Nasarawa adopts consensus method, Senator Al-Makura enjoying more support

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in Nasarawa state has adopted the consensus method to elect officials of the party at all levels.

The adoption of the consensus method was the outcome of major stakeholders’ meeting of the party held at the Aliyu Akwe Banquet hall, government house, Lafia.

The decision was taken via voice votes, after some critical stakeholders including Governor Abdullahi Sule have spoken extensively about the forthcoming party congresses in the state and the need for peaceful conduct during and after the exercise.

The governor therefore, pledged his commitment to ensure smooth congresses in the state, and directed all his appointees to go back to their electoral wards and ensure a hitch free process.

He however, shared responsibilities to the three serving senators in the state.

Senators Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, Abdullahi Adamu and Senator Godiya Akwashiki, will be incharge of their senatorial zones respectively. They stressed the need for equity and justice, towards ensuring free and fair congresses in the state.

The Speaker of the APC controlled state legislature, Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi stressed that the lawmakers wouldn’t relent in garnering more members from others parties to the APC through robust legislature towards national development.

However, Senator Umaru Tanko Almakura born in 1952 in lafia had his primary education at Dunama (1959-1966) and proceeded to Keffi teachers college Keffi and latter Government teachers college Uyo for Senior Secondary school certificate in 1975. He was an Assistant Producer at the Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria.

He then went to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1975–1978), graduating with a Bachelors of Education Degree. For his National Youth Service, he was a teacher at the Government College, Makurdi.

He was a governor that emerged in 2011 defeating the seating Peoples Democratic Party Governor late Aliyu Akwe Doma of blessed memory which became a standard for the formation of the current rulling party in 2014. Senator Almakura after successfully Serving for eight years as Governor of Nasarawa State and was elected Senator Representating Nasarawa North.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) came to be in 2014 after three political parties Congres for Progressive (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) were merged.

The ACN was led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ANPP was the current Minister of Science and Technology Ogbonnaya Onu as leader, while the CPC was led by the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and Umaru Tanko Almakura who was then a serving Governor of Nasarawa State.

Former Governor and incumbent Senator Umaru Tanko Al-makura has led the state to Economic, Political and socially amongst many developmental legacies.

Economically, he brought Foreign Direct Investment ( FDI ) into many sectors including mining, which is in abundance in the state. Brought Dangote Group amongst others.

Politically, he handed over to his successor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule in peace because of his proactive diplomacy through political dialogue.

Socially, he recognized many ethnic groups by institutionalising their traditional head to oversee their welfare.

Similarly, when Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, took over as the Senator representing Nasarawa South Senatorial Zone, in 2019, after pulling a huge upset by defeating the then Senator Suleiman Adokwe, many were skeptical about what he would bring onboard with regards to representing his constituency.

In the red chamber, Senator Al-Makura has sponsored bills, introduced empowerment programmes and projects that have direct bearing on the lives of the people of his constituency.

For example, on December 29th 2019, Senator Al-Makura in his wisdom distributed 105 items to the vulnerable members of his constituency, including grinding machines and power generators sets, among other economic enhancement tools.

The beneficiaries were drawn from Lafia, Doma, Obi, Keana and Awe local government areas that make up the Nasarawa south senatorial districts.

Also on Saturday, March 1st 2020, the senator made the third tranche of power generating sets to 120 second and third class chiefs in the zone to improve their respective domains.

Again, during the global pandemic of COVID-19, Senator Al-Makura distributed 3,000 bags of rice to his constituency to cushion the effect of the lockdown.

In a similar vein, the former governor also distributed palliatives to over 200 disabled persons in his senatorial zone.

Furthermore, Al-Makura also facilitated the disbursement of micro- loans of N10, 000 each to 2,000 beneficiaries in Nasarawa south senatorial districts which is made up of Doma, Awe, Keana, Lafia and Obi local government areas of the state.

