News Commentary: Between APC, Lalong and Nentawe’s Quest for Governance in Plateau

Written by our News and Current Affairs Department

It is well known that governance in Nigeria, in the past seven years under the All Progressives Congress administration, is replete with poor performance narratives both at the national and state levels

These range from poor economic management resulting in high inflation that has pushed the prices of goods and services beyond the reach of many Nigerians, worsening insecurity, and increasing poverty among the citizens, just to mention but a few.

In fact , different poverty index reports about the Nigerian situation have been published periodically by the Breton Woods organizations, UN agencies, economic groups, and even individual tink tank groups.

Only recently after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, blamed the state governors for the rise in multidimensional poverty under Buhari’s watch from 80 million to 133 million or 63 percent.

At some point in the last few years, Nigeria overtook India as the poverty capital of the world, a record never attained in the country since its independence in 1960.

Regrettably, the ugly situation has persisted under the APC administration even as the country prepares for another general election next year.

And because the 1999 Nigerian constitution has no provision for the electoral body to deregister a nonperforming political party in governance, the APC like other political parties has fielded various candidates for fresh elective positions both at the state and federal levels in their bid to remain in power.

Here in Plateau state where Governor Simon Lalong has been working hard in the past seven years to implement the APC policies and programs amidst resistance from the opposition and many citizens,a former resident electoral commissioner,Dr. Yilwatda Nentawe is said to be positioning himself to succeed the incumbent.

Since his emergence as the APC governorship candidate in Plateau state, Nentawe who resigned from his job as INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State has left no one in doubts that he will continue with the APC policies and programs believed to have brought so much suffering and hardship to the people if elected into power.

Those who are pushing for good governance in Plateau state have pointed out that given the realities on the ground , there is no difference between Nentawe and what Governor Simon Lalong stands for as far as governance is concerned.

They insist that Plateau state and indeed , Nigerians should not expect anything different from the current situation if the APC is allowed to retain power during the 2023 poll.

But Nentawe who has been campaigning for the governorship told the people a few days ago that if elected into power, he will use the first two years to massively invest in the economy and change their lives for the better

The APC candidate was addressing the people of the Jos North-West and Jos -South in continuation of his Citizen Engagement ahead of the poll.

As it is, the choice to choose the next set of leaders from the array of those seeking their mandate is up to the people to make but Plateau and indeed Nigerians do not need to be warned or reminded to think twice before choosing their representatives in government for peace, equity and good governance in the country