Hide And Seek Campaign Strategy in North West

The North West is turning full circle ahead of the April 14 Senatorial elections with CPDM and SDF candidates involved in a hide and seek game to convince councilors to stand by them on the crucial voting day. Barely a week to April 14, there is little noise on the field but candidates are fully engaged with similar strategies summed up in man to man, door to door, council to council, fondom to fondom contacts.

So far, there have been no public rallies with candidates and political parties targeting the electorate. The absence of public rallies is explained by the fact that Councillors are the king makers and candidates do not need noise when sneaking into their homes or the backyards of their opponents to fetch votes.

Some 996 councilors from 34 councils in the North West will be voting seven Senators. The lines will have to be drawn between CPDM's list (Rt Hon. Simon Achidi Achu, Wallang David, Dinga Ignatius Bayin, Wanlo John, Awanga Zacharia, Jikong Stephen) and SDF's list ( Ni John Fru Ndi, Njong Donatus, Prof Nkwi Paul, Atekwana Joseph, Ofon Mathias, Tabali Bernard, Gladys Ntala Cheka).

From the look of things, the battle for political leadership in the Region is stiff with the CPDM running 18 Councils against 16 for the SDF, the opposition party that equally leads with 11 MPs against nine for the CPDM. The stakes are indeed; high with the senatorial elections expected to introduce a new chapter in the political map of the Region.