As the race for the 2023 National Assembly election gathers momentum across Nigeria, a group under the aegis of Dekina\Bassa Renaissance for Positive Development has called on some ‘old politicians’ to step aside and allow fresh hands represent the zone.
The group specifically appealed to Hon. Samson Positive Ihabe, Hon. Emmanuel Omebije, Hon. Gowon Haruna IJN and Hon Simon Atadoga to think of something else if they can’t make political progress.
In a statement signed by Ibrahim Mudi, the group said the above mentioned are becoming mere INEC customers who always participate in any election for mere political negotiations.
“It is unfortunate that Hon. Simon Atadoga who was in the State Assembly along with Hon. Rotimi Amaechi is still contesting for House of Representative when some of his political classmates are completing their terms in office as Governors, ministers and now contesting for President. Lalong, his former colleague, is now two term Governor of Plateau state.
“We recall that Rotimi Amaechi was the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly in 1999 while Atadoga was the member Kogi State House of Assembly.
Today, Amaechi has served as governor for two terms now finishing his second term in office as a Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria. In fact, he is now contesting for president while Atadoga is battling with the House of Representatives seat knowing fully well that his time for such position is over,” he said.
The goup also mentioned that Hon. Positive Ihabe’s inability to graduate from the “usual House of Representative quest as a big liability on the constituency”, insisting that his likes either need to move forward or retire from politics.
“He, Positive Ihiabe, has done well for the people of Bassa and Dekina while he was in the green chamber, but that is not enough for him not to graduate from one political class to another. This is retrogressive and politically myopic.
“Positive was in the green chamber even before Aminu Tambuwal who was his junior but Tambuwal is today contesting for President as a second term Governor of Sokoto state. Dishearteningly, here we have Positive Ihabe contesting for the House of Representatives again! It has become seasonal festival for these static politicians.”
Mudi cautioned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against giving its ticket to a man that suppose to be on political retirement, saying the constituency has suffered a lot and the two political parties must present their best hands.
He advised Hon. Paul Gowon Haruna (IJN) to prioritize his current health status which will not give him a chance for adequate representation.
“It is common knowledge that one must be in good health to represent his own people; today it’s a known fact that IJN is battling ill health and we wish him well.
“House of Representatives is not a place you stage manage people with health challenges as the tasks in the hallowed chambers demand energy, sound mind, intelligence and a lot of concentration.”
The group expressed disappointed that someone like Emmanuel Omebije even thinks of coming to contest for House of Representatives, describing him as a “politician without vision and mission, after he has failed to gain one single delegate in the last gubernatorial election in the state. Since then, Omebije has never shown concern on any issue concerning the people of Kogi state”, adding that he has long left public space.
The group equally warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against manipulating any primary to favour these category of persons.
Meanwhile, the group has tasked the two major political parties in the state, APC and PDP, to field only candidates with current understanding of the demands of the people not those who are coming to use the opportunity to advance their personal ego and self aggrandizement.
