…but governor reportedly in a dilemma
From all indications, the last Nasarawa State All Progressives Congress’ congresses had enabled Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura to maintain his control on the party’s structures in the state, and with that, picking the governorship candidate of the party by him, is fait accompli.
In the APC alone, over 14 governorship candidates are in the race, thus heightening anxiety among party members against the backdrop of the likelihood that the governor would have a preferred candidate.
Once APC picks the right governorship candidate, the people will overwhelmingly return it to power
Nevertheless, the recently conducted ward, local government and state congresses of the APC in the state showed that almost all
the governorship aspirants on the platform of the parety lost control of the party’s structure in their respective council wards.
Governor Al-Makura had, four years ago, planted all the APC structures in Nasarawa State, from the ward to the state level, and had recently in a stakeholders meeting in the Government House, Lafia, prior to the just-concluded congresses, directed that all executive members of the party in the state from the ward to the state level should be returned unopposed.
The governor’s directive was complied with without hesitation by
teeming members of the party during the congresses in the state, which has somewhat foreclosed the chances of any governorship aspirant picking the governorship ticket against the governor’s wish. The governor, it was observed, had used the exercise to affirm his grip on the structures of the party in the state.
Therefore, for anyone to pick the governorship ticket, the reliance may be more on the assurance of the governor than the need to woo the would-be party delegates.
HOW THE GUBER HOPEFULS FARE AT HOME
While some of the governorship candidates were able to hold on to the political structures in their respective local councils, many others lost grip of their structures at the home front.
In Keffi Local Government area, for instance, Arch. Shehu Tukur, Salisu Maikasua, and Aliyu Ahmed Wadada, all governorship aspirants on the APC platform, were schemed out by the forces of Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Governor Al-Makura ,as the aspirants could not install one single party executive person, ahead of their ambition to govern the state in 2019, it was gathered.
But in Akwanga Local Government area, the state Deputy Governor, Silas Ali Agara, who is equally aspiring to succeed his principal, took charge of the congress, as all the party structures retained were his loyalists, whereas Engr. Abdullahi Sule completely lost out as he had no single party executive officer in the current configuration.
In Nasarawa Eggon local council, the leading governorship candidate of the APC in the state, Barrister Danladi Envuluanza, had a poor outing at the congress. He did not secure a single executive officer of his party.
The same fate befell the state deputy speaker, Hon Godiya Akwashiki, who equally lost out in the party structure, while the Northcentral zonal chairman of the APC, Hon. Zakari Idde, had his structures in the local government retained.
Also shut out during the congress was another leading governorship contender in the party and member of the House of Representatives representing Nasarawa/Toto federal constituency, Hon. Arc Ja’afar Mohammed. Ja’afar fell to the political scheming in his Toto local government where he was unable to produce a single member of the Executive.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that given the prevailing political structures in Nasarawa State’s chapter of the APC, only Governor Al-Makura could determine the next APC governorship candidate in the 2019 general election.
AL-MAKURA IN DILEMMA
However, as the APC revels in the success of its management of the threats posed by the Peoples Democratic Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, and Social Democratic Party, pundits and inside sources are of the conviction that Governor Al-Makura is still currently in a dilemma over how best to handle the emergence of the party’s governorship flagbearer for the 2019 elections.
Indications that the party may not find it easy arriving at the choice of who to present as its governorship candidate in 2019 emerged late last year when a trillionaire northern industrialist and investor (names withheld) came putting pressure on both the governor and some traditional rulers to support Engr. A.A Sule to pick the governorship ticket of the APC.
But political observers were of the opinion that the mouth-watering establishments of agro-allied industries in the state by the trillionaire’s group of company was a kind of strategy to convince the Nasarawa electorate to vote Engr. A.A Sule as governor of the state come 2019.
They were, however, quick to envisage that the industries sited in the state might not see the light of the day, even if Sule wins the gubernatorial race, as it was only a bait.
But Governor Al-Makura, it was learnt, is now mulling the choice of Sule as his successor, with great caution though, in order not to receive a protest vote from the larger Nasarawa community. If that takes place, it could end the reign of APC in Nasarawa State, findings have shown.
Also, the coming into the race of Envuluanza, a long-time friend of the governor, as well as the state deputy governor, Silas Agara, who is said to be 100 per cent loyal to the governor and traditional institutions in the state, has reportedly put the governor in a state of confusion. Agara, it was gathered, is seriously on the governor’s neck, seeking his
endorsement.
Sources claimed that these developments have altered certain permutations on ground and subsequently introduced new dimensions to the ongoing search for a governorship candidate of the party, even though Al-Makura has the entire structure of the party on his pam.
Unfortunately for Ja’afar, his cordial relationship with Governor Al-Makura in recent times has gone sour; therefore, there is the likelihood of his losing the APC governorship ticket of the state.
Wadada may equally meet a brick-wall in his quest to get Governor Al-Makura’s favour to clinch the APC gubernatorial ticket, as he is not in full grip of his zone having reportedly gone under the shadows of Senator Abdullahi Adamu whom he had attacked viciously in the past.
One of the undoing of the former federal lawmaker, pundits believe is a perceived air of arrogance around him, which often find expression in acidic remarks he makes on various political leaders of the state in the past; even on Governor Al-Makura whom he was alleged to have described him in the past as “visionless and lacking in policy direction.”
However, one governorship aspirant whose name rings a bell in the build-up to the 2019 polls in the state is Mohammed Musa Maikaya. But many see him as an Abuja-based politician who has no contact with those he intends to lead. More so, his political activities for the 2019 gubernatorial seat were said to be limited to his Ebira kinsmen of Toto Local Government area.
For now, the many talks about who will be the party’s flag bearer remain in the realm of mere speculations as the governor and his close associates are daily thinking on how to procure the best man for the job
ahead.
WARNING
But a chieftain of the APC in the state, Senator Abubakar Sodangi, has warned that the party will lose the next governorship election in 2019 if it fails to pick the right candidate.
He said while the odds currently favour the party ahead of the 2019 general elections, based on the performance of the incumbent Governor Al-Makura, a right, acceptable and a credible candidate should be chosen as the party’s
candidate.
He said, “Once APC picks the right governorship candidate, the people will overwhelmingly return it to power.”
Speaking on how the APC intends to handle the emergence of its next governorship candidate, however, the state APC chairman, Philip Tatari Schekwo, said the party would not leave any stone unturned, as it would strive to ensure that the party does the right thing. He promised to provide a level-playing field for all the aspirants.
