Nasarawa: Debating the issues, shunning violence

That was why on the day after INEC announced him as governor, on April 27, 2011, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura used the occasion to ‘thank my fellow contestants, most especially Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma, Madaucin Doma, for a very interesting and vibrant contest. There are no losers in this victory. It is a victory for the […]

That was why on the day after INEC announced him as governor, on April 27, 2011, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura used the occasion to ‘thank my fellow contestants, most especially Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma, Madaucin Doma, for a very interesting and vibrant contest. There are no losers in this victory. It is a victory for the entire people of Nasarawa State!’
 2011 is gone and now we are at the doorstep of another cycle of elections in 2015 and as the storms gather, observers have paused to see if 2015 will turn out to become the second chapter in the revolution that Al-Makura launched since inauguration, or whether fatigue gradually chipped away and eroded the revolutionary turncoat of ordinary people in Nasarawa. One thing is certain though, that the state will be a hot spot during the 2015 elections for the singular reason that Governor Al-Makura has exceeded every index of development and surpassed the performance of every other administration since the creation of the state, and since there is nothing to fault about the quality of his performance; the opposition will hammer on the twin facts that Al-Makura did not share the state’s money among the political elite and point out that the spate of ethno-religious and communal conflicts as well as politically orchestrated violence increased during his tenure.
With such a clean bill, those who are determined to uproot Al-Makura will seek to avoid campaign on the basis of “issues,” but hinge their mudslinging and attack on the slippery slopes of religion and ethnic sentiment. Their game-plan will be to inflame passions so as to sway constructive logic and becloud the truth of the matter. This strategy they believe will detract the attention of electorates from evaluating and focusing on the exemplary performance of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, but instead they will be swayed to vote on the basis of religion and ethnic sentiment. To achieve this goal these power mongers will put at risk, the fragile peace which the people of Nasarawa have fought so hard to keep. On the altar of political ambition, they will take for granted the lessons of history that good and bad events occur and violence may erupt but peace is not the product of a victory or a command. Peace building has no finishing line, no final deadline, and no fixed definition of achievement. Peace is a never-ending process, the work of many decisions and unless they as leaders of society set aside the coloration of their political parties and reach across the aisle to engage in a campaign that is issued based and centred on development, rather than mired in sentiment; then Nasarawa like many other parts of Nigeria is likely to breakup into permanent divisions and ranks of hatred.
In his book, “On Compromise and Rotten Compromises”, the philosopher Avishai Margalit reflected deeply upon human values, describing compromise to mean a meeting of the minds, striking of a balance, finding a happy medium between two extremes, or meeting someone halfway. In political life, compromise is often used in the context of furthering one’s goals. But knowing when to negotiate, when to be accommodating, and when to resist can have far-reaching consequences. However a rotten compromise is a compromise one should not sign under any circumstances.  
In the economic picture of politics, compromise is at the heart of politics, and a rotten political compromise can be likened to an agreement between political interest groups to elect a governor out of fear and humiliation, rather than on the basis of performance and supremacy of ideas. While the great crusades and holy wars may have been fought to forcefully subdue and convert people into religion, you cannot force people today to hand-over the reins of political power to any tribe because such an ethnic nationality is the most dominant in size, most widely spread, most feared or possessing the most dreaded arsenal of traditional weaponry in a state. Votes must be won on the basis of compassionate engagement and constructive debate, because the overall wellbeing of an entire state supersedes the personal ambition of individual politicians or vested sectional interests.
The basic thing is that voters in Nasarawa should beware of agreeing, even passively, to enter into a rotten compromise. Voters should gauge the performance of Al-Makura on issues and make their choice at the polls not on the basis of stomach infrastructure, propaganda and intimidation! The electorate should simply say: In 2011, Al-Makura came to lead Nasarawa State away from its dismal past to a promising future of development and prosperity. Now as we enter 2015: “Has Al-Makura succeeded in his stated mission to change the face of Nasarawa state? And do the other candidates contesting against him believe that they would have done or can still do better than Al-Makura? If so, advance your reasons and let the voters be the judge!!
In 1982, a politician who wanted to contest for the position of governor was asked on radio to explain his ambition: “To be famous”, he responded. When you want to contest for the position of governor, it is necessary to understand what the office is all about and what the purpose of being a governor is! Candidates vying for the post of governor should remember that morality rests on treating the electorate as citizens who possess enough conscience and intelligence to assess a government on the basis of its performance, without being influenced by undercurrents of sentiment and money. The APC convention which saw the emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari against all permutations is a case in point. All hope is not lost. Nigerians can still vote their conscience; so for the sake of defending morality in Nasarawa State, rotten compromise must be avoided come what may in 2015. Violence is alien but issues are sacred to any election. Let’s avoid lashing out with insults or making emotional outbursts, and peddling rumours or instigating violence. Let’s concentrate on the issues.

Lamai is Chief Press Secretary to governor of Nasarawa State