Nigeria Decides 2023: Nasarawa guber: Parties intensify battle as winning pendulum swings

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From Abel Leonard, Lafia

It is no longer news that the political parties have kick-started their campaigns in preparation for the 2023 general election in Nasarawa State.

However, what’s news are strategies the major political parties whose candidates vied for the governorship tickets are wooed in a bid to outdo one another in the race to  occupy the seat of power at Shendam Road.

The supporters and loyalists of these political parties are not left out as they are anxious to hear what the candidates have to offer when reeling out their political manifestoes as they commence their mega rallies ahead of the poll to elect the next governor of Nasarawa State.

In Nasarawa, four candidates vying for the number one seat were cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the exercise billed for March 2023.

The contenders for governorship seat are; Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC),  David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Joseph Ewuga  of the Labour Party (LP), and Abubakar Mai Doya of the New Nigeria Peoples party (NNPP).

Governor Abdullahi Sule, David Ombugadu and Ewuga of the Labour party who are the major contenders are from the same Nasarawa North senatorial district while Maidoya of the NNPP is the only candidate who is from the Nasarawa South Senatorial district of the state.

Analysing the chances of these major contenders, our correspondent x-rayed the preparedness of the major political parties as campaigns commenced.

With the recent inauguration of the long awaited campaign council that would pilot the affairs of the APC election in the state in 2023, some observers believe the party is set to sustain power beyond 2023.

Before the campaign council inauguration, Governor Sule had met with several groups and solicited their support for his second term bid. They also met with representatives of media houses in the state; both the government and private owned  to strengthen areas that would aid the right messages concerning government policies and programmes in respect to the 2023 elections.

The governor said: “The time for politics has come again and our campaign is going to be issue-based. I prefer to say who I am and what I am going to do for my people. I don’t pay attention to my other opponents on what they are or what they are not. Let them also sell themselves. It is better that way.

“I had been to some media houses and I have also informed them of my intention. I, therefore urge you to uphold the ethics of your profession and not allow me or any other politician to use you for anything negative. I assure you that I will not use you for anything negative.” The analysts insist that the aim of the governor to use such medium to present himself to the people may probably not be too far from the fact that he has seen  that  the people are very much aware of the internal fighting in his  party, the APC  which may affect his chances of winning the election.

The governor had to devise a means to changing their ideology of party election to competency of individuals and from the records of what he has done for the past three and halve years in office.

The governor had discovered the strength of the media and wants to sell the right idea to the people so as to make them forget  the internal rancour within the APC so that the people of Nasarawa State should see him  as a son who is competent, intelligent and had vast knowledge on how to grow the economy of the state.

For followers of events, the choice of the governor’s running mate will play a vital role in the Southern zone as it was rumoured that the party had wanted another choice of a deputy governor but because of political calculations, he decided to uphold his deputy, Emmanuel Akabe as running mate. To many, Akabe may not have the required political audacity to poll votes from his constituency.

Similarly, the fillers said  the chances of the  APC in Nasarawa may also  be marred by some internal rancour within the party  as a result of disagreements among members of the party in terms of making the right decision on who becomes or takes what in the party.

The recent suspension of the APC youth leader,  Abdullahi Massi alleged to have engaged  in anti-party activities which the party found him guilty and suspended him, and some others warned and awaiting further punishment if found wanting as well.

The APC had lost strong members as a result of the primary election conducted by the national secretariat under the leadership of the present National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu to opposition parties as a result of alleged changing of the delegates list among other irregularities.

In the Nasarawa South, the party lost Ahmed Wadada and Gaza Ogbeifi to the Social Democratic Party, SDP, with their over 10,000 supporters.

In Nasarawa North, the party also lost a sitting senator, Godya Akwashiki and state house of assembly member, Muluku to the SDP with their over 15, 000 supporters.

Nasarawa West also recorded a sitting House of Reps member, Maiyama leaving the party to also join SDP with his supporters.

Although the Party had since moved on without them as the governor had earlier set up a committee to look at issues concerning the primaries. The committee had submitted their report with recommendations and had also inaugurated its campaign council.

The governor had paid more attention to  civil servants by paying their salaries as when due unlike his predecessor who was paying percentage salaries for months while in office. Governor Sule  is said to have been consistent with salary payment and also improved the welfare of civil servants in the state. As a result, some stakeholders had held  strong positions that may work in his favour in the coming election.

