There is no ethnic group in Nasarawa state, no matter its numerical strength, that can succeed in politics without the support of other tribes. We need each other to progress as people bound by love and common destiny. This prompted the people of the state to eschew tribal interest and unite as brothers and sisters to actualise the creation of Nasarawa state in 1996.
Following the creation of Nasarawa state, the people came to appreciate the importance of living together as one big, united family where every one mattered and they were co-existing peacefully without recourse to ethnic sentiment until in 1999 elections when some ethnic champions, who have nothing to offer introduced ethnic politics in the state, hoodwinked their people into embracing this path of self destruction which pitched them against other tribes in the state, making it impossible for them to produce a governor of the state.
Most people expected that the defeat of ethnic politics in Nasarawa, especially under the immediate past administration of Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, will serve as a lesson to these retrogressive elements whose understanding of politics does not go beyond the confine of ethnicity. Unfortunately, some of them seem not to have learnt any lesson from those before them as some ethnic bigots are hellbent in dragging Alago Nation into disrepute.
Unfortunately for them, the Alago people are politically wise, accommodating and too educated to be hoodwinked into ethnic politics knowing too well that politics is all about development and impacting positively on society based on individual competence, credibility, antecedent, and achievements rather than tribal or religious inclinations.
What these retrogressive elements fail to take into consideration is that the Alago people don’t believe in ethnic politics that was why they elected Abdullahi Adamu and Al-Makura in 1999, 2003 and 2011 against their own son late Governor Akwe Doma. The promoters of ethnic politics in Nasarawa South need to be reminded that this brand of politics has never succeeded in the state since 1999 and will never succeed as those who adopted this strategy always ended up in shame and political golgotha.
They need to be reminded that but for former Governor Adamu, an Afo by tribe, and support of other ethnic groups an Alago man, late Doma, would not have become governor in 2007 despite the numerical strength of Alago in Nasarawa; other tribes in the state have been fair to the Alagos in the senatorial seat of Nasarawa South from 1999 to date.
Records on the senatorial seat of Nasarawa South from 1999 to date show that the people of the zone voted for late Senator Haruna Abubakar from Lafia local government who did only one term 1999 to 2003. He was succeeded by an Alago man from Doma Senator Emmanuel Okpede who also spend one term from 2003-2007 after which another Alago sons from Akwatashi in Obi local government Senators Sulaiman Adokwe and Hussaini Egye spent cumulative 12 year’s from 2007 to 2019 when Adokwe lost his fourth term bid to Al-Makura.
Thus,it is crystal clear that in the last 23 years of our democratic journey, the Alago people have dominated the senatorial seat of the zone for 16 years leaving only seven years to other tribes in the zone including the three years spent so far by Al-Makura in the Senate. Therefore, resorting to ethnic politics against other tribes in the zone despite all their support amount to pitching Alago nation against other ethnic groups in the zone and by extension the state which will not augur well for the Alago nation.
The 2023 senatorial election in Nasarawa South is a straight battle between superlative performance and ethnic politics and between progressive and retrogressive forces. A the center of this battle is incumbent Senator Al-Makura, the architect of modern Nasarawa state. Al-Makura is going into the election with intimidating record of achievements both as governor and senator. Contrastingly, Hon. Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo, former speaker and member House of Representatives, is banking on ethnic sentiment and tribal strength to see him through in the election.
Taal-Almakura is one of the greatest gifts to the people of Nasarawa state and his senatorial district of Nasarawa South. He is a man of many parts who abhors vindictiveness; a teacher by training, accomplished business man and a politician of repute with high integrity, passion for humanity and love for the common man who rose to prominence through hardwork, dedication and commitment to achieve political greatness and put his footprints in the sands of time.
Having build a successful business empire stretching beyond the shores of Nigeria witt many accomplishments in business, politics and governance, Al-Makura hit the political scene of Nasarawa state like a thunderstorm in 2011 to become governor, ending the 12-year reign of PDP in the state
The eight-year Al-Makura administration raised the bar of governance in Nasarawa state by re-writing the development history of the state to the envy of all with his legacies scattered across all sectors of the state which prompted the people to nickname him the architect of modern Nasarawa state and supported his decision to bring Governor Abdullahi Sule as his successor and rewarded him with the senatorial seat of Nasarawa South in 2019.
Since his election into the Senate Al-Makura has continued to make his constituents proud with his brand of representation. His vibrancy, legislative acumen, frequent and brilliant contributions to debates on the floor of the Senate have further endeared him to the hearts of his colleagues, constituents and those that matter in government. This has enabled him to attract projects and interventions to his constituency from government ministries, departments and agencies.
Abari writes from Lafiya, Nasarawa state via [email protected]