NASARAWA STATE 2015: Voting a Candidate or a Necessary Candidate. As we inch towards 2015 ,analysts have x-rayed the battle for the governorship in Nasarawa State and concluded that the election is going to be extremely pulsating between the incumbent governor, Alh Tanko Al-makura of the All Progressive Congress,( APC) ; and the minister of information, Mr Labaran Maku of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP). This position has been distilled from a likely order in which Governor Almakura is seen to be surviving from a struggle for his party’s ticket; a tussle that is believed will involve the former Deputy Governor of the state and present member of the senate: Mr. Solomon Ewuga and Dr Umar shehu Usman ; while Mr. Maku is thought to be emerging from a process in his party which will witness the participation of the immediate past Governor of the state: Alh Aliyu Akwe Doma; the Secretary of the National Judicial Council: Mr. Envulanza, Alh yusuf Agabi and Mr. John Danboyi. It could be recalled that Governor Al-makura defeated his predecessor, Alh Aliyu Akwe Doma in the 2011 Governorship election with majority of votes. Alh Doma challenged Al-makura’s victory from the Election Petition Tribunal to the Appeal Court in Makurdi and later at the Supreme Court in Abuja where he finally lost out of the case for lack of merit. By popular opinion, Governor Doma’s failure in the Election was not unconnected to the fact that his performances were too bright to bait the peoples’ vote, a factor which, observers ague, may hardly be shared by Alh Almakura in the impending election, even though his over two-year old administration could have done better if it were able to get over some of its weaknesses. Indeed, some executed programs by his Administration, especially the Urban Development policy and the construction of ultra modern schools across the state in addition to the upgrading of the primary Schools’ infrastructures by the Administration is not only remarkable but could be supportive in his 2015 pursuit. Again, the enhancement of the welfare of the state and local Government civil servants, especially the full implementation of the National minimum wage and the effective servicing of the existing services are some of the staple of his achievements that could levitate him in the 2015 Election. No doubt, Gov. Almakura has expended a fortune in his effort to secure the lives and property of the people in his effort to sprawling peace in the state; particularly the commissioning of the commission of enquiry at two deferent occasions, the latest of which has just completed its first face of its term of reference on the Alakyo killing of the security agents at the time which the PDP Federal Government had inexplicably forgiven the perpetrators of the bedlam. Although a size of the states population appreciates the fact that the duteous manner which the crisis has been handled is the best way by which the real sponsors and the bona fide perpetrators of the Eggon-planed mayhem in the state could be found and prosecuted, the palpable frustration among the people, engendered by the long time the Judicial panel is taking in the face of the notorious mayhem, in addition to peoples cautious optimism about the application of the panels report especially that the report of the earlier enquiry into the Assakio massacre is still yet to be fully implemented may frustrate his 2015 re-election bit. Connoisseurs of politics maintain that these and lack of formidable and viable party structure including his failure to fulfill some of his campaign promises to the people of the state could constitute hurdles to his re-election. Some analysts have even gone further to submit that these weaknesses could benefit non but the current Minister of Information and supervisory Minister of Defense Mr. Labaran Maku. They assert that as a member of the federal Executive council who enjoys intimate relationship with the presidency, occupying the Shandam-road Government House in 2015 is just a Matter of time. Perhaps, these were what inspired the Eggon people to impress on Senator Ewuga to forget about his 2015 Governorship ambition as was reported by Vanguard. Senator Solomon Ewuga, a Maku’s fellow tribes man, according to the report, was asked to jettison his governorship ambition and advised to remain in contention for his Senate sit to make it easier for them to support Mr. Maku against Governor Almakura, a decision that was taken by the Eggon leading political bigwigs who met at Alakyo to review the Alakyo-massacre of the 100 security men, and at the same time began to plan for the 2015 gubernatorial race. Mr. Maku’s endorsement by the political and opinion leaders from his Eggon ethnic group is said to have informed the renewed activities within the Peoples Democratic Party in the State as it was seen when the national leadership of the Party, led by Bamanga Tukur, storm Lafia, the state capital, during which many Eggon people in the state defected to PDP. However, the link between the Eggon’s political decision and the Alakyo incidence has not only revealed the actual motive of the Ombatse’s killings and burning of non-Eggon communities in the state, but also prick many minds on how dangerous the 2015 Governorship Election would be fought by the Eggon people. On several occasions, Eggon’s efforts to shield this political objective have rather brought it more to the surface; else how could anyone explain the enormity of the mayhem that was unleashed on Odobu, Asakio and Obi towns simply because a number of Eggon-armed militiamen were arrested and handed over to the police? Or the massacre of the fulanis and the Bassa people in kokona Local Government which later extended to Kwandare in Lafia north development Area where Gwandara people were also killed for a robbery which an Eggon and a Fulani man were victims? Or the theft of a bicycle that brought about the killing of the Koro people and the destruction of their property including the burning down of the palace of Zhe Migili at Agyaragu in Jenkwe Development Area of the state? Indeed, the Eggon’s inability to tie their accomplishment on the affected communities to a particular reason that deserves their action has demonstrated their dangerous politics of ethnicity which Mr. Maku stands to benefit in 2015. By electing to ride on violence to attain this ambition, the Eggon people seemed obviously innocent of the recoiling effect of such an escapade which may hardly be avoided. In any case, the 2015 governorship election may not offer an easy occasion for the people of Nasarawa state to decide between Governor Almakura and Mr. labaran Maku, either on merit or by necessity; but the over twenty-five ethnic groups in the state which must be killed in other to be ruled by an ethnic group in the state have the responsibility for putting each of these options side by side the necessity for their collective survival; the preservation of their pride and history and the safety of their hard earned property when approaching the ballot-box in 2015.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 20:40:10 +0000
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