If democracy is truly the game of number then it is imperative for the two main opposition parties in Nasarawa State, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to form an alliance to be able to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019.
The two political parties seem to share similar ideology of zoning the next governorship candidature to the Nasarawa northern senatorial zone that has never tasted the headship of the state since the creation.
Whereas the two western and southern zones have ruled the state eight and twelve years respectively, but the northern zone with all its potential leaders has never tasted the governorship stool.
Though not constitutional, the two main opposition parties in the state have been clamouring for rotation. The reason the northern zone gave is that the zone had worked tirelessly to support candidates from the two zones in the past.
This understanding of power rotation is believed to be borne out of the spirit of inclusiveness in the governance and principle of oneness.
However, if this ideology of zoning must be actualized by the two opposition parties in 2019 governorship election bid alliance between the APGA and the PDP in the state is not an option.
After all in 2015 the same alliance played out between APGA and PDP during the presidential election that give Goodluck Jonathan a resounding victory over president Muhamadu Buhari though the defunct CPC governor as ruling party in the state.
That victory was possible because the APGA led party by Hon. Labaran Maku who though had dumped the PDP to APGA and within four months mobilized his supporters to massively vote for Jonathan in the PDP in the 2015 presidential election.
Unfortunately therefore that alliance could not continue in the governorship election in 2015 and that made it easy for the APC to manipulate and claim victory with APGA taking the second position according to INEC result which Mr. Labaran Maku claimed he won.
One major loophole noticeable with politicians from the northern zone is their inability to unite and produce a single candidate.
The last general elections In 2015 there were over six candidates from the zone who contested the governorship primary which eventually led to the emergence Yusuf Agabi the candidate from the south zone.
Eventually Agabi lost that election with PDP taken the third place below APGA because was not a popular candidate. That is supposed to serve as lesson.
The six candidates from the northern zone then were advised by the elders forum to step down their ambition and rally round the pillar of the party then Mr. Labaran Maku but the elders advice was rejected.
According Elder Alias Adokwe, “we advised all the candidates after considering so many factors that they should step down for the popular candidate in the person of Lanaran Maku but they all refused, and we told them that Maku will win that primary”.
“In the end of the day Maku was ahead of all the candidates from the northern zone though Agabi from the southern zone won the PDP primarily but lost the governorship elections in the state”.
Elder Elias Adokwe, a prominent elder state man lamented that the greatest challenge before the northern zone is their inability to come out with one candidate.
With the recent order by the national leadership of the PDP calling on the party to form alliances with other political parties to wrest power from the APC both at the state and national level, should serve as wake up call for the PDP Nasarawa chapter to join forces with the APGA that has fast gained wide popularity in the state.
The fact that the PDP in the state had countless number of times beckoned on Maku to return to the party is an indication that the both parties share same ideology and could unite for the interest of peace in the state.
Even though Maku has maintained that his APGA has gained higher popularity and acceptance in the state judging by the current structures and volume of supporters.
While it could be observed that the two political parties have maintained an alliance at the national level, the time has come for them to extend that alliance to the state to conquer the ruling APC in the state.
Mr. Labaran Maku has no doubt attained a very lofty popularity and remained a major force to contend with in the forth coming governorship election in the state.
The ruling APC in the state is not unaware of the increasing acceptance of the APGA and the overwhelming performance of the party in the 2015 governorship election.
Political analysts in the state have argued that among all the prospective governorship candidates across all the political parties in the state at moment non possess or has the political might to defeat Maku in forth coming election except through rigging.
Albeit the APC in its determination to held on to the headship of the state is contemplating choosing its candidate from the northern zone considering the agitation for zoning.
Recently an APC chieftain in the state blamed the northern zone over their failure to rule the state as governor on lack of unity to produce single candidate.
He attested strongly that the zone is enriched with competent and influential political big wigs like Labaran Maku and others who have all it takes to govern the state but lack of unity amongst them has continued to militates against them.
Political alliance has helped to wrest powers from strong ruling parties world over. The PDP and the APGA can form this alliance to end APC rule in the state.
As the drumming for change in the political leadership of the state get more louder, all hopes are the PDP and the APGA, the duo must put their difference and ego apart and unite to bring a new government into power come 2019.
Abel Abogonye wrote in from Lafia.
