Yakubu Busari
The race to Plateau State Government House I seeing Dr Patrick Dakum /Edward Pwajok as the candidate to beat considering their political prowess in Plateau politics.
“You would recalled that on Saturday, March 18th ,2023, the quadrennial ritual of electing and reelecting political office holders in Nigeria will be observed throughout the country ,as Dr Patrick Dakum and his running mate are now ringing the bell towards providing solutions to the vacuum leadership in Plateau state.
However ,it was gathered that only few states like Anambra will not observe this ritual in full due to their staggered governorship election, Plateau state with intense political activities were more evident in the states observing this ritual in full as electorate shall queue across the polling units to vote for credibility of the candidate of their choice.
In Plateau the contest is bearing signs of a tough contest among three candidates who are the foremost contenders for the big win.Dr Patrick Dakum of the Labour Party, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda. of the All Progressives Congress and Barr. Caleb Mutfwang of the People’s Democratic Party are fairly equally strong to win the polls.
Besides, the zoning arrangement, all three are from Central Senatorial District of Plateau state where the governorship position is zoned in line with the state’s rotation arrangement.
Ordinarily, electing a governor of a state from a senatorial zone will appear to constrict the political space and restrict choices, but the three contestants in particular have varied experiences that will serve the needs of Plateau State and her people in this trying period ,The verse knowledge and exposure of Dr Patrick Dakum placed him above others strong contestants vying the seat of little Rayfield .
However, only one of them has greater chance of a win as well as minded to deliver on good governance. And that is Patrick Dakum of the Labour Party. He may not approximate all the qualities of a demon administrator, but he surely has an advantage over his closest rivals. One, has borne responsibilities to be elected governor to repositioning the dwindling economic of Plateau.
According to records the Director General of the center for Human Virology to prevent international medical tourism outside the country , he has held appointive positions that exposed him to the complex workings of the executive as well as the executive .
He was a Commissioner for Information & Communication during Ex-Governor Joshua Chibe Dariye . The experience of the other candidates if pitted against his easily pales in comparison. What he is bringing to bear in governance in Plateau State is a composite skill honed through exposure to both elective and appointive positions.
Neither of his two closest rivals has as much experience to trump him in the contest. Patrick Dakum is enough of a politician, a medical doctor with mild manners to navigate the fractious politics of Plateau State and deliver good governance.
He is the kind of man you find easy to entrust with the collective aspiration of a people and go to sleep. He is judicious in action and will most likely not provoke distrust through political indiscretion.
To emphasis on his track record of performance in public office that stands him in good stead to perform excellently if elected, his platform, the Labour Party, hitherto “without structure”, puts him in a pole position to win the contest.
The performance of the Labour Party in the heavily flawed election of February 25, 2023, has changed the perception about the coming elections. The desire of Nigerians, especially her youth population which forms the greater number of the voter audience to have a new country has put parties like the APC and the PDP on edge.
The revolutionary zeal of the Obidient movement which largely propels the Labour Party has shown scant regard for the survival of the other parties where citizens developed cold support for two two dominant party’s .
It was evident in that last election that many candidates got lucky not for any special effort of theirs, but for merely contesting on the Labour Party ticket. And so far as that development goes, nothing has happened to suggest that the next Saturday election will be any different. Rather the failure of the INEC to discharge the responsibility fairly and credibly has compelled greater determination to elect more Labour Party candidates in the coming election.
In Plateau the zeal to avenge the subversion of the will of the people in the last election is evident in the manner the people are pulling for Labour Party candidates across the country.
The story is not any different in Plateau State where Dr Patrick Dakum emergence as the Labour Party governorship candidate was achieved in almost the same manner as Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate.
Dakum moved over to Labour Party after losing out in the People’s Democratic Party primaries. However, his candidacy was challenged up to the Appeal Court by one Amb. Yohanna Yilpwan Margif who sought to stop him.
In its ruling the Apex Court described Am Margif as a meddlesome interloper who should not have gone to court in the first place because he lacked the locus standi and was expelled from his ward .Adding ,
“He should not have gone to court in the first place since he didn’t participate in the Labour Party governorship primaries and can’t put something on nothing .”
It is important to state here that since the campaigns, Dr Patrick Dakum has continued to chalk up good popularity with the people. He has public acceptance which is premised on his previous record of performance as a , Commissioner.
Building on political relevance ,Plateau North senatorial zone Barr.Edward Pwajok ,SAN, has ties with North Senatorial Zone as running mate and attorney general for 8-9 years which makes his governorship a balanced package.
It is a governorship in the best position to heal Plateau State and nip off the springing bud of division about to take root in the state. Plateau’s match to statehood has no greater chance of taking effect under any other governorship but Dakum ,Pwajok.
He has not hidden his distaste for the imaginary divisions orchestrated by few political profiteers just to deepen their perch. Decrying the politics of division in the state he once said:
According this , “We do not speak in zones. We speak of the state as one united constituency in need of transformation, and this we are determined to do”.
There is the belief that he is the preferred candidate in the March 11 polls. But more of this belief is hinged on his ability to push up the frontiers of development to make Plateau State the frontline state it was and heal her of the divisions caused by self-serving politicians who want to remain at scene perpetually.
It is not expected that anything will blight his chances at the polls. He has worked hard to “ensure there grows no weed of rebellion to choke the flowers of grace”. He will not labour in vain.
