2015: Battle for Nasarawa Govt House intensifies by Umar Muhammed (Punch Newspaper) In this piece, UMAR MOHAMMED analyses the chances of the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party in the countdown to the 2015 governorship election in Nasarawa State Last week’s decision by a former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Labaran Maku, to ease himself out of the federal cabinet and join the race to govern his state of origin, Nasarawa, did not come as a surprise. Having served as deputy governor of the state before his appointment as minister, close associates argue that he had always nursed the ambition of becoming governor. He is not alone. Maku is only one of several chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party who are plotting to oust the incumbent Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, of the All Progressives Congress. While Al-Makura is likely to enjoy a smooth sail by clinching his party’s ticket, the same cannot be said about the PDP where the struggle for the ticket is expected to be fierce. Nasarawa, like most states of the federation, is not immune to the intrigues which have come to characterise Nigerian politics. The state chapter of the PDP parades three power brokers who individually command the popularity which could earn them considerable support. Their failure to reach a consensus on who should represent the party at the election is likely to have telling consequences on the electoral fortunes of the party. Political pundits resident in the state are of the opinion that the PDP would have an uphill task putting its house in order to mount a serious challenge to the APC if the events of 2011 are anything to go by. Some have also argued that although the PDP has dominated the political scene in the state since 1999, none of its victories can be considered a landslide. Most of the election results have been subjected to litigations. It will be recalled that the Congress for Progressive Change, which has fused with other opposition political parties to form the APC, beat the PDP with a little over 3,000 votes during the 2011 governorship election. It is a generally held belief that the then ruling PDP lost to the CPC largely due to the internal squabbles within the PDP. Analysts are of the opinion that the then governor, Alhaji Aliyu Akwe- Doma, had difficulties rallying party faithful into a force that could retain power. It is also worthy of note that a large number of those who are today members of the APC were once leading members of the PDP in the state. Most of them, including Al- Makura, left the PDP in protest of perceived injustice perpetrated by then party leadership. Other aggrieved members of the PDP, who stayed back, worked in tandem with the opposition party. A former governor of the state, who is now the senator representing Nasarawa-West, Abdullahi Adamu, was alleged to have engaged his successor, Akwe- Doma in a struggle for the control of the state party structure. The struggle created a sharp division in the party leading to the party’s loss of the governorship seat in 2011. Adamu’s supporters formed a group referred to as the Concerned Group. The group later played a leading role in mobilising support for Al- Makura in the countdown to the 2011 election. The 2015 governorship election provides another opportunity for political gladiators in the state to test their popularity. Those who have indicated interest in vying for the PDP ticket include Senator Solomon Ewuga, Mr. Labaran Maku, Akwe-Doma, Dr. Yusuf Agabi, Col. Jibrin Yakubu (retd.) and Senator John Danboyi. It may come as a surprise to some people outside the state but many within know that the former governor, Akwe-Doma, still enjoys a large following and, arguably, has a massive clout within the state chapter of the party. This is without prejudice to the fact that the immediate past Minister of Information, Maku, enjoys a measure of influence within the party hierarchy in Abuja. It is difficult to assess the exact strength of the PDP within the state at the moment because of the gains the ruling All Progressives Congress has made. However, the PDP currently controls the legislative arm with over two-thirds majority. Those familiar with the political calculations in the state argue that the true strength of the party will become public knowledge as soon as it concludes its primaries. It is believed that realignments and possible horse trading that would determine the outcome of the governorship election in the state is still ongoing. However, if the outcome of local government elections conducted a little over five months ago is anything to go by, the PDP could still lay claim to a good measure of popularity at the grass roots. The number of councilors attests to this fact. As is often the case with ruling parties, who superintend elections in states, the APC won nine out of 13 local government councils in the state. This situation has opened up the state for what is likely to be one of the most interesting political battles for the 2015 governorship election. The opposition PDP, however, suffered a political dent, which could work against it, when the PDP- dominated House of Assembly tried but failed to impeach the governor. Speaking recently in Lafia, a chieftain of the APC, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed, said the failed impeachment by the Nasarawa State House of Assembly has improved the fortunes of governor Al- Makura. He argued that it has undoubtedly won him many admirers as well as sympathisers. Some have come to see him as a “political martyr,” whose only offence is his dogged effort to develop the state. As a result of this move, lawmakers in the state and other prominent politicians are said to be fearful of a likely backlash from the masses. This has among other things emboldened the supporters of the incumbent governor. They are upbeat about his chances of returning to office come 2015. They also argue that his performance since assuming office has been unmatched. They point to the quality of projects they said he has been able to deliver with limited resources. A lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Mr. Shuaibu Abdul, said the APC appears to be better prepared for the election because it already has a candidate who is an incumbent. He said, “It is obvious that the APC already has a candidate when compared with other opposition parties in the state.” The struggle for the control of the PDP machinery in the state between Ewuga and his arch rival, Maku, has taken a life of its own because both men are from the Eggon ethnic nationality, which has been clamouring for power shift. The prevailing political atmosphere among the Eggon people is one of mutual suspicion. Both have indicated interest in contesting for the sole ticket of the PDP to enable them govern the state in 2015. Several efforts by elders to get both men to reach a consensus have so far failed. To make matters worse, different groups have endorsed each of the aspirants. Eggon sons and daughters resident in Enhedu village of Nasarawa-Eggon Local Government Area, endorsed the former minister as their consensus candidate. Speaking at an event whre he was endorsed, the former minister said he is still the consensus candidate chosen in Eggon by the Eggon Elders’ Forum and nothing would make him drop his ambition which is generally seen as a collective resolve of his people, who despite being the largest ethnic group in the state, are yet to produce a governor. His pronouncements have not done anything to dampen the enthusiasm of the Ewuga campaign. But the emergence of the outlawed Ombatse militia cult has, perhaps, done more damage to the Eggon claim to the throne than anything yet. The cult was accused of leading attacks on other ethnic nationalities such as the Alago, Migili, Fulani and Gwandara. These attacks allegedly carried out by the Ombatse cult is likely to have paved the way for these ethnic nationalities to unite against the Eggon in its quest for power. The cult is suspected to be the creation of political interests both within and outside the state. Those in this school of thought argue that the promoters of the cult were responsible for the seeming lack of interest of federal authorities to bring perpetrators of the killing of over 100 security officials to book.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 11:07:04 +0000
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