Bomba Dauda
In a press statement, yesterday, issued by Concerned Members of the Distinguished Senator Danjuma Laah Tella Media Team described the situations that trails the 24th May, 2022 People Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial primary in Southern Kaduna as “serious concerns.”
According to the group, in spite of the many months of robust media campaign, strategic communications, and consultations by our team and the campaign organization in the build-up to the primary elections, the outcome of the election wasn’t what we all hoped for, so we lost.
This outcome, though very painful suggests that the people of Southern Kaduna wanted something new at the senate.
Regrettably, the developments that have continued to trail the conduct of that primary election on 24th May, 2022 have been causing serious concerns. Worthy of mention is the apparent unnecessary silence of the distinguished Senator, Danjuma Laah, since after losing the primary elections and the matters arising therefrom.
We are afraid that his palpable silence, refusal to concede defeat, and the dangerous rhetorics by his Media Aide about the outcome of the primaries or the personality of the winner have continued to generate tension as well as pitch party members against each other.
It is against this backdrop that we appeal to our leader, the distinguished Senator Danjuma Laah, to graciously accept defeat and move on, the same way many others before him have done. His silence, at a time that he is supposed to give direction to his followers and the party as a whole in the zone creates an opening for mischief makers to divide us and for the opposition party in the zone to cash in.
They went further to say, election is not a do or die affair and Sen. Laah can’t pretend to be oblivious of this fact. As a man who has benefitted from the benevolent spirit of sportsmanship of Sen. Nenadi Usman and Hon. Jagaba Adams Jagaba in 2014 and 2018 respectively, he has a duty to exhibit same to others, and in this case, Hon. Barr. Sunday Marshall Katung. Failure to do so will not only show ingratitude for what the people have done to him over the years, but a smack of desperation which he is not known for.
It is against this backdrop that we make the following declarations. That: We condemn in totality the needless silence of our principal since his loss at the primary election last May.
We dissociate ourselves henceforth, from any and all schemes targeted at casting aspersions on the victory or person of the winner of the Kaduna South Senatorial District primaries, Hon. Barr. Sunday Marshall Katung in the name of the SDL Media Team.
We also condemn in its entirety, the frivolous petition written by one Abdulrashid Kagarko bothering on the conduct of the primaries and tax records of the winner. It is even disheartening how the Director General, Media of the Sen. Danjuma Laah Campaigns has been celebrating the said written petition to the party headquarters and using same to cast aspersion on the party’s candidate and thereby create panic among electorates.
Thankfully, we are sufficiently aware that the said petition being peddled by Mr. Nathan Mavis Akau in the news have since been dismissed by the party headquarters and a certificate of return issued to the winner of the primary election. It is even reported that Hon. Barr. Sunday Marshall Katung has been issued with the INEC Nomination Form which he has duly completed and returned to the party, putting to rest any doubt about his status as the party flagbearer for the 2023 senatorial elections in the zone.
Similarly, it is on record that tax issues are never a condition to disqualify a candidate in an INEC-organized election, since neither the Electoral Act nor the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides for tax clearance as one of the qualifications for contesting into the office of a Senator.
It is therefore, not in the best interest of the party for anyone to continue to create fear among party faithfuls and supporters alike using that baseless petition.
We declare our unwavering support for the candidate of the party, Hon. Barr. Sunday Marshall Katung and also assure of our readiness to join hands with other party faithfuls to work for his victory come 2023.
We advise the party leadership at all levels to demand a public statement from the Senator to clear the air on the matters arising from the primaries and put to rest the speculations regarding his political future.
It is our considered opinion that this intervention by our group is in the best interest of the senator, the party, and the teeming supporters of the PDP in the zone. Thus, we call on our remaining colleagues in the SDL Media team and all well meaning stakeholders and members of our party to also join this patriotic call for the Senator to do the needful so that he doesn’t soil his hard-earned integrity. The PDP cannot afford to go into the 2023 elections as a divided House, and Sen. Laah should exhibit uncommon courage and leadership that will reunite and strengthen members for victory.