Recently, Senator Almakura, commissioned and handed over some solar-powered street lights, to communities of Azara, Adudu, Agwatashi, Keana, Doma and Arikya, all in Nasarawa South Senatorial District.

Senator Al-makura, has sponsored a bill seeking to amend the University Teaching Hospitals (Reconstitution of Boards, Etc) Act No.10 1985, to include an additional Teaching Hospital, the “Federal University Lafia Teaching Hospital and accord it full recognition.

He also sponsored the bill to establish Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), which scaled second reading at the Senate.

The bill, which is aimed at investing and containing investments in the mining sector to promote mining, was read for the first time in September 2020. The two bills have passed through second reading in the Senate.

It was timely when his people, the Gwandara recently recognizes his immense contributions to the state and the nation and made him the ‘Sardaunan Gwandara’.

Governor Abdullahi Sule, while speaking on the new traditional title bestowed on Senator Al-makura, extolled the leadership qualities of his immediate predecessor, who he said, has continued to break frontiers even after leaving office.

According to Engineer Sule, Al-Makura has exemplifies the selflessness and patriotism, whose commitment to justice, fairness and unity of purpose, led the former governor to pick him as his successor.

The Governor noted however that when it was time for Senator Al-makura to do the right thing for the development of the state, he selected him to become his successor.

Engineer Sule said, because of this, he has a personal commitment to continue and build on the foundation laid by the former governor.

“I’m committed to building upon and exceeding the foundations laid by Senator Almakura, not because I’m better than him, but to justify his trust in my capacity,” he stated.

Meanwhile, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) gets set to commence congresses nationwide to elect officials of the party, Youth Progressives Forum (APCYPF) has endorsed a former governor of Nassarawa state and senator representing Nassarawa north zone, Umar Tanko Almakura, for the position of national chairman.

The forum led by its national chairman, Honourable Ukkasha Hamza Rahama, announced the endorsement while addressing journalists in Bauchi.

He said Almakura as an experienced politician and peace builder can lead the party to victory in the next 2023 elections.

Buttressing his points, Ukkasha recalled that Almakura was the only governorship candidate that won election in 2011 under the platform of the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) defeating the then incumbent governor, Akwe Doma, which marked the beginning of regrouping of other political parties to form the present ruling APC.

“As the 2023 election is fast approaching, the ruling APC must take holistic decision in the overall interest of its members and Nigerians as a whole by supporting the emergence of Umaru Almakura as the next APC national chairman to stop the party from collapsing after the exit of president Buhari.

“The fundamental task before the ruling party is to reconcile its aggrieved members, win elections and sustain President Buhari’s policies and programmes after 2023,” he said.

Hence, a Northern political group, Progressives for Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, rallied support for a southern presidential candidate in the 2023 general election.

Consequently, the political group revealed that for fairness and equity, the 2023 presidency should be zoned to the southern part of the country.

This was even as the group also drummed support for the immediate-past Governor of Nasarawa State and Senator representing Nasarawa South in the National Assembly, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, to emerge as the next national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Honourable Makpa Malla, a member of the House of Representatives representing Awe/ Keana/Doma federal constituency of Nasarawa State, Hon. Hassan Nalaraba and former members of the state House of Assembly, called on Senator Al-Makura to step out and vie for the national chairmanship of the party.

“We, therefore, stand firm on our belief that a Al-Makura’s chairmanship of the party would further solidify and consolidate the party’s gain so far; create a strong atmosphere of trust, unity and inclusion, which are crucial elements the party requires at this moment to expand its horizon and make further gains going forward.” They said.

They appealed to the national leaders and critical stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to see reason to zone the national chairmanship position of the party to the North Central with a view to encouraging the feeling of inclusion among the party ranks.

Malla appreciated the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led National Caretaker Committee of the APC for reconciling aggrieved members of the party, restoring lost members, and bringing in new members into the APC, including state governors, senators, House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly members.