By Ezra Musa
Hon. Edward Masha has officially declared his intention to run for the Chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State.
Masha made this declaration while briefing the members of the Southern Kaduna Journalists’ Forum on Wednesday in Kaduna.
According to him, the decision to join the race was prompted by the realisation that his constituency has been marginalized for over 21 years, lacking representation in the working committee of the party.
He said that his intention was to unite the party, stating that he would reach out to all the key stakeholders to foster unity.
Masha said, “It took me over two and a half months to make up my mind to contest for the office of the party Chairman of Kaduna State.
“Before then, many people were calling on me to contest. Social media was awash with posts urging me to run.
”And the more I asked people to take down their posts, the more they seemed to be motivated to continue.
“The second issue is that it’s now 21 years that Jema’a Local Government is the only one in the entire state that has never had a working committee member.
”While it may not seem real, when you go through the records, you’ll find it’s the truth.”
Masha said that after extensive consultations, he decided to contest, being eminently qualified to lead the party after garnering enough experience from the notable leaders of the PDP.
He said, “If anyone says there are no challenges in the PDP, I would disagree as all parties have challenges, but for the PDP to have survived is like being anointed by God to be PDP members.”
“I’m coming in as a unifier. During my consultations, I reached out to every leader and key stakeholder. I didn’t exclude anyone. I’ll meet with everyone and share my aspirations.”
Masha said that if elected, he would respect the office of each leader, allowing them to carry out their functions independently, while also being attentive to their needs.
He also said that one of the reasons the chairmanship was zoned to Zone 3 was because of the party’s strength in that area and the people’s yearning for good leadership in the state.
Masha added: “The fact that so many people are contesting this election shows you how strong the party is. If the party weren’t strong, you wouldn’t see this level of interest.
“I understand the disappointment our people felt when PDP was winning and then suddenly lost.
”That’s why one of the first things I’m doing is bringing our leaders together, and I will succeed in doing that.”
Masha urged the people of Kaduna South zone not to be misled into thinking they cannot contest for the gubernatorial position as the chairmanship is zoned.
According to him, the party’s constitution allows every individual the right to contest, regardless of the chairmanship’s zoning.
He said, “It would be a mistake to think that because the chairman is coming from Zone 3, we are excluded from contesting. Certainly not; nobody is excluded. You have the right to contest.”
Masha also encouraged the gubernatorial aspirants to start preparing now to avoid late declarations.
On youth involvement, he promised to partner with the youth, if elected, ensuring they are included and given their place in the party.
Masha added, “Young people are very close to my heart, as are women. I became a Commissioner at a very young age, and PDP gave me that platform.
“Given the strength of our youth, their technological knowledge, and what they can offer, we must tap into that resource by constantly engaging them and giving them responsibilities and assignments.
“Similarly, women should not be relegated to the position of women leaders alone; there are other positions that they should be given.”
Masha vowed to bring order to the party if elected. repositioning it to take power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state come 2027.(NAN)
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