women were all professionals: a doctor, a lawyer, a school teacher and two retired civil servants. There were several others whose professions I could not determine. May be I have never seen them. And as if to prove or display their professions they all mostof them donned their professional clothes. That was a bit kinky too. It took along time before responses started coming. In torrents.
Here is a summary of how it happened and our collective analysis: After some argument all of us agreed that if women were to vote for the most suitable candidate to be the Governor of Katsina State, then all the votes would go to no other than Barrister Shema. And the reason is not far fetched: he is the most handsome among the whole lot, period. But because there was a split in opinion mention must be made of the two runners up: Murtala Safana came second and then Dr. Jabir Mohammed third.
But hold it someone shouted. Shema's candidature may not even materialise if rumours about his marital status came to light. In fact this Shema fellow has a pile of problems bigger than Gobarau minaret. We turned to hear more of these.
It turned out that the parochial forces in the state had already spread word that the gentleman is not even married. Which is a euphemism for saying he did not marry a daughter of the soil. Why should that be a problem? Some of us asked. If the guy has someone he calls wife then what’s the fuss?
Well it turns out again that there is a big fuss in certain circles about these issues. If a guy refused to marry properly ie from the state, he is disqualified from a few things including the plum job. A traditional title is just out Aof the question. Someone mentioned Hamza Zayyad. He did take a second wife from the soil. Was he forced to do that before he was turbaned the Waziri of Katsina? What about Ibrahim Ida? Was he also forced to take a second wife before they gave him a title? That kind of punctured a hole in the argument but the contributor moved on unruffled. But someone gave out a roll call of all those with similar problems: Dr Kabir Mustapha, Ali Kankia, Lawai Batagarawa, Ladan Kontagora, Bolaji Akinyemi, ex-IG Shinkafi, Kofi Anan, Hosni Mubarak...she rattled away.

Secondly Barrister Shema will have to slug it out with his mentor in the person of Ambassador Magaji Mohammed of Dutsinma. Now how does one start biting the hands that fed and clothed one? I am glad it’s the barrister who will have to decide and not me.
The Ambassador enrolled Shema in to school from primary to University and also paid for his Law School fees and provided him with posh accommodation in Ikoyi. Is he trying to pay all these and the other favours back by joining issues with his mentor in the governorship race? Thirdly Shema’s performance as the state Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General leaves much to be desired. His luck lustre performance during the Sharia trials would never be lost on us. In particular his responses to a BBC reporter in an interview were scandalous to say the least. He kept mum on the issue of the man who impregnated the woman on trial thereby suggesting an official pardon for the culprit and all similar culprits.
He also refused to join issues with those local judges who banned music in the state. All these were not lost on the people of the state especially women.
Another voice took over and said Shema was never state-centric. His stint as commissioner was his longest residency period in KT since he finished secondary school. Also that his eyes are oly focussed on the United Nations. He wants to get a job there. All the degrees he collected were meant to facilitate his relocation to New York City and ……..I cut her short.
Granted all the above allegations are true, what could possibly stop him from out performing better than the present governor if he is given the chance?
A chorus of NO WAY filled the room.
Dead end here I thought.
I then gave another scenario, different question. That is, who among the aspirants is more religious, God fearing, leads a low profile life and generally identify more with the Talakawas? A long silence.
Then someone started gingerly by mentioning Garba Aminchi – the present deputy Governor. They all nodded their heads using exactly the same motion. How odd? But I wanted to get it out clearly enough on one key issue and so I asked again: Are you saying Garba Aminchi fears God much more among the whole bunch? A chorus of yes answered the question.
Holy Moses, what a bunch of women? And what a hell of a choice? Are we going to have another “Sabo Bakin Zuwo” for a Governor in KT? I shuddered at the prospect……..

Voices and commotion pierced my subconcious and I woke with a start. My eyes rivetted to the door and then I heard the shrill voice of my mother. My heart was still pounding as I realised that It was all a dream………