Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
Coalition of the People’s Democratic Party PDP, of Jalingo/Yorro /Zing federal constituency has disassociated self from the purported zooming of the House of Representatives to Jalingo local government.
A statement signed by David Eden, Ibrahim Suleiman and Danladi Mazang on behalf of the coalition and made available to newsmen in jalingo, said:
“The attention of the Coalition of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Stakeholders in Jalingo/ Yorro/Zing has been drawn to a media report calling for the zoning of the House of Representatives seat for the constituency to Jalingo local government.
“The sponsors of the said report came out with a laughable argument that the Mumuye nation has produced a Deputy Governor and Speaker of the State Assembly and it was only fair that the next federal lawmaker should come from Jalingo for equal representation of the people in political office.
“Ordinarily, we the coalition of PDP stakeholders would have disregarded this, but to set the records straight and stop some selfish individuals from pushing a false narrative. The statement further said that,
“The Jalingo/Yorro/Zing is a democratically elected seat and to begin to bring in tribal issues and infer that the Mumuye people should allow Jalingo Local Government to produce the member representing the constituency amount to name calling and divisive. We are surprised that some desperate politicians want to put tribe above capacity and competence.
“If we are to talk about tribal inclination, then the Mumuye tribe is the right tribe to go to the House of Representatives now, haven been there last in 2011 when Hon. Henry Shawulu was ousted by Hon. Aminu Malle (Fulani) who did two terms and hand over to another Fulani man from Zing-Hon. Kasimu Maigari. All of them won the seat with the support of the Mumuye votes who constituted 96 percent in Zing, 98 percent in Yorro, and 25 percent in Jalingo.
“From the statistics above, the Mumuye are dominant in Yorro and Zing and constitutes 25 percent of the Jalingo vote. The late Maihanchi was massively voted for by the Mumuye in the last election before his unfortunate death.
“To draw an inference that the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kizito John Bonzena is a Mumuye man does not count because he was elected as a member of the Zing Constituency and his position is just a ‘first among equals’ position and he can be dropped at any time.
The statement added that,
“It is pertinent to note that despite losing his senate bid to another Fulani man (Shuaibu Lau), Hon. David Ishaya Kassa, a Mumuye man, mobilized his Mumuye people who voted massively for PDP and Sen. Shuaibu Lau to go to the Senate.
“In democratic societies, people ascend to elected offices by credibility, track record, and competence. Those throwing up tribal arguments should stop forthwith and come clean to face the election, and if the electorates are convinced of their track record and ability to represent them, they will be voted. We can not afford to sacrifice competence and credibility on the altar of tribe, mediocrity, and incompetence. Our constituency deserves the best and we call on all to support the aspiration of any Fulani or a Mumuye man, based on their track record and capacity to represent the constituency in the House of Representatives – the statement concluded.
