By Rayyanu Bala
The unfortunate incident that occurred on Wednesday at the Emir of Lafia’s Palace and Lafia Square has generated widespread reactions across the media space. Since then, different opinions, commentaries, and interpretations have continued to emerge, with many people trying to make sense of what happened.
However, what is particularly disgusting and unacceptable is the attempt by one commentator to trace the reason for the unruly behaviour of some hired youths to Governor Abdullahi Sule’s reference to Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada as the APC governorship candidate.
The commentator argued, without any justification, that at a rally organised to promote President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Sule ought not to have mentioned Senator Wadada.
Honestly, this argument is not only laughable but also reflects a clear case of double standards and calculated mischief.
One really wonders when mentioning a political party’s governorship candidate at a party rally suddenly became an offence. How can an APC rally organised in Nasarawa State be expected to promote the APC presidential candidate alone without making reference to the party’s governorship candidate in the state? Is the governor expected to campaign for President Tinubu while pretending that the APC has no governorship candidate to present to the people at the rally?
That position simply does not make sense.
The truth is that political campaigns, particularly those organised by a political party, cannot be separated into different compartments. A presidential campaign does not exist in isolation from the governorship, National Assembly, and State Assembly campaigns when all the candidates belong to the same political party and are working towards a common electoral objective.
The APC is one political family. Its presidential candidate, governorship candidate, and legislative candidates are all part of the same political structure. They share the same party platform, political identity, and, to a large extent, the same mobilisation machinery.
Therefore, political mobilisation at an APC gathering should naturally accommodate the interests and aspirations of the party at every level. It is neither unusual nor inappropriate for party leaders to use such an opportunity to acknowledge and promote other candidates of the party.
In fact, that is one of the fundamental purposes of party rallies: to build collective support for the party and its candidates.
When Governor Abdullahi Sule mentioned Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada as the governorship candidate while campaigning for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, what exactly did he do wrong? Was he not speaking about a fellow APC candidate? Was he not promoting the political interest of the same party whose presidential candidate the rally was organised to support?
This commentator, who is arguing that Governor Sule ought not to have mentioned Wadada at a rally organised mainly for the President, should explain why they believe an APC rally in Nasarawa State should be limited to promoting only the presidential candidate while deliberately ignoring the party’s governorship candidate.
More importantly, political commentary should be guided by fairness, objectivity, and a willingness to distinguish between the left and the right.
Of course, what happened at the Emir’s Palace and Lafia Square deserves serious attention and an objective examination of the circumstances that led to the incident. But it is unfair to say that Governor Sule ought not to have mentioned Wadada at the rally.
Now, conceding that Governor Sule mentioned Wadada’s name at the rally, was that sufficient ground to foment trouble?
We must be careful not to allow sentiments, personal interests, or the desperation to score cheap political points to override common sense.
There is nothing fundamentally wrong with a governor promoting his party’s governorship candidate at his party’s rally. Political parties exist to win elections across different levels. Their leaders are expected to mobilise support for the entire political family, not just one individual.
Governor Abdullahi Sule, as the leader of the APC in Nasarawa State, has every legitimate reason to promote the party’s candidates and encourage their acceptance by the electorate. Mentioning Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada in the course of promoting President Tinubu should therefore not be twisted into an act of wrongdoing.
This commentator is just looking for convenient scapegoats.
Indeed, the question in the final analysis should not be why Governor Abdullahi Sule mentioned Wadada at an APC presidential rally. The more important question is why anyone would expect an APC rally in Nasarawa State to promote the party’s presidential candidate while deliberately keeping its governorship candidate out of the conversation.
That is where the real contradiction lies.
The APC must take this incident very seriously so as not to set a precedent. Urgent action must be taken against the sponsors of this unfortunate incident to serve as a deterrent.
