By: JOHN LUKA
There has been hullabaloo and a perceived down turn of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from ruling to an opposition party. Struggling to reclaim the past glory is still gloomy and doomed because of a negated vested interest of visionless party men and women.
There seems to be no lessons learnt from the outcome of past failure where the party lost a sitting governor in 2019. It is seen to be a lesson not learnt the hard way. This is because the Southern Senatorial zone comprises of Toungo, Ganye, Jada, Mayo Belwa, Demsa, Numan, Lamurde, Guyuk and Shelleng local government areas have suffered blows of bad representation from the PDP party currently having its member representing the area.
The weakness of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Senator is an overriding step to victory if the APC will use it maximally.
Today by the analysis and understanding of the area in the emerging local and national politics, who will be the next Senator of the area from the APC fold is of very paramount importance and worth giving a careful consideration.
Adamawa Southern Zone has constituted about 80 per cent Christians of diverse ethnic nationalities, this means that whoever that will be the senator from either APC or PDP has to be a Christian for the party to get easy ride to victory.
Currently the APC has six aspirants with five already staging a protest of disagreement over the last primaries held in Numan, which they did not participate due to electoral irregularities and violence that ensued in the process.
Mrs Grace Jackson Bent a former Senator, represented the zone in the 6th Assembly, Ahmad Mohammed Moallayidi, former Senator to have represented the Southern area in the 8th Assembly.
Barrister Bala Silas Sanga, former Adamawa State Attorney General and commissioner of Justice, Mrs Bridget Ziddon and Alhaji Sani Jada in a joint press conference, raised grievous allegations against Engr Adamu Ismaila Numan for violating the 2022 electoral act by a show of votes buying and intimidation of delegates.
The allegations against Engr Adamu Ismaila Numan is to clearly reveal one’s weaknesses and lack of popularity as stated during the press conference of the five aggrieved aspirants.
With Adamu Ismaila, a Fulani Muslim, the PDP has began to celebrate its victory for their candidate, Binos Yaroe, who is also a Christian; creating an automatic coasting home with success at the upcoming general elections.
This will no doubt be a repeat of what happened in 2019 when Senator Ahmad Mohammed Moallayidi, also a Fulani was forced as a sole candidate on the people of the zone.
This is a clarion call to APC, that they should be mindful of the fact that, the PDP Presidential flag bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is from Adamawa State, a son of the soil from Jada Local Government Southern zone. This disposition means a lot to both the PDP and APC. The Atiku factor is playing a sensitive and a key role. He (Atiku) must ensure that his party no matter what, wins the election. This is where lies his own point of strength to show to the world that he has a home base support, a grassroots politician that does not lose touch with his locality, and in control of local politics.To APC it means that any aspirant to push as their candidate must be a Christian, to dislodge the incumbent Senator, Rev Binos Dauda Yaroe who is seen as a weak Senator that the APC can easily beat.
But the drifting of APC in Adamawa State by imposing and not fielding of popular candidates will be a whirlwind Tsunami that will kill the party to political extinction. It is clearly written that failure to give the party a good candidate in Southern zone is pushing it to the verge of losing election not only in the zone but in many parts of State.
The thinking and suggestions of political analysts and observers in the state is based on the wisdom that APC, the opposition party should rally around Grace Jackson Bent and give her the Senatorial ticket if at all the party is after winning the election.
Bent is the only person that has what it takes to collect power from PDP, under Binos Yaroe’s representation in the national Assembly.
She is the one with the temerity, the shock absorbers and the wisdom to get the seat back to APC. She is a Christian, from the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN), a denomination which Yaroe belongs. She has a cordial relationship with other denominations in the zone. A former Senator whose records are tremendously great and still speak volumes as a mark of her stewardship. The woman in terms of party and national politics got a greater rank than the other five aspirants. Her political profile is indeed quite intimidating to the fact that, PDP rates her high, while in the party, she was a board of trustees member before she cross carpeted to APC.
The views of many in the zone suggest that only Senator Grace has the political might, experience and doggedness to win the coming election of the Senate seat of the Southern zone.
Less than this, it becomes a political jamboree and gambling, a tambola of wasted votes, time and resources to failure by APC after much efforts to win.
The earlier they say, the better. A stitch in time, saves nine! Grace is a household name, she answers the Goggo name in the roll call of women of good leadership qualities. A mother to all and a politician of impeccable records both home and abroad.
In terms of education, she got it all. She has Masters Degree and honoured with Doctor of Philosophy. What else? To be fore-warned is to be fore-armed. APC failure to adhere to this, is a decision taken by the party to fail.
The message is clear, passed to the ears of those with listening ears of wisdom.
Dr John Luka Njiling wrote this from Jimeta-Yola, Adamawa State
