By Shekwoyemi Emmanuel
The Nigerian political landscape has been mired with uncertainties and calculations about who you know and how to do it. For one to diligently achieve goals in politics, leadership calculations must be clearly pointed out reflecting critical needs such as competence and leadership prowess. Still, one critical item that has been trashed leading many to polarisation and monopolistic leadership in a pluralistic society like ours is non-adherence to rotational leadership arrangement.
Section 14 (3) of Nigeria’s Constitution calls for equitable representation in government to ensure fairness and prevent dominance of any group, despite the fact that it is not a constitutional provision but it underscores the importance of rotation as a mechanism to achieve constitutional ideals.
For us in Nasarawa State, we have five federal constituencies. To include, Nasarawa/Toto, Keffi/Karu/Kokona, Wamba/Nasarawa Eggon/Akwanga, Lafia/Obi and Doma/Keana/Awe. Out of these federal constituencies, all of the four have jostled and manned leadership as Executive Governors in the state except that of Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency.
Nasarawa/Toto has never at any point produced a Governor in the state. This federal constituency has frequently been instrumental in driving numerical impetus for candidates in elections by playing monumental roles to success. With the change of baton which is to take place in 2027, the attention of political parties has been drawn to the Nasarawa West Senatorial District which the Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency is part of and everyone should rally round to consider this immensely crucial issue to address marginalisation and to work towards producing a gubernatorial candidate or a Governor from Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency.
It will promote inclusive and fair democratic process in Nasarawa State and spur national development. It is an avenue for justice, equity and fairness to all federal constituencies.
Political parties should be able to review and consider this anomaly to make a change for equality and judicious equitability. Accepting this will rejuvenate democratic decisions and revamp electoral process when positions are rotated to favor all in a pluralism.
This factor is relevant in our democracy. Its expediency is necessary for a better political dispensation. Things like this should be considered in political transition and succession for fairness not favouritism.
Sincerely speaking, others cannot be disallowed from contesting when they are eligible. However, the exigency of the moment needs to be considered not a grundnorm.
I recall how some people came to national televisions and spoke about rotational leadership, noting that it promotes provincialism, dubious entitlement, disregard to the rule of law and recourse to political despotism.
Frankly speaking still, Nasarawa has three out of the over seven aspirants for governorship from the Nasarawa/Toto axis, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, a philanthropist and medical consultant of international repute who headed the National Primary Health Care Development Agency with incredible history of unbeaten records in the agency’s repository.
Also, Dr. Musa Ahmed Mohammed, a former Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly and Accountant-General of the state and Dr. Muhammad Musa Maikaya, a petroleum industry player. These are people of great influence, integrity and inspiration that should be supported to competently jostle the seat for the sake of equitable governance and leadership discipline in Nasarawa State.
Political parties must go beyond moneybag politics and the ill-induced politics of favouritism, which lacks true party discipline, demonstrates discrimination and encourages give-and-take romanticism. Those who have worked for party must be given what is due to them for justice to reign. It is a fact that doing otherwise will be a beacon of becoming a living dead to such parties that may knowingly and unknowingly absent themselves from true democracy and justice for deserving persons especially from Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency.
A day will come to go back to this narrative.
But it must be pointed out clearly that Dr. Faisal Shuaib, Dr. Muhammad Musa Maikaya and Dr. Musa Ahmed Mohammed, who are from the Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency and jostling on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform, are aspirants of rich qualities and qualifications to complement and supplement governorship trajectory come 2027.
When advice is not heeded, failure is final and fatal.
Shekwoyemi Emmanuel, a public affairs analyst and leadership coach, writes from Karu, Nasarawa State.