Contrary to other governors who shop for their replacements as governors, in order to remain relevant and/or cover up on certain issues, the Nasarawa State Governor, Umaru Al-Makura, has said that he will not sponsor any candidate as his successor in 2019, but would be very careful in offering support to those seeking to replace him as governor.
Following this terrain and considering the fact Al-Makura is one of the few governors whom their tenure expires next year, many tongues are wagging in Nasarawa State as to what would be the fate of the Lafia born governor.
Interestingly however, barely 37 months into the current dispensation, and after series of consultations, Al-Makura has finally succumbed to his people’s nostalgias to contend for the senatorial seat at the Nasarawa South constituency. Although the governor did not publicly made any comment or gesture to answer the clarion call of his people, until recently when he was quoted as saying that he has accepted the calls by goodhearted citizens of his constituency. He said he had decided to accept the enormous calls on him to contest for the seat.
Sources close to the governor revealed before making up his mind as to whether he would oblige or not, he has been under pressure by his party men and people from his senatorial zone to represent them at the National Assembly. And after kind reflections, Al-Makura solidly accepted to vie for the seat come 2019 general elections.
But the most important thing to note on the Nasarawa south senatorial constituency is that the gladiators of the senatorial seat would between the PDP and the APC, with Governor Al-Makura (APC) on top of the list, he would contest with the incumbent senator, Suleiman Asonya Adokwe that has been at the red chambers since 2013 to date. Senator Adokwe appears to have much more advantage over all others.
Although he was believed to have a solid political structure to rely on, but some of his constituents feel that the senator, in the last dispensation has shot himself on the foot, for failing to meet up some projects meant for his people.
Commentators have it that if not for Governor Al-Makura that accepted the yearnings of his people, Architect Salihu Egyegbola of the APC, who at the last election suffered defeat from Adokwe at the election tribunal, would have been the right candidate for the seat.
Another important fact to note on the senatorial seat, according to findings the Nasarawa senatorial district is the most fiercely contested seat in the state after the gubernatorial position. The reason is that the constituency is the most populous in the state, coupled with the assembly of political gurus. It has also been the PDP zone since 1999, except when Architect Egyegbola who tasted the seat after the 2015 general elections before a court upturned his election.
Therefore, this time around Governor Al-Makura is bound to face the gladiators from his zone, even though his party chieftains in the state have already screened off all contenders from APC, to which they may likely no any primaries for the party as he was already elected as a sole candidate for the zone’s senatorial district. Considering the fact that there had been calls across all local government councils from his constituency advising him to accept the call and represent his people at the red chamber.
Now, the political atmosphere in Nasarawa State is gloomy following the recent declaration by the governor. It was learnt that Al-Makura’s presence in the list of the candidate is continuously generating heated debates, as other members from the opposition feel that he is not qualified to run going by his records as a two-time governor in the state.
They opined that he did not actually perform up to standard. But the APC through it chieftains waved the PDP’s criticisms, and pointed out that Al-Makura has been the star governor who ruled the state with outmost sincerity, compassion and benevolence. Adding that since the creation of the state, no governor had track of records that beats Al-Makura’s.
Adding that as far as the race for Nasarawa South senatorial district is concerned, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura shall be the only candidate that can genuinely represent his zone at the upper legislative chamber come 2019.
It was gathered that Governor Al-Makura going by statistics would stand out among all his opposition for the seat as he was able to create land marks of infrastructural development in his state as he has successfully transformed the educational sector, taken the lead in the provision of modern markets across the state and revolutionaries the health sector.
Ciroma is the Editor In-Chief of ‘Wakiliya’ Hausa Newspaper, he wrote in from No. 15, Younde Street, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja. ([email protected])
