2023: Nasarawa APC And The Gale of Defections, What Does It Portends For The Ruling Party

As the 2023 election gathers momentum, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nasarawa State was plunged into a sticky situation that was marred by the defection of key political actors in the state.

The dust raised during the party primaries which produced those to fly the party tickets in the 2023 election year was resisted in some quarters, as party faithful blamed the role played by the national chairman of the party, senator Abdullahi Adamu, whom critical stakeholders in Nasarawa State are accusing of digging a grave for the party

The gale of defection according to a political actor in Nasarawa South senatorial district, is a thing to worry about, he said the APC in the state is in disarray with the emergence of Abdullahi Adamu whom he said is using his office to sabotage the immediate past governor of the state, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, whom he said remain relevant in the party fold.

In Nasarawa South senatorial district, a sitting member of the federal House of Representatives representing the Lafia/Obi federal constituency, Hon.Abubakar Sarki Dahiru withdrew his membership from the All Progressives Congress, pundits said the withdrawal is a result of his failure to secure his mandate, a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Muhammed Ahmadu Al-Makura was declared winner of the party primaries, and tongues has continued to wag over his emergence.

In Lafia , the Nasarawa State capital, Hon Mohammed Ahmadu Al-Makura and his Uncle, according to an Eggon and staunch member of the ruling party, the current senator representing Nasarawa South, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura who is the flagbearer of the same party will never be accepted by the people of the zone who are mostly Alago, Gwandara, Tiv, Migili, and Kanuri, an official of the ruling party at the state level said the 2023 election will be more of voting a candidate, not a political party as the APC are saying “Daga Sama Har Kasa” meaning APC from up to down, these are some of the issues that make politicians grumble.

While there are moves by the electorates, especially in Nasarawa South which the Alago-speaking people of Doma, Lafia East in Lafia Local Government, Obi, Keana, and part of Awe would consider tribalism, again another factor that may block the chances of the APC winning Nasarawa State in 2023 election was the exclusion of the second tribe (Eggon) in Nasarawa state, the Eggons are making inciting comments on the inability of the party to substitute the present Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe with Dr. Joseph Haruna Kigbu whom some party men said the swapping of Akabe with Dakton Talakawa (doctor of the hapless) who is Eggon by tribe, saying the swapping of the incumbent Deputy Governor, Emmanuel Akabe will balance the equation as the opposition political party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) fielded Emmanuel David Umbugadu, there will be a shared vote between the Eggon in Nasarawa South and North.

With the endorsement of Dr. Emmanuel Akabe as the running mate to Engineer Abdullahi Sule, the ruling All Progressives Congress may taste the bitter pills of politics come February 2023.

In Awe north constituency, the youth and people of other communities have spoken by fielding a young and talented Journalists, Hudu A Hudu who won with a landslide victory over his rival, Hon Tanko Tunga, the majority leader of the House of Assembly presently, the likes of Tanko Tunga, the present commissioner for Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy affairs, Aliyu Turaki who want to succeed Tunga was learned will indulge in a protest vote, Turaki is a grass root mobilizer in the political space of Awe Local Government.

In Nasarawa North senatorial district, the wind of change is blowing fiercely due to the failure of Senator Godiya Akwashiki to secure his return ticket, Akwashiki is a grass root mobilizer who has performed above expectations in the area of water, empowerment, agriculture, road and amongst another sector, his defection and his teeming supporters to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) is a minus to the ruling party, this is another factor that will have an adverse effect on the APC come 2023.

Feelers said the swapping of Godiya Akwashiki with Danladi Halilu Emvulanza, and the defeat of Hon Mohammed Agah Muluku and Tanko Tunga was to break the ranks of Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura by the national chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu,

In Nasarawa Eggon, there will be a block vote for the PDP during the governorship election, reason being that the former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku and retired General Nuhu Agbazo gave the assurance that they will remain in the party and work for its success.

Wamba Local Government is a no go area for the People’s Democratic Party, reason being that a think-tank of the current administration, Murtala Lamus is on ground to neutralize other influence that jeopardize the second bid of Engineer Abdullahi Sule returning to the seat of power at Shendam road.

