Plateau 2023: Why Mangu LGA should produce next gov.

Ahead of the 2023 General Elections, permutations have quickly intensified across the country as to the potential successors at the State and Federal levels. This presents an interesting opportunity for alignments and realignments across different political parties and interests across Nigeria.

In Plateau State, the attention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has shifted to Plateau Central Senatorial District where feelers are suggesting that the next Governor of the state is expected to come from. Though constitutionally does not deny anyone above the age of eighteen to vote and be voted from any part of the state, the existing unwritten rotational formula within the state appears to be an established sacred arrangement.

In 2015, when the immediate past administration of Senator Jonah Jang tolerated and encouraged that the Northern Zone retain the Governorship the candidature of Late Senator GNS Pwajok, the then ruling party the PDP in Plateau State ended up with burnt fingers coming out of the 2015 General Elections, a bitter experience no political party or structure wants to dare.

There are political alignments ongoing within and outside the APC in Plateau Central Senatorial District as to which LGA is expected to produce the next Governor of State come 2023.

This alignments are predicated on growing assumptions and arguments within the ruling APC, which suggests that the Mwaghavul Nation of Mangu LGA, given their population, track record of corporation in delivering “Doma Votes” and quality of aspirants should be allowed to produce the next Governor.

Already, Mangu LGA played the Joker in 2015 when particularly, the Mwaghavul Nation came together to anoint a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof Sonni Gwanle Tyoden as their consensus candidate. After loosing out in the PDP primaries to Late Senator GNS Pwajok, the APC made a vital gain by picking him as the running mate of Rt Hon Simon Bako Lalong who eventually won the polls. This has informed the opinion that Mangu LGA should be allowed to produce the next Governor of Plateau State.

Feelers within the political rank and file within Mangu LGA have suggested that the political stakeholders within the APC are beginning to align with the school of thought making the emphatic move for the emergence of a Mangu Governor come 2023 in Plateau State. There are moves within the LGA to have a 2015-like-consensus-candidate which will further consolidate of the efforts so far.

Another twist to this school of thought is the growing and overwhelming support for the idea of Bokkos LGA retaining the House of Reps position of a third term conservatively. This has given the foundational strength the political calculators in Mangu need to bargain with other Federal Constituencies have settled their home front. Feelers have also suggested that the political actors in Mangu LGA, after securing the assurances of Bokkos LGA following their understanding that Bokkos should retain the House of Representatives, have sold the idea that Kanke LGA should retain the Senatorial as away of returning the favour Mangu LGA gave to Kanke in 2019 leading the the emergence of Senator Hezekiah Dimka. Proponents of this idea have also proposed that the incumbent Senator representing Plateau Central Senatorial District, Sensor Hezekiah Dimka
should be allowed to return for a second term give assurances that Mangu LGA will support Kanke to get the seat if they also return the favour of supporting Mangu LGA for governorship come 2023.

This has indeed brought about another twist to the fold which is likely to reset the political alignments ahead of 2023.

Leading contenders for the Gubernatorial position in Mangu LGA in the APC include the Deputy Governor Prof Sonni Gwanle Tyonden,a Permanent Secretary Mr Sunday Biggs, Prof CJ Dakas among others, with a few House of Reps contenders in the LGA. In Bokkos LGA, top contenders for House of Reps in Bokkos include Philanthropist and Medical Doctor Elkanah Garang among others.

Another angle to this idea has proposed that the Mwaghavul Nation is making attempts to secure an alliance with the Berom Nation in order to facilitate a Mwaghavul/Berom Ticket ahead of 2023. How far this idea will go remains to be seen as events unfold given the speed at which 2023 political activities are moving, haven gotten the green light for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following released of timetable for political activities which will climax with the 2023 General Elections.