BY RAYYANU BALA
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State from whatever angle we look at him is a pragmatic person who knows nothing other than the truth and cherishes nothing other than telling the truth. In both his private and public life, Governor Sule is known to be honest and straightforward. Telling the truth regardless of its bitterness and not minding whose ox is gored is his stuff. At the coronation of Senator Umaru Tanko Al-makura as Sardauna of Gwandara (World Wide) held at Kwandere in Lafia Local Government Council penultimate week, Governor Abdullahi Sule was again at his best. He came out openly to let the whole world know certain facts about him with Al-makura but yet that did not stop Al-makura from supporting his aspiration of becoming the governor of Nasarawa State in 2019.
In his typical manner, Governor Sule told the gathering at the coronation ceremony all about Sen. Al-makura when he described himself as a person that exemplifies the selfishness and patriotism of Senator Al-makura, whose commitment to justice, fairness and unity of purpose, led Al-makura to pick him as his successor.
Hear what Governor Sule said: “I wasn’t a member of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), I wasn’t his commissioner or adviser. I was appointed by late Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, as Chairman of the investment company and when he came, he removed me”. He went further to say: “But when it was time for Senator Al-makura to do the right thing for the development of the State he selected me to become his successor”
Indeed, there are other instances to cite relating to the benevolence of Senator Al-makura to Governor Sule which he (Gov Sule) did not mention in his tribute either for lack of time or for reason of his preoccupations.
That Governor Sule prior to his selection by Senator Al-makura to succeed him, never even for once had a political sojourn with Senator Al-makura is a statement of fact that cannot be disputed. Apart from not sharing political idea with Senator Al-makura, Governor Sule at a certain stage waged a media war with Al-makura when he granted press interview where he reviled Al-makura’s cabinet.
In our clime, there is nothing more painful and annoying than for your political rival to scorn your administration through instrumentality of the media. At the time Governor Sule poured his vituperation on Senator Al-makura’s cabinet, there was a sponsored rejoinder just to show you how much Senator Al-makura’s government then, viewed Governor Sule’s venom.
On Saturday July 6, 2013, Weekly Trust Newspaper published an interview granted by Engr Sule with the screaming headline: “Al-makura’s Team Can’t Take Nasarawa Higher –Engr Sule” In that interview Governor Sule knocked Senator Al-makura hard by pouring invectives on Al-makura. He said in part, “I do not believe the governor is having a team that can take the state to a higher level than where it is presently. I also do not believe that their competence level and that of the team player would be able to take us higher”.
Senator Al-makura’s government then promptly responded through a sponsored rejoinder to counter what Governor Sule said in his interview. The rejoinder was published in the Weekly Trust of Saturday July 13, 2013 with the headline: “Re: Al-makura’s Team Can’t Take Nasarawa Higher”. The rejoinder came rather weighty on Governor Sule when the writer made an allusion that “Engineer Sule raised issues which ordinarily would not elicit any reply, but for the purpose of putting the records straight, as overlooking the remarks will imply accepting his ignorant position about the efforts being made by the present administration which he seeks to cheaply run down in order to be an acceptable alternative”
This war of words between then Engr Sule and Governor Al-makura attracted little public attention because Engr Sule did not allow the war to linger as he quickly withdrew and concentrated on his work at Dangote conglomerate.
What I am trying to arrive at by all these narrations is to further amplify the type of person Senator Al-makura is as succinctly captured by Governor Sule. If Al-makura were the type of politicians we have around, they would not have anything to do with Governor Sule let alone surrendering power to him. But Senator Al-makura being a cosmopolitan politician, regardless of all what transpired between him and Governor Sule, he went ahead and campaigned vigorously for him to succeed him.
To Senator Al-makura, political rivalry is normal in politics. The fact that you share a different political party or share different ideas with him does not imply that you are his foe; if you have capacity to unite and the patriotism as well as the commitment to justice and fairness, Senator Al-makura will not hesitate to associate himself with you. This is the type of person we want at this time to steer the leadership of our great party ahead of the 2023 election.
Senator Al-makura is an exceptional politician whose exposures in life will surely add more value to APC. He has an unblemished record of service; as he can stand before anyone with his shoulders high.
Nasarawa state is a mini-Nigeria where you have convergence of various tribes, religion and interests but yet Senator Al-makura was able to blaze the trail.
Take it or leave it, Senator Al-makura is a highly cosmopolitan politician who traversed all intrigues and maneuvers associated with our politics with all its attendant dirt but came out successfully. His eight years as governor of Nasarawa state as well as the national assignments he performed when he held sway as governor taught him all the lessons inherent in our party politics. Senator Al-makura has never failed to deliver whenever he was called upon to do so by the national Secretariat of the APC. He performed various tasks unbehalf of the APC national headquarters and the outcomes were superlative and unbeatable.
Senator Al-makura’s contributions to the growth of the APC and its success in 2015 and 2019 are in the public domain; time and space will not allow us to list them all here, but it would be a gross understatement if we say that without the contribution of Senator Al-makura, APC won’t have harvested all these benefits today. Now is the time to reward Senator Al-makura with this exalted seat of National Chairman of the APC in the interest of Justice and fairness.