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By Our Reporter.
Hon Baba Sule Dansarki, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is a House of Assembly aspirant for Lokoja 1 constituency, Kogi State. A former Councilor, ex-Vice Chairman of Lokoja local government council and Special Adviser to immediate past Governor Idris Wada.
Sule, an experienced politician is from Lokoja ward C, in this interview speaks on his ambition, zoning and other sundry issues.
Why are you contesting the next House of Assembly election?
I want to represent the people of Lokoja 1 state constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly because I want to serve.
There are things I need to do for my people that have not been done. There are changes I need to make and leave a good footprint that other persons after me will follow. In line with what we’ve done when I was Vice Chairman of Lokoja local government council, it is on record that our administration was transparent; we operated an open door policy where all the ten wards benefited from our projects. I am aware that the State Assembly duty is to make law, I promise that I will do better if given the mandate to serve, my people would never regret voting for me.
You are not new in the politics of Lokoja I constituency, how do you intend to cope with the issue of zoning?
Lokoja I constituency is my constituency. The constituency I intend to represent is my constituency. I am very popular here. I once contested for the Chairmanship position of Lokoja local government council, I also represented my ward as Councilor, I am equally used to the rigour and permutations of Lokoja local government politics in particular and the state in general.
On the issues of zoning, you will agree with me that for fairness, our party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) need to consider Ward C.
When you look at the history of zoning political offices, it is only ward C that was never given the opportunity to represent Lokoja I constituency in the State House of Assembly.
I therefore want to use this medium to call on the leadership of our great party on the need to allow justice and fairness to prevail by zoning the House of Assembly seat to Ward C. I want to assure all the leaders and stakeholders that if given the chance we will deliver.
Why are you contesting on the platform of the PDP, despite its crisis?
We don’t have crisis in our party. The Peoples Democratic Party is the best and the largest party in Africa. The crisis you are talking about happened a long time ago. With the Supreme Count judgement in favour of Senator Ahmed Makarfi, the crisis which bedeviled the party is over.
We have a qualified Caretaker National Chairman in person of the former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi. With him, we don’t have crisis again. Immediately he became our Acting national chairman, he refined our party. He rehabilitated our party. We now call him the bridge builder and he’s doing more. We also have good personalities in our party. So, what party do you expect me to join? My family started with the PDP and we are still there till tomorrow.
What are your chances at the primaries?
When we get to the bridge we will cross it. In the PDP, we have a number of people coming out. I believe that my people are not cowards. They are intelligent people. You can’t impose anybody on them. You can’t force them to vote for anyone they don’t want to vote for. Women are the people that vote, not men. Women are very wise and intelligent as well. So, they know who would work for them.
I want to commend our leader, Senator Tunde Ogbeha for making it clear in an interview with journalists, where he was quoted as saying that the PDP would no longer go back to the era of impunity. The party, he said, would abide by the decision of the people. This statement credited to the leader is a morale booster to some of us that are genuinely aspiring to serve our people.
Your advise to your co-aspirants.
My advise to my fellow contestants, especially those intending to contest under the platform of PDP, we must play the game by it rule.
I want to appeal to my fellow contestants from Ward C on the need to avoid politics of blackmail and embrace politics without bitterness. This is our chance, we must not allow our personal interest to overshadow the interest of our people.
We must work hard in securing the ticket of all the political parties to ward C. With dedication and zeal together we can make it.
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