Governor Sule  is from Gudi, Mada Station, Akwanga LGA where he has a massive support base and he is expected to comfortably win. But the cold war between him and some political gladiators may likely affect his votes in Nasarawa Eggon where Godya Akwashiki  hails from. It is not clear if Akwashiki will be making a last-minute understanding with the opposition as rumoured or remain in SDP and work for Governor Sule.

The disharmony within the party had  divided the  Nasarawa APC into factions; the National Chairman’s group is loyal to the governor while the other group had pledged their allegiance to the former governor, Tanko Almakura, now a senator representing Nasarawa West.

During the APC governorship primary election in July,  Governor Sule had said the delegate  list brought by the national secretariat for the conduct of the primary election was authentic which shows he is in consonance with the national Chairman’s list amidst displeasure by party members who were affected by the list.

“ It is important to state that the list of delegates used for the governorship primaries was not tampered with  and the party’s complaint was not in reference to the state’s delegate list”, he said.

However, it was rumoured that all the candidates that left the party as a result of the alleged irregularities during the primaries  had promised to deliver  the governor in their various constituencies but many are wondering how those promises would be put to reality.

PDP

David Ombugadu, PDP governorship candidate also  Known as   “Yaro Maiwanka’,  has said he is super ready to take back power  from the APC.

The PDP candidate came into the limelight after he contested for Nasarawa North House of representatives in 2011 under the platform of CPC, won the election and crossed carpeted to PDP where he later resigned as a member and contested for the 2019 Governorship election which he lost to governor Abdullahi sule.

In his quest to lead Nasarawa State, amidst strong battles with top politicians who were aspirants during the primaries, he won and had since said he would work with all the aspirants.

He said his dream is to govern Nasarawa which he said he had nursed the ambition to  govern since he was a child.

The PDP governor is also renowned for his smartness and his contribution in the lives of young people in the state. While addressing members of the PDP in the state during the party inauguration of the state campaign council, Ombugadu had boasted that he has what it takes to take back power from the ruling party.“

“A better Nasarawa State means better security, better welfare for workers, functional and well equipped schools and hospitals, better roads and other social amenities, positive economic climate among others.

“Nasarawa State will experience more developments and the people will enjoy a better life under PDP administration if all the candidates are elected as it would be his driving force”, he said.

In terms of preparedness, the Nasarawa PDP were the first to inaugurate campaign council and are waiting to flag off their campaign.

In spite of his ideology, the cold war going on among members who were aggrieved during the primaries in Nasarawa PDP, and the fight between Wike and Atiku, the PDP presidential candidate, may have a negative impact on the party. The Nasarawa PDP candidate is of Wike’s camp.

Although Ombugadu group enjoys the support of the party leadership in the state, some  heavyweights of the party had pitched their tenth with Atiku Abubakar which may have a very negative impact on the person of the candidate, Ombugadu.

Many believe that a house divided against itself can never stand to fight forces against them. However, Ombugadu  hails from  Nasarawa Eggon Local Government but reside in Akwanga LGA where the governor is from and he controls large followership  especially in his own LGA and some part of the West.

Despite the influence of the National Chairman, in Kefi LGA, the PDP deputy governorship candidate, who is from Toto, Nasarawa West Senatorial district may help his party get a share of the votes.

If the NNPP  candidate, Maidoya decides to pitch his tent with the PDP camp, the votes from Nasarawa South will be split between the APC and PDP which may give the PDP an upper hand to win the zone.

Labour Party

In Labour party, the Nasarawa State governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Joseph Ewuga, had openly accused the state chairman of the party, Alexander Emmanuel, of engaging in anti-party activities.

He said the chairman’s body language suggests that he was working against the party’s chances ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Ewuga  alleged that the chairman of the party had been hobnobbing with other political parties to the detriment of the Labour Party in the state.

He added that the  attitude of the chairman was not only becoming inimical to the party but could undermine the fortunes of the presidential candidate in 2023.

During the flag of the LP presidential campaign, reports were rife that the state government deployed all manner of unorthodox strategies to frustrate the event.

The Director General of the LP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr Doyin Okupe decried the shenanigans by the Governor Sule administration to ensure that the campaign never held. “The state government had declared that Saturday an Environmental day just to put hurdles in the way of the people who were billed to be at the campaign flag off”, he said.

Okupe regretted that it was the morning of the event that the presidential candidate of the LP, Peter Obi got approval for his helicopter to land in Nasarawa.

Despite the effort to frustrate Labour Party, many critical observers believe that the flag off in the state was a huge success.

Many are patiently waiting to see how far the LP would go in Nasarawa ahead of next year’s general election.

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