Nasarawa: Protesting women on Saturday booed the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress Abdullahi Ganduje, Gov. Abdullahi Sule and other dignitaries enroute to the government house via Jos- Shendam road, Lafia, to witness the rejoining of Senator Solomon Ewuga, who had prior to the 2023 elections, indicated that he was done with partisan politics opting to contest for the vacant stool of Aren Eggon following the passing of the late revered paramount ruler of the Eggon people His Royal Majesty Dr Bala Abaine Angbazo.
Sen Ewuga, therefore, stayed away from the PDP campaign to persuade Engr Sule to support him in his bid to become the Aren Eggon.
Through the Governorship campaign. Sen Ewuga worked underground for Engr Sule in pursuit of his chieftaincy ambition. On election day, it was reported that he sent words to his polling unit and pleaded with the youths to vote for Sule but received a shock of his life when the Youths advised him to vote and go away to avoid physical embarrassment.
He reportedly voted for Engr Sule and took off following threats from the youths who voted overwhelmingly for Dr. David Ombugadu of the PDP. It was further reported that his candidate Sule roundly lost in his unit and in his Ward to Dr. Ombugadu.
In an interview, Awinyi Alushi, a youth leader in his village said they believe it was to demonstrate the total loss of support among his people as a result of the politics of stomach infrastructure which has been his style for a long time that has caught up with him, in the contest for the vacant Aren Eggon stool, when Ewuga didn’t get a single vote from the Kingmakers!
Yesterday, he along with Ganduje and other Nasarawa APC leaders drove to the venue of the so- called defection while protesting women booed them along Jos Road in Lafia.
Governor Sule had reportedly approached Ganduje and Vice-President Shetima to entice Ewuga to formally go back to the APC before the Supreme Court Judgment to give the public impression that Dr. Ombugadu’s camp is divided, hoping this will help Sule hold on to the daylight election robbery at the Supreme Court.
The planned defection was to take place before now, but according to sources, all the people Ewuga approached to decamp along with him refused to follow him, knowing it was a political distraction organized and payed for by Governor Sule and his godfathers to distract the public and the judiciary from his daylight robbery of the popular mandates given to the PDP flag bearer Dr. David Ombugadu.
It was stated that other political actors who refused to join Senator Ewuga in this commercial defection reportedly include Nathaniel Aboki, immediate past Senatorial candidate of the PDP in Nasarawa North Senatorial Zone; Senator Patricia Akwashiki, Sen John Danboyi among several others including elders and youths, his age long supporters. They reportedly declined Ewuga’s invitation to follow him into Governor Sule’s political doldrums meant to cover his shameful defeat even in his own local government area in the last governorship election.
Nigerians are aware that Sule could neither deliver President Tinubu nor a single senator to the APC in Nasarawa state.
The Ewuga gravy train is meant to be a cover for Sule, but it has ended up a futile effort to hide the massive rejection of Governor Sule in Nasarawa state.
However, in a move that sparked public scrutiny, the former governor of Kano state and the current APC chairman Abdullahi Ganduje had earlier arrived in Akwanga Local Government to commission another 1.7 km internal road and a remodeled VIP lodge located in Akwanga, home local governmentof Engr Sule, a significant achievement for him after almost 5 years in office.
In a statement sent to journalist, Ibrahim Yusuf leader of the concerned citizens of Nasarawa state Akwanga chapter articulated the sentiments of the community, stating, “We appreciate any effort towards development, but it’s disheartening to see such a high-profile delegation commissioning what appears to be a relatively small-scale project after over 4 years of our son as governor of the state adding that “we are a laughing stock.”
There are more pressing needs and larger infrastructural gaps that require urgent attention in our community.”
“While any development is welcomed, it feels like a disproportionate expectation and resource use at this time. There are schools without proper facilities and roads in dire need of repair within our locality and this?. He asked.
The group continued to voice their discontent, drawing comparisons between the scale of development projects in Kano State under Ganduje’s tenure and the seemingly disproportionate projects being commissioned in Nasarawa state most especially, this one in Akwanga.
“It’s baffling to witness a stark contrast between the magnitude of road projects in Kano, all exceeding 100km, and the insignificance of a 1.7km road being celebrated here,” Ibrahim Yusuf further remarked.
He then challenged Ganduje, stating, “We demand an explanation on how a VIP lodge, in any way, addresses the pressing developmental needs of our community.”
Addressing Ganduje’s remarks on Lafia, the state capital as developed’ the group condemned what they perceived as derogatory comments towards Nasarawa people.
“Disparaging our state capital as “developed” only reflects a lack of respect for our people. Lafia does not match any local government in Kano in terms of infrastructural development or otherwise.
“It looks like Ganjude and their returnee colleague, Solomon Ewuga, are hired to shore up Sule’s very sagged popularity, and both are not the best models.”
He reiterated that Sen. Ewuga had already made public his reason for returning to Nasarawa APC politics while Ganduje’s antecedents speak for itself, and if this is their style, then they have an upheal task convincing the already determined Nasarawa people at this time.”
