SENATOR UMAR TANKO ALMAKURA HAS PLEDGED A TOTAL SUM OF 35 MILLION NAIRA TO SUPPORT THE APC CHAIRMANSHIP CANDIDATES FROM THE SOUTHERN SENATORIAL DISTRICT OF NASARAWA STATE.
Just in Dr Umar Tanko Al-Makura has pledged a total of 35 million Naira to support All Progressive Congress (APC) chairmanship candidates from the Southern senatorial district.
This significant donation was announced during the grand finale of the APC local government elections campaign rally held at Lafia East Primary School, the headquarters of Nasarawa State.
Al-Makura, a former senator representing the Southern Senatorial District, confirmed that each of the five candidates will receive 5 million Naira. Additionally, local government party officials from the five councils will each be granted 1 million Naira, while the state working committee of the APC will receive 5 million Naira.
This financial support comes as the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission has scheduled the local government elections for November 2, 2024, marking a critical moment for the APC in the region.
In a chat with Daily Trust, a week before the maiden PGF meeting in Lafia, Senator Al-makura, spoke on the direction of the APC as a political party.
“We did not go into this historic merger just because we want to win an election. It is not just for the fun of it, or even changing the PDP as a government.
“There is something more fundamental about the change we are seeking. We must have a different system from what we are trying to change to justify the essence of this merger.
“Already we have made history by having the very first ideal merger in this country. What happened since independence have been alliances and accords which brought about the amalgamation of various interests together, for the purpose of winning votes. And that is why such accords frittered as soon as elections were over,” he stated.
During his tenure as governor, Senator Al-makura experienced a baptism of fire from the PDP dominated Nasarawa State House of Assembly, that plotted to remove him from office but failed. He equally overcame the worst ethnic crisis in the history of the state, the Ombatse onslaught, which saw to the brutal murder of over 70 security operatives in Alakyo.
During his time as governor, Senator Al-makura was saddled with national assignments by the APC which saw him chair the five-member committee for the 2018 Ekiti governorship election. Also, in November 2018, Senator Al-makura was found worthy to lead the North East committee, as part of the national reconciliation committees set up by the APC. While Senator Al-makura chairs the committee, governors of Katsina and Jigawa, Bello Masari and Muhammad Baduru Abubakar, were both members of this committee.
After his eight-year tenure, Senator Al-makura moved to the senate to represent Nasarawa South at the upper chamber of the national assembly. He has remained a voice to reckon with as far as protecting and projecting the founding philosophy of the APC.
Another critical factor that may have influenced the decision of the APC to zone the chairmanship position to the North Central, is the agitation by Senator Al-makura’s successor, Nasarawa State governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, for the party to zone the position of the chairman to the North Central and to Nasarawa State in particular.
Since Engineer Sule started his campaign and lobby for the APC to zone the chairmanship position to the North Central and to Nasarawa State, he never relent, culminating with the formal adoption and endorsement of Senator Al-makura as the only recognised candidate vying for the position of the national chairman of the APC in Nasarawa State.
Engineer Sule has always cited the critical role Senator Al-makura played in midwifing the birth of the APC, as reason why the party should consider zoning the position of the national chairman to the North Central and to Nasarawa State in particular.
Now that the APC has zoned the position of the national chairman of the party to the North Central, it will not be out of place to demand from the party to render honour to whom honour is done, by making sure Senator Umaru Tanko Al-makura emerges as the next national chairman of the party.
As the party prepares for its March 26 national convention, where the new national executive committee of the party will emerge, it’s pertinent to state that, even though other aspirants contesting for the position of the national chairman of the party are all eminently qualified, Senator Al-makura however stands out as one who most fit the bill.
For a political party that came to enshrine sanity and enthrone true democracy, the APC must eschew vindictiveness, blackmail and political vendetta, that were the hallmark of the then PDP, which saw to the downfall of the former ruling party.
The APC must imbibe the culture of rewarding loyalty and hard work through ensuring that justice and fairness prevail, by electing Senator Al-makura as National chairman.
Salihu Abdullahi Osuko
(Garkuwan Giza)
Media Aide To Distinguished People’s Senator Umar Tanko Almakura.
