fbpx
2023Politics

Tinubu’s running mate: Jasawa community disowns Nakande on Lalong

The Jasawa Community Development Association (JCDA), the socio-cultural and political development organization for the Hausa of Plateau State, has distanced itself from the comment made by former minister Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki Salihu Nakande, asking Asiwaju Bola Tinubu not to take Governor Simon Lalong as his running mate in the 2023 presidential election.

Nakande has in an opinion piece argued against picking Lalong as Tinubu’s running mate because he supported former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi in the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Read Also: 2023: SERAP tells Atiku, Tinubu, Obi, others to publish assets

But in a statement signed by JCDA National President Alhaji Shehu Ibrahim Masallah on Monday, the group described the ex-minister’s comment as his personal opinion which he did without consulting them.

The statement reads:

“The attention of Jasawa Community Development Association, the socio-cultural and political development organization for the Hausa of Plateau state, to a statement credited to one of its own, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki Salihu Nakande, who was a one-time Minister of state of the federal republic of Nigeria, a position he rode on the back of this community to attain.

“Our interest is not to join issues with the former minister on his political preferences, which he is entitled to. Rather we are issuing this statement to correct some erroneous impressions capable of portraying us as ingrates who turn to bite the finger that fed us. These issues are as follows:

1. The former minister’s position is nothing but his personal views whch he expressed from the comfort of his house in Abuja without consultations with any leader of stakeholder of this community. It is sad in his statement he arrogated to himself a position of our mouthpiece, a position he never occupied because of his penchant of being always at loggerhead with this community, the community of his birth and political development. He has since lost touch with this community which can be seen from his failure of several attempts at gaining political favours since he was sacked from his ministerial duties.

2. The former minster, in his desperation at political rejuvenation and relevance and his usual attitude of pilling everyone down to promote his selfish ends looked down on the friendly gesture of our state Governor Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong – a gesture no any governor, military or civilian ever extended to us in history, by erroneously claiming that the Governor did not reciprocate our massive support for him in the 2015 and 2019 elections. This is a statement that no sane member of this community will dream of saying because it is fallacious and reckless. We need not list out our governor’s act of magnanimity to this community because they are obvious and we remain grateful to him and his team for everything done to us.

3. Indeed Governor Lalong has earned a highest position of honour among this community. What this community needed and has been suffering from its absence is peace and justice. This community has suffered from several state-sponsored and connived acts of discrimination culminating into killing and or maiming us and destruction of our multi-billion naira worth of properties. Lalong’s coming emancipated us from this tyranny and ensure our inclusion into the scheme of affairs in the state as citizens. Only a true leader can do this.

4. The true position of this community is that if Governor Lalong will contest for any political office, we will not hesitate to support and vote for him because we believe he is a just leader. We are sure we are not along in this attestation; we are all living witnesses to his exemplary leadership in his capacity as the Northern Governors Forum. He ensure unity and political cohesion among the northern governors irrespective of political party affiliation since he took over as the Chairman. This testifies to the strength of his leadership qualities. In doing so, he has now put Plateau state in its true place in the map of peaceful and progressive states in not only the North but the country at large.

5. Without mincing outs, this association, on behalf of all true Hausa in the state disassociate ourselves from the unguarded utterances of Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande and urges all good and peace-loving people in the state and the nation at large to disregard it and hold it as vituperations of a desperate man who only cares for himself and his family. This is because we are aware of his moves to push his kids and kin to His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu for some favours in the event he becomes president. This community is large and has millions of capable hands as such we shall not fold our arms and watch one person colonize all political patronages to himself and his family.

6. While we remain eternally grateful to His Excellency the peace loving and peace promoting governor, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, we wish him well in all his future political aspirations. We believe Allah will always be with him, for Allah loves the just leader.

Signed
ALHAJI SHEHU IBRAHIM MASALLAH
National President, JCDA

Back to top button

Discover more from Dateline Nigeria

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading