By Edwin Philip, Lafia
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State, Dr. Joel Daniel Gimba, has expressed confidence that the Mada people will overwhelmingly support the party’s senatorial candidate, Dr. David Ombugadu, in the June 20 Nasarawa North Senatorial District bye-election.
Gimba said the support for Ombugadu is partly driven by what he described as the humiliation of former Deputy Governor, Silas Agara, a prominent Mada son, during the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election.
He made the remarks in Akwanga following the endorsement of Ombugadu by leaders of the Mada nation ahead of the bye-election.
According to him, the APC failed to demonstrate fairness to the Mada people during its primary process.
“We looked at the APC permutations and concluded that they did not mean well for the Mada people. The way efforts toward securing the party’s ticket for Silas Agara were frustrated was unfortunate,” he said.
Gimba urged the Mada people to rally behind a candidate they believe can genuinely represent their interests and bring development to the area.
He also criticized the APC’s conduct of its internal processes, arguing that a party seeking to provide leadership should be able to conduct credible and transparent elections.
“If a party cannot coordinate, control and conduct a credible internal election, it raises questions about its capacity for effective leadership,” he stated.
The PDP chairman, who is a Mada indigene, described Ombugadu as the preferred choice of the Mada people, citing his record of service and developmental projects during his tenure as a two-term member of the House of Representatives.
“I am a stakeholder in the Mada nation. This is my home, and the Mada people have always stood together in supporting leaders they trust. Dr. Ombugadu has consistently enjoyed the support of our people because of his performance and leadership qualities,” he said.
Gimba noted that the support given to Ombugadu by the Mada people in previous elections demonstrates their confidence in his capacity and commitment to development.
He expressed optimism that Ombugadu would emerge victorious in the bye-election and continue delivering democratic dividends to the people of Akwanga, Nasarawa Eggon and Wamba Local Government Areas.
Meanwhile, the National President of the Mada Development Association, Engr. James Bashayi, recently disclosed that the Mada nation had reached a consensus on the candidate to support in the bye-election in order to safeguard the interests of the ethnic group.
According to him, consultations were conducted among stakeholders and findings presented before a final decision was reached on the preferred candidate for the senatorial contest.
