By Shabul Mazadu.


Another piece of bogus claims and gold plaiting of charcoal and unseen restoration of Plateau State's lost glory has hit the social media from Yakubu Dati, Chief of Staff to the campaign Director General of Tinubu/Shettima, Governor Simon Lalong, captioned: "Lalong: Restoring Plateau Glory with APC Presidential Campaign Kick-off."


How does hosting the presidential campaign restore the lost glory of Plateau? Has it restored and boosted our economy? Has it erected infrastructures? Has it restored our sporting capacity? Has it brought back the glorious days of our entertainment industry? Has it revitalized our tourism potentials and has it ended the persistent kidnappings to this very day? Has it brought back the relocated regional headquarters of Central Bank, Post Office, and others? If no, the glory of Plateau is not yet restored. 


It is absurd to claim that Lalong's sterling qualities and patience got him the campaign DG of the APC.


 The question is, where were the qualities when Lalong was denied the Vice Presidential slot? 


Lalong was chosen as DG to serve as bait to appease Christians, because a Muslim DG will compound problems for the APC presidential campaign. Tinubu said in Kano while talking to the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, "How can I be a minority Yoruba take Emmanuel in Sokoto? I have gotten the result of the election then, fail. 

"I must design a formula that will make me win, and it is only after winning that I can change the character, content and approach of governance that you can participate."

The Emmanuel in Sokoto he was talking about was a reference to Christians of the nineteen northern states including Lalong. 

Tinubu's winning formula is to run a Muslim-Muslim ticket, and have a Christian campaign DG. And why he chose Lalong was to appease the Northern Governors Forum whom he broke his promise of picking one of them as running mate. 

Who do you expect Tinubu to pick as a Christian DG among the northern governors? Would he Pick Samuel Ortom of Benue in PDP or Ishaku Darius of Taraba and in PDP? The only APC northern Christian Governor is Lalong, and it was on that basis he was considered as DG.


Dati said, "When Lalong was chosen as the DG of the Tinubu/Shettima campaign, he applied the opportunity to reconstruct Jos and retain the aura it lost in the previous years due to crises."


So, is Dati saying Lalong did not start reconstructing Jos and retaining the aura lost in previous years due to crises, until he became the DG campaign of Tinubu/Shettima? What are the reconstructions that Lalong did on the Plateau as DG? Since he became the DG, absenteeism and estacodes spree characterized his administration. Or is Dati talking about filling of potholes on roads and repainting the Rwang Pam stadium as the reconstruction? 

Talking about unity by inviting former speakers to House of Assembly for Budget presentation and others, is a farce, a total farce. 

The people that need reconciliation are those Lalong deceived into spending fifty million naira in the purchase of governorship forms and then rigged them out from a clear kangaroo gubernatorial primaries. Some of the aspirants asked him to tell them the truth whether he had a preferred candidate, but he lied that he did not simply because he didn't want them to defect to other political parties. He did not refund their fifty million naira. 

Those people he need to reconcile with too, are those that worked so hard for his victory at the polls, but were relegated to the background for his friends and family like Yakubu Dati to reap and enjoy the dividends. 


All those that bought the forms for councillor and Chairmanship that Lalong imposed his candidates on in 2021, should have their money refunded to them and seek reconciliation, if not, the unity Dati is talking about is a decoy and deception of the worst order.

 

He is talking of peace and unity, but have removed the billboards of other political parties in favour of the coming of the APC presidential candidate. Those billboards were made and mounted using funds. But were removed without compensation and appeal. 


Who are those Plateau sons and daughters bubbling in national politics that Dati was talking about? 

Nobody in Plateau is enjoying any involvement in national politics aside Lalong and his family and friends. Is it Festus Faunter, the National Assistant Secretary of the APC for North Central who is a well known friend of his brother Fred Bako, or is it Yakubu Dati his die hard friend as his Chief of Staff? Can he tell us the positive impact that Festus and himself are making on other citizens?

 Why did he silent the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen? Why is he not carrying her along? Is it Hon. Alphonsus Longgap Komsol whom he squeezed?


 The Deputy Speaker and member representing Wase Federal Constituency in the House of Reps, Idris Wase and member representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, are carried along because Lalong knows by virtue of their religion they cannot be a threat to him. Which of the political juggernauts seen as a threat that has not been hit by Lalong's sledge hammer? Why did he try retaining Senator Joshua Dariye in prison? 


Lalong wants by hook or crook to be the political leader of Plateau politics. 

Dati is full of euphoria because Lalong crushed those that laboured for the APC for him and his fair weather friends to benefit. 


Let Dati remember, they can pull as many crowd as they wanted, but one thing is sure, they will not deliver Plateau for Tinubu. He should remember Buhari's campaign visits to Plateau and the crowds he pulled, but yet lost despite running a Muslim-Christisn ticket, talk more of a man that is not only running Muslim-Muslim ticket, but insulted northern Christians of incompetency to be his running mate. 


Finally, Dati should know that there is a big difference between presidential primary, campaigns and presidential campaign flag-off. 


Tinubu cannot win the election simply because he flagged-off his campaign in Jos. Alhaji Shehu Shagari did not flag-off his campaign in Jos, but won in 1979 & 1983; Umaru Yar'Adua did not flag-off his campaign in Jos, but won.  Goodluck Ebele Jonathan did not flag-off in Jos, but won. Buhari did not flag-off in Jos, but won. 

Chief Mashood Kashimawo Abiola, won the Social Democratic Party presidential ticket in Jos and won the presidency. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo won the PDP's presidential ticket in Plateau and won the presidency. These scenarios are not the same with that of Tinubu. The APC presidential primary was not held in Plateau. Flagging-off campaign is not the same as convention. 


Bringing Tinubu to Plateau in the name he will win, should be explained better. Is it because God said so, or because of political  'witchcraft?'


 Dati should please tell us, because nobody who so far flagged-off of his presidential campaign in Plateau won, but those that emerged presidential candidates through convention.And this is not so with Tinubu.