Top national stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), Christians leaders and ex-army generals in the
country on Tuesday night had a closed-door meeting in Abuja to discuss the political
direction of Nasarawa State.
The meeting which was initiated by a prominent
Christian leader in the Northern part of the country in collaboration with
some Christian and PDP leaders in the state, took far reaching
decisions to make sure the state produces the next governor who will be committed
towards tackling the incessant herdsmen killings in the state which have sent
many farmers to their early grave.
According to one of the participants, who confided
in journalists and would not want his name in print, said the meeting also look at
the injustice the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership in the state has
done to the people of the Nasarawa North senatorial district by given the
governorship ticket to an Hausa minority in a Christian dominated zone, adding
that all hands are on deck to stop such a glaring marginalization.
The source said the meeting resolved to rally
support for the state PDP governorship candidate, Hon. David Ombugadu, who is a
Christian and is ready to treat all tribes equally, fairly and has also vowed to
tackle the herdsmen attacks head on to ensure that people of the southern part
of the state enjoy peace.
The source said: “When injustice becomes a role,
resistance becomes a
duty! The Eggon ethnic
nationality is the majority in the northern zone and Ombugadu is the candidate
to go for.
"The meeting also resolved to reverse their
early zoning of the state deputy governorship slot to the western zone by
consequently moving it to the southern senatorial zone where the Alago ethnic
nationality is the majority, and Hon. Ogoshi Onawo, who is currently a member
of the House of Representatives and a Muslim, is being considered."
He continued that the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar, had earlier suggested his loyalist, who came second in the APC governorship
primaries and most popular politician in the state, Hon.
Ahmed Wadada, from the western zone to be the
running mate of Ombugadu, but the plan seems to have changed when APC picked an
unpopular running mate in the state southern zone, Dr. Emmanuel Akaabe.
He added that already, the PDP state caucus met in
Abuja to pick a final running mate for Ombugadu between the duo of Wadada and Onawo.
According to him, "We also resolve to brace up
to this challenge because no one gets to
the middle of the river and still complains of cold; the APC has placed the
state on sell to Dangote, and we must put together all our efforts and
resources to stop them. The time has come for a Christian to govern Nasarawa
state.
"If you look at the APC primaries, out of the
24 state assembly seats, the Christians got only five, and out of eight National Assembly seats, Christians got only two.
"But if you go to the PDP primaries,
Christians got 12 and Muslims got 12 State assembly seats respectively in a 24 assembly
slots. Out of the eight National Assembly seats, they shared it four each. So
PDP is more committed to religious political balance in the state and we are
all going for them because we are tired.”
He added: "The ex-army generals promised to
provide the necessary assistance to make sure that the jinx of a Christian
governor is broken in Nasarawa State in 2019 and the peace which the people
seek is restored."
But speaking on phone to our correspondent, the
state CAN Chairman,
Bishop Joseph Masin, said the association is not a
political one and that the people of the state would look at all the issues
raised and decide who will govern them through the ballot.
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