2019: PDP And The Imperative Of North-East Presidential Ticket

Comrade Danfulani S. Bello

As the 2019 general elections draws near, political permutations, calculations and configurations has been the major concern of the major opposition party in the country, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) all point to a strategic realignment of forces and interests poised to deliver a credible, competent, acceptable and saleable presidential aspirant that would make it easy to wrest power from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) that has failed to meet up with the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians in all definitions. Prevailing happenings ranging from security challenges and economic woebegone has portrayed APC led government and its policies as disappointment and disillusion.

In effect, the present state of the nation is distressful and disenchanting to say the least as the scourges of insurgency, farmers and herdsmen clashes, rampant armed robberies, cultism, agitated separatism, kidnappings, and ritual killings, and acute economic hardship terrorize the hapless citizenry with no end in sight while the political class are busy trading blames at one another neither proffering solutions or taking steps to ameliorate the sordid situation at hand.

Indeed, the present crop of politicians at the helm of nation’s affairs seem ill-prepared or ill-suited to change this gory situation as many seem to be reaping from the ill-wind that has been blowing across the nation’s landscape.

For instance, some politicians that has woefully failed to deliver democratic dividends to their people now pose as champions of their inalienable rights to life and liberty in order to enhance their chances of re-election which would have been near to impossible if not for the recent unfortunate trend of events. It is clear that, there is a need for a fresh start, a fresh impetus and timely convergence of ideas, opinions and strategies geared towards evolving a new national order that would enthrone, equity, justice, fair play, the rule of law, patriotism and commitment to national service as the predominant ethos and tenets of governance that will entrench national cohesion.

To this end the national parties as well as all other healthy forces need to recalibrate and refocus on the path that can really move the country out of its present morass to a bright and rewarding future free from injustice, autocracy, mis governance, maladministration, and ethnic and religious prejudice.

In fact, hundreds of millions of Nigerians are sick and tired of the present crop of politicians and fervently clamor for a principled, detribalized, competent and visionary leader that will urgently take the nation out of the woods while moving it to the center stage of the global industrialized comity of nations. Also, looking at the Nigerian socioeconomic and political configuration, the Northeast geopolitical zone which has been endowed with potential, competent and outshine leaders, has been undoubtedly short changed in all developmental and infrastructural parameters, receiving the least in allocation of any zone and lacking in federal presence in terms of roads, educational and health institutions, power installations, telecommunication facilities, and rural infrastructure.

Indeed, the level of federal neglect, poverty, disease, unemployment, homelessness and illiteracy is quite alarming and has been fingered as a root cause of the Boko Haram insurgency that has been ravaging the region as well as other parts of the country. Therefore, as PDP has already zoned its presidential ticket to the northern zone, it is only just and equitable that the Northeast produce the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2019 in other to assuage the feelings of marginalization and deprivation prevalent in the zone while also instilling a sense of belonging and commitment to the pan–Nigerian project among the indigenes.

In this regard, it is unarguable that the most qualified, acceptable, competent and nationalistic of all contenders is no other eminent personality than the Gombe State Governor, Alh. (Dr) Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, the (Talban Gombe) who is presently serving his second and final term which has evidently seen constant and unassailable delivery of democratic dividends to the Gombe people envied by his contemporaries and applauded by many.

If anyone is in doubt about the political viability, resourcefulness and all-round popularity of Governor Dankwambo, one only needs to appraise the epoch making 2015 gubernatorial elections in Gombe state where the Talban Gombe defeated his APC gubernatorial rival, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya in a massive landslide victory sweeping 10 out of 11 local governments even with President Buhari visiting the state twice at the nick of the election. Though, the APC presidential candidate had defeated the PDP candidate President Goodluck Jonathan, a week before but Dankwambo has overwhelmingly won his contest and survived the tsunami.

Apart from the fact that, Talban Gombe’s impeccable credentials as a first-class chartered accountant, consummate technocrat and administrative paragon are unmatched and unrivalled, his competence, resilience and incorruptibility are second to none earning him the enviable sobriquet of ‘Mr. Due Process’. In furtherance, as the Accountant General of the federation, an impeccable Dankwambo enthroned sanity, probity, transparency, accountability, due process(again) and the rule of law in the administrative, operational and organizational ethos of the apex accounting agency of the country. Indeed, he left the OAGF far more responsive, efficient, credible and organized than he met it raising staff morale and productivity to record levels in the process.

In 2011, he was called to serve by the people of Gombe State who had envied his stints at the Accountant General Office and he did not disappoint his people as he has performed superlatively which endeared renowned and reputable people from all the nation’s nocks and crannies to call on him and recommend him for national assignment. His name stated resonating from all corners and it started attracting national attention when Rev. Mbaka and a chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria differently picked him for the job citing his performance, credentials and nationalistic disposition as his core qualities. Therefore, it has been echoed out like wild fire all over the country.

Dankwambo as the star performing Chief Executive of Gombe state, has done wonders in all sectors of the state’s economy. He has outperformed and outclassed all other past civilian and military governors of the state put together and his level of acceptability, visibility and name recognition both within and outside the country is second to none. He is capable of uniting all the diverse sections of the country given his detribalized, patriotic and nationalist credentials.

Therefore, Dankwambo is ably qualified and superbly competent to mount the presidential mantle and it behooves on the Peoples Democratic Party to present his candidature to the nation come 2019 in order to deliver the nation from the decadence, ineptitude and crass incompetence of the APC led federal government.

Danfulani wrote in from Taraba State