2023 Guber Election: Who comes with votes to cost home victory for Nentawe
By Auwalu Abubakar and Azi Samuel Peter
As the Plateau State All Progressives Congress, APC, Gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Nentawe, get set to pick/nominate his running mate, it is important to draw his attention and that of his party, to the fact that to win/maitain governance in the state, certain factors such as: Tribal strengthen, political antecedents, and to some extent, religious factors must be considered.
In the light of the above, Nentawe/APC, should ponder on who comes with votes that can overwhelmingly help APC cost home to victory at the polls.
Perhaps, we should consider the high and low points of each individual listed below in picking the Deputy Governorship Candidate of APC Plateau State:
1. Hon.Pam Botmang, a serving Commissioner ,is of Berom tribal extraction; Son of a former Deputy Governor/ Governor and a close confidant of the serving Governor; a seasoned politician
and international businessman with high connections.
Pam, a potential 5,000 votes strength from Zawan, a possibly 100,000 votes from Plateau Catholics, ironically Berom are generally pro-PDP..
2. Hon. Mafeng, the present Chairman Riyom LGA, is relatively a young man who is also a Berom by tribe, and he is likely to attract 30,000 votes across Plateau youth,with 40,000 sympathy votes across Plateau with the help of his colleagues, LGA Chairmen and 5,000 tribal votes as Riyom is a strong hold of the PDP, from where the PDP Senatorial/Deputy Governorship candidates hail from.
3. Hon,. Esther Pam Hwere, a woman with likelyhood of attracting 5,000 Berom votes and probably 50,000 Plateau women votes.
4. Hon. Celina Lyop Jakawa, is likely to attract five thousand Berom votes and 50,000 Plateau women votes.
5. Rufus Bature, present APC State Chairman, a Berom from Barkin Ladi, a long time close associate of the incumbent Governor, who had won the State Assembly seat in an opposition party which is very rare for his locality, he is widely regarded as a grassroot politician but lost the Nothern Senate seat woefully.
He is likely to secure 60,000 tribal votes across Northern zone and 30,000 across Plateau.
6. Philip Adik, present State Organising Secretary of APC, hails from Bassa LGA, a Rukuba, with likelyhood of 30 thousand votes from Plateau youth, 20,000 tribal votes from Bassa,having in mind that Bassa is traditionally a strong hold of the PDP but with its State Chairman, Chris Hassan, as another factor, is additional reason why any person from Bassa may not be suitable.
7. Engr. Sunday Audu Gwa, an Irigwe from Miango, invariably, a PDP strong hold since inception of the 4th Republic, with projected 40,000 Irigwe votes, combined with those in Jos North/Bassa, not too sure of having their votes in favour of the APC.
8. Professor Bindas, another contender from Pengana, Bassa LGA, with likely 15,000 tribal votes with another 20,000 Seventh-Day Adventist Church votes, but Bassa is generally PDP traditional voters, not too good for Nentawe’s expected victory at the polls.
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9. Hon Jerry Werr, another serving Commissioner, an Anaguta from Jos North, with viable 15,000 tribal votes though is another traditional PDP stronghold, not suitable for prospective Deputy Governorship post that would strengthen Nentawe’s/APC chances of winning the 2023 general election.
10. Hon Jushua Madaki, a former
Speaker and an Afezere by tribe, from Jos East, with offshoot in Jos-North, has a projected voting strength of 50,000 tribal votes and 30,000 of Plateau youths.
A Speaker who had no issues with the Executive and well liked by his colleagues who may attract additional 20,000 votes from their respective constituency.
11. Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande, a former Federal House of Representatives Member, is being regarded as one of the few politicians with potentials and the antecedents of winning elections with highest number of votes, cutting across Jos North/Bassa.
Although a Muslim,he has carved a niched for himself,that even Christians were massively voting for him
Should Nentawe/APC be ready to reinvigorate the political spirit of Christian-Muslim ticket, Kwande has the potentials of not only putting forth, but securing an assured 250,000 plus Plateau Muslims votes, besides the 10,000 guaranteed Gomai sympathy votes from Southern zone and 20,000 votes from other tribes from Bassa/Jos North.
But with his resent surprised resentment and outright rejection twice by the Lalong led government and the emergence of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku on the other hand one can’t say if he is still in APC.
12. Hon. Peter Azi, ex-Speaker is widely liked and has served Two teems as member House of Assembly Jos NorthWest,Hon Azi’s ward and strong hold Tundun wada has 92,000 registered voters which is the largest in Plateau,he is an Afezere, has the likelyhood of securing 50,000 combined tribal votes from Jos North, Jos East and probably 40 thousand votes from other tribes in Jos.
13. Professor. Danladi Atu, present SSG an Afezere, from Jos North, is likely to attract 50,000 tribal votes, combine from both Jos East and Jos North, with the probability of securing additainal 30,000 votes from other tribes within Jos North, having been the longest serving Chairman of Jos North, apart from Hon kwande, Hon Atu is also likely to get some sympathy from the Muslim voters of Jos North.
14. Hon Dan manjang is a serving Commissioner and close confidant of Governor Lalong, a Berom by tribe though much is not known about him like his other tribes men, ie Hon Rufus and Pam Botmang ,Dan manjang is a rising star in Berom land may have the sympathy of the past Governor jang having served him, likely 60,000 votes across Northern zone and 20,000 across Plateau being a well liked serving Commissioner
15. D.D Nabasu, hails from Bassa a newly retired federal Permanent Secretary, a very close confidant of the Plateau Chairman of the Traditional Council Gwom Gwang Jos, likely 30,000 votes from Bassa,30,000 votes from
Seventh Day Adventist Church members across Plateau State and 20,000 Berom sympathy votes if he gets the Royal Blessing.
It is expected that both Nentawe and APC would carefully, pay attention to the few information and distill the right person to help APC to coast home victorious at the polls in 2023.
