By JOSEPH ERUNKE
2015 election is about two years from now but those eyeing elective positions, especially the governorship seat in Nasarawa State operate as if it is tomorrow.

TO some people, it is still far but for the likes of Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, Senator Solomon Ewuga and Mr. Labaran Maku, the year 2015 is at hand. And for this, they are not leaving anything to chance and have variously begun subtle campaigns in their bids to realize their quests to govern Nasarawa, their 16-year old state.

Al-Makura, the incumbent governor, who emerged in 2011 on the banner of the General Muhammadu Buhari-led Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, by defeating then incumbent governor and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Aliyu Akwe Doma, has since indicated his interest to seek another four year mandate.

Gov Tanko Al-Makura; Labaran Maku and Senator Solomon Ewuga

He had defected to the CPC, having failed in his bid to pick the PDP ticket to vie for the election.

To remove obstacles on the way to his re-election, he has not only since dismantled all the political structures put in place in the state by his predecessors, Abdullahi Adamu and Alhaji Akwe Doma but also put his structure in place.

Al-Makura’s emergence as governor followed widespread support he garnered from the people of the state including followers of then ruling PDP, who felt that Doma did not do enough in terms of infrastructure development of the state within his four year reign, to win their confidence for a renewed term. But it appears he has not done different either.

Although, he emerged with mouth-watering offers to his people, watchers of his administration, say going by the pace of development in the state, it would be difficult for the governor to surpass his immediate predecessor. Since he assumed the mantle of the state as governor, Al-Makura appears not to have done much better in transforming the state.

Although, he has rehabilitated four streets, with each not longer than three kilometers, all in Lafia, the state capital to his credit, there are so many left, both in the urban and rural areas to be given attention.

The people of the state, who are mostly farmers, are begging for government’s attention in terms of road network so as to transport their farm produce. Lafia, being the state capital, appears to be in dire need of this than any part of the state.

Apart from the federal government road that links Lafia to Makurdi, the Benue State capital there is no other good road in the state. The other road from Lafia to Shendam, in Plateau State, popularly known as Shendam Road, was constructed during the administration of Chief Solomon Lar, in 1982,when Nasarawa was still part of old Plateau State.

Following this dearth of road network in the state, there are few vehicles in the state. There are no town service vehicles either, a development that has given rise to influx of commercial motorcycle riders, otherwise known as okada.

Rather than focusing more attention on road construction, the governor declared an interest in investing in cargo airport project. His opponents have picked holes on this to tackle him but he has stuck to his guns.

Contrary to opinions in some quarters that the proposed airport project would be a waste of resources, Governor Umaru Al-Makura insisted that the proposed cargo airport would boost socio-economic development of the state, when completed.

He said apart from making the project another source of generating revenue into government’s coffers, it would also address frequent road mishaps thereby enhancing commercial value of the state even.

“Sincerely speaking, I must admit that airport is not a priority project to the people of Nasarawa State, but I would be the most foolish state governor if I don’t take advantage of the proximity of our state to the Federal Capital Territory to attract economic development to the state through that means,” he said.

He pointed out that his government would not embark on white elephant projects that would be of disadvantage to the state and its people, stressing that the airport would not cost the state more than one billion naira.

But economic analysts argue that given the lean resources of the state, the N1 billion would go a long way in repositioning the state to meet the expectations of many yearning for quick socio-economic transformation, if channelled into areas of priority.

As the governor continues his moves to get the votes of his people in the next election to retain his seat, watchers of his administration in Nasarawa believe this may depend solely on what he puts in place for his people within his first four-year reign.

Already, the PDP, which held sway in the state for 12 years, is not sleeping on its efforts at reclaiming the state. Its chairman, Chief Yunana Iliya, has severally given the conviction of his party at reclaiming the state in the forth-coming election, citing the inability of Governor Al-Makura’s government to provide a better governance to the state.

Al-Makura’s

likely opponents

Under his party, the PDP, Akwe Doma and current Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, are believed to be the two main aspirants that will slug it out at the primary even as Solomon Ewuga, present senator representing Nasarawa North is believed to have agreed to return to contest the governorship election on the PDP platform, if the state governor reneges on alleged agreement of not only serving a single term but giving Ewuga the CPC governorship ticket.

But his return to PDP will not come easy with ex-Governor Doma in charge of the party’s affairs in the state now. As far as the PDP is concerned in Nasarawa, Doma still holds the ace. His loyalists are in executive positions of the party at all levels in the state.

His faction of the party was recognized by the national leadership of PDP at its last congress. They pushed loyalists of Senator Abdullahi Adamu out. The former governor had asked the party’s national headquarters to intervene by nullifying it but failed in his bid, a development that Adamu himself may not find easy on his Senate come back in 2015.

Although, Labaran Maku is in the camp of the immediate past governor but if Doma contests the coming governorship primary of the PDP with the Information Minister, it may be difficult for Maku to sail through.

This is because he is said not to have much political influence in the state. His Eggon kinsmen, who incidentally control a major ethnic bloc in the state, could be of help for him but that depends on Ewuga, who most of them rely on for political direction in any electoral contest in the state. Ewuga is seen by the Eggons as their pillar, hence they only vote where he goes.

Although, he has been playing major roles in the politics of the state but until two months ago when he reclaimed his mandate in a Supreme Court case, from his fellow party man, Alhaji Musa Nagogo, to represent the people of Nasarawa North Senatorial zone in the National Assembly, Ewuga had not held any strong elective position since he delved into the politics of his state.

He had struggled through electoral contests to serve his people as governor of Nasarawa State since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999 but the post had always eluded him.

When he defected to the CPC in 2011 with Al-Makura after failing to pick the PDP Senate ticket, those who know his political clout in the state knew where he was going just as they concluded that Al-Makura had won already. This came to pass in the general election even as his ticket was hardly fought through the judicial processes.

Ewuga’s change of heart to contest the Senate seat on the platform of the CPC, as against the governorship seat he had unsuccessfully vied for three consecutive times earlier, many believe, was an agreement between him and Al-Makura that the governor would serve for a term and return the ticket to him.

He appeared to have confirmed this recently in his Alushi, Nasarawa Eggon residence, during a thanks-giving organized to celebrate his triumphant judicial victory to the Senate.

All the guests at the occasion, including Al-Makura and Maku were on seat while delivering his speech, he declared that the Senate was not enough platform for him to serve the entire people of Nasarawa, a development that political analysts read to mean a tacit announcement of his 2015 governorship bid.

With 2015 drawing closer, watchers of the state political events wait to see how things will unfold.