PDP battling to reclaim Nasarawa from APC

AFTER governing Nasarawa for 12 years, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), either by design or accident, lost the state to the defunct Congress for Progressive  Change (CPC) during the
2011 general elections. 

  The CPC had merged with other political parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).

  Nevertheless, the loss to the CPC did not go down well with the PDP  hierarchy, supporters and well-wishers; hence, mechanisms to reclaiming the state were immediately evolved by the party. 

  The sudden takeover of government affairs in the state by the then CPC, which was without identifiable structure at the time, stung both the state and national hierarchies of the PDP like a wasp.

  It was alleged that the poor administrative mechanism, as showcased by the immediate past governor of the state, Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, caused the loss of the Nasarawa to the CPC, whose flagbearer was Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, the incumbent governor of the state.  

  Ironically, it is on the same basis of such alleged maladministration, which ousted the PDP from the corridors of power in the state in 2011 that the party is using as a yardstick to attempt ousting the Al-Makura-led APC government in the state. 

  Thus, the PDP is battling tooth and nail to see that it convinces the Nasarawa electorate to substitute the APC with its platform in the rescheduled general elections.

  The PDP, during its governorship primary election, picked a retired director with the federal civil service, Alhaji Yusuf Mohammed Agabi, as its flagbearer in the April 11 governorship poll. 

  Alhaji Agabi scored 214 votes to beat former Information Minister, Mr. Labaran Maku, who got 160 votes.

  Further details of the primary election, as declared by the Chairman of the PDP Electoral Committee for the state, Senator Adolphus Wabara, showed that former Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma had 129 votes, while Senator Solomon Ewuga scored 31 votes.

  Besides, a former Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Mike John Abdul, got 28 votes; incumbent Deputy Governor, Luka Dameshi Barau, scored 12 votes; former Zamfara State military administrator, Col. Bala Jibrin Yakubu (Rtd) had 4 votes, while past national president of the Eggon Cultural Development Association (ECDA), Ambassador Chris Mamman, trailed behind with one vote.

  Like in the 2011 polls when the challenger Tanko Al-Makura defeated the then Governor Aliyu Akwe
 Doma over matters alleged to be connected with bad governance; political pundits are of the opinion that history may repeat itself with Alhaji Agabi defeating Governor Al-Makura roundly
 on similar alleged maladministration.

  This is just as they are of the view that the PDP is capitalising mostly on the deplorable security situation in the state that has claimed thousands of lives and property worth millions of naira during the subsisting reign of Al-Makura.

  It was against this backdrop that the PDP flagbearer, Agabi, felt convinced to assemble his campaign team, which is led by Senator Ewuga, to traverse the length and breadth of the state, to woo the electorate’s votes to enable him occupy the Lafia Government House come May 29 this year.

  At one of the governorship campaign tours of the state, the Nasarawa State chairman of the PDP, Chief Yunana Iliya,
  analysed the chances of Agabi to occupy the seat of government. 

  He listed one of the factors that would work against the APC as the mass exodus of its members into the PDP, with particular emphasis on the state Deputy Governor, Hon. Dameshi Luka Barau; the senator representing Nasarawa North, Solomon Ewuga; House of Representatives members, Dave Ombugadu and Joseph Kigbu; and a handful of some state House of Assembly members. 

  The PDP helmsman hitherto said at Karu, venue of one of the campaign tours, that, “the root cause of our difficulties today in Nasarawa State is caused by the APC government.” 

  “We that have been in the corridors of power in this state since 2003 can precisely tell who is
behind all these atrocities in our land,” he said.

  Chief Iliya also cautioned the people to be careful with those politicians, “who are today saying it is the Muslims that have stopped them from becoming the governor of the state.”

  His words: “We in PDP, either Muslims or Christians or traditionalists, are all one. If God would have been so considerate based on religion, would Goodluck Jonathan be our president? 

  “This is because the voting power of his state of origin, Bayelsa, is not more than 1,000 votes. 

  “And that is why God has equally given Agabi the opportunity to become the flagbearer of PDP in Nasarawa State and eventually he would become the governor of the state by May 29 this year.” 

  Thus, the PDP chairman dismissed politics of religion by a wave of the hand.     

  Illiya recounted things, which the ousted PDP government in the state had done to Karu people, as dividends of democracy, which he said the APC government has allowed to collapse in the past three and half years of its reign when the people of the state called for a change of governance in 2011.

  He noted that those things, which the APC regime promised the people of Karu during its electioneering campaign in 2011, had not been implemented, asking them to see it as a reason to vote out the APC.

THE Chief Press Secretary to Governor Al-Makura, Mr. Yakubu Liman, could not pick his calls despite spirited efforts by The Guardian to get him talk on the political developments in the state, especially as they concern his boss directly.

  From every indication, other political appointees, like the state Commissioner for Information, Hamza Elayo, have been unwilling to speak on political issues raised against the governor.

  However, corroborating Chief Illiya’s position, the Secretary, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the PDP, Senator Walid Jibrin, cautioned the people not to allow religious sentiment to take over their emotion, as the general elections approach.

  He also warned supporters of the PDP and the entire Karu community against being used “by selfish politicians to engage in violence either during or after the general elections.”

  His said: “Nobody should deceive you to vote based on religion or foment trouble in the course of the general elections. 

  “As you know, I am a Muslim but I am giving my vote on that day to President Goodluck Jonathan. 

  “Hence, I appeal to you people of Karu to do the same by voting both Jonathan and our PDP governorship candidate, Dr. Agabi, irrespective of your party and religious affiliations.”

  Walid, who is the Sarkin Fulani Nasarawa, lamented the total collapse of the socio-economic activities in Nasarawa State, “due to the exit of PDP from the seat of governance in the state for the past three years.” 

  He urged the people of Karu to revise the trend by voting PDP’s candidates during the polls.

  Delivering his speech, which everybody was anxiously waiting for at the Karu square, venue of the rally, the governorship flagbearer of PDP, Dr. Agabi, advised the electorate in the state to “vote out the present maladministration of APC in the state.”

  He told the mammoth crowd on hand to receive him that, “what is disturbing the people of Nasarawa State today is insecurity of lives and properties, as nobody sleeps with two eyes closed any more since the advent of APC regime in the state.”

  “The present government of APC in the state has failed to provide security to its citizens; hence, the need to oust that government in order to entrench peace and cordial co-existence among the populace,” he said.

  “Therefore, your voting PDP would make the insecurity situation in our state a thing of the past and forgotten.”

  He if elected into office, he would view seriously the alleged “exploitation being carried out by the APC government on businessmen in Karu axis, as ground rent is being overcharged on unsuspecting
 victims, especially the Igbo traders.

  He claimed that the traders had been sent them packing out of the area and consequently dwindling the revenue fortune of the state.

  To ensure that people of the state do away with exploitation, insecurity and other issues of maladministration, which have reportedly become the order of the day in the state, Agabi reiterated that, “people should not hesitate to vote out the government of APC in the state to stamp out the ugly trend.”