Kokona Local Government, was not left out of the senatorial zone having pockets of issues, even in the country home of the state chairman of the party ,Dr John Mamman will face serious opposition by the SDP, It was gathered that youth protested the re-election of Hon Daniel Ogazi for the third time as member of the NSHA, in fact it is one of the issues that resulted to the rift between electorate, the former state lawmaker, Hon Raphael Sa’aka  to get a third ticket in his former party, as the youth insisted for a replacement, the Chairman is being challenged by a former commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon Anangba Bamaiyi  under the SDP.

While in Doma Local Government, the governorship candidate may have an edge over other politicians, with PDP topping the second place because of the emergence of Hon Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo as the candidate for Nasarawa South senatorial district, while the APC candidate would top first in the House of Assembly election, Hon Mustapha Yahaya Idris is on ground to take over from the current member under the platform of the Zenith Labour Party,Hon Musa Salihu Iyimoga,

The second factor that may block the chances of APC is the infighting between supporters of the ruling party and the Deputy Governor, youth who are mostly supporters of the ruling party have taken to the destruction of the party billboards by defacing the pictures of Emmanuel Akabe in almost all billboards along Lafia highway, the attackers are only removing the pictures of the Deputy Governor out of all pictures of candidates from Presidency to House of Assembly.

The detention of the culprits in the Police cell for four days and two days in the Criminal Investigation Department and their subsequent arraignment in court and their bail in court ignited a fresh defection of some core supporters of APC, though the effort to speak to the Nigerian-American baseball superstar, Musa Isyaka Ogah over his defection following the detention of his younger brother and his friend by the Deputy Governor didn’t yield any result.

In Akwanga, Engineer Abdullahi Sule would not have it easy because the PDP is on the ground, those working for APC especially Sen John Danboyi and the former deputy governor, Damishi Luka Barau, it was learnt are seen as stooges by the other faction of the party, which the commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Yakubu Kwanta is the most favored, Kwanta was sometimes ago in the black book of the former deputy governor, Silas Agara and Hon Muhammed Kasim Muhammed, the immediate past state lawmaker, the deep friction in  Akwanga is a clear indication that if not the sympathy of his predecessor, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.

Toto Local Government is not a go area for Abdullahi Sule and Arc. Shehu Tukur because of the impasse during the primaries for senate Nasarawa West senatorial district, APC supporters protested the name of APC instead insisted Sai “Matawallen Toto, the vote in Toto will be for Matawallen Toto, Bar Labaran Magaji and PDP.

Nasarawa Local Government, the parallel primaries in Nasarawa Central between Hon Danbaba ,the incumbent member and Hon Hajara Danyaro is a fight to finish in the constituency, so also the parallel primaries of Loko-Udegi constituency where Adamu Kaika was announced as the winner and subsequently the current member in an arranged primaries, Hon Okpoku emerged the winner while for House of Representatives, Abduumini Ari was announced instead of Al-Basheer, thes are some of the factors that will work against governor Abdullahi Sule and the national chairman of the party.

Karu Local Government belongs to PDP with a multitude of people from all walks of life, Hon Jonathan Gaza Bwefi is back to the opposition, SDP will get the sympathy of his kinsmen mostly Gbayis, his performance at the National assembly will speak for him anywhere he goes to

Keffi Local Government is amongst the smallest Local Government in times of landmass and population, the unfolding in Keffi between the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Ahmed Aliyu Wadada if is anything to go by, then the impasses which ignited the defection of Wadada ,Gaza, and others is a bad signal to Keffi , Nasarawa West and the APC, Wadada just like Bar Labaran Magaji are movers of the crowd.

Keana Local Government will not be a go area for House of Representatives member under the APC, Hon Abubakar Hassan Nalaraba, who hails from Keana, just like Gaza , he embarked on laudable projects which include renovation of schools, the building of abattoir, distribution of school bags and uniforms, township road construction and empowerment of women with N50,000 numbering 100.

Obi local government, is the second Local Government apart from Kokona that believes in a power shift, this happened during the Local Government chairmanship election, it was only Obi that fielded a consensus candidate, making the contest more open, the governor may have a soft landing in Obi, however, as the saying goes, only time shall tell.