When Lafia stood still for Doma

By Alex Ogbanje
Posted: Monday, September 6, 2010

It is easy to gauge the love, admiration and support a leader enjoys from his people by the emotions they display towards him. They sang and danced; beat their drums and trumpets and blared their music to the highest pitch. Nasarawa State folks and others from environs, downed in their best attires, trooped to the stadium to witness yet another epoch making event.
Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State was in that mood penultimate Saturday when all went out to witness their Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, endorsed as governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2011 election, at a grand rally organized by the people of Nasarawa South Senatorial District. Judging by the intensity of the revelry, it is easy to see that governor Doma means a lot to the indigenes and residents of the state.
As a matter of fact, if Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma, had any misgiving about the sincerity and support of the people of the state for him and his administration, his serial endorsement which commenced from early last year and climaxed in the event of last Saturday 21st August, 2010, have probably cleared that suspicion.
The flurry of endorsements for Governor Akwe Doma started sometimes in February, 2009. Pioneering the calls were two groups, namely, Akwe Doma Solidarity Association, ADOSA, and Lafia Division Solidarity Forum, LADUF. Following on the heels of these two was an association of members of the state executive council who also called on the Governor to recontest in 2011. The groups justified their positions on Governor Doma’s impressive records of achievements since the past three years.
As if these were not enough, the endorsements kept coming in droves as groups jostled to outdo one another by the day. Shortly after, it was the turn of an enlarged body known as Forum for Former Political Office Holders, FFPOH. Comprising of former political office holders drawn from all political parties from the ward to the state levels, the group at a solidarity visit to the governor, declared their support for his continued stay in office beyond 2011.
However, about the biggest and most valuable outing was that of the Forum for Traditional Rulers in the state. Apart from being the custodian of culture and tradition in our society, members of this group are known to wield a lot of influence on their subjects, thereby playing very vital political role as to who gets what and when in our polity.
At a solidarity visit to the governor, the body of chiefs and emirs noted Governor Doma’s landmark achievements since 2007 and assured him of their continued support for his second term in office. The group’s chairman and Emir of Lafia, Dr Isa Mustapha Agwai said then, “The last two years of the governor’s tenure has remarkable improvements in the area of infrastructural, rural and urban development. And we now see a true commitment as against the rhetoric of the past”.
The zonal endorsements started sometimes in March this year with the Nasarawa North Senatorial Zone spearheading it. The zone comprises Akwanga, Nasarawa-Eggon,Wamba and their Development Areas. Nasarawa- West Senatorial District took its turn on the 15th of July 2010 to rally support for the Governor. Both events like the one under review were well attended.
But last Saturday’s event which attracted the presence of at least two state governors and a captain of industry, undoubtedly, was the ‘’mother’’ of all the rallies. In the build up to the event which took place at the Lafia Township Stadium, Lafia was literarily taken by storm as people from all walks of life massed on it to show solidarity and appreciation to their beloved leader.
On hand to witness the rally were civil servants, tradesmen and women; big and small, old and young, rich and poor. Party supporters from all the 13 Local Government Councils in the state, had a field day. The sleepy walls of Lafia soon assumed an exhilarating dimension as songs of party supporters tore the sky. It was a day to behold as members of The Road Safety Corps battled unsuccessfully to control vehicular and human traffic. Both the spirit and the motives fused into one.
 Initially, the venue for the event was calm but came alive with the entrance of the man of the moment, Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma, accompanied by his Benue State counterpart, Rt Hon. Gabriel Suswam and the Senate President, David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark, as their supporters and aides suddenly filled every available space.
 The event attracted the “who is who” in Nasarawa state and national politics. Prominent among them were former Governor Abdullahi Adamu, Alhaji Hassan Lawal, former Minister for Works and Housing and Hon. Aliyu Wadada, member of the House of Representatives. Others were Senators Suleiman Adokwe, Abubakar Sodangi and Patricia Akwashiki as well as Minister of State for Information and Communication, Labaran Maku.
Also on hand to show solidarity to Akwe Doma were Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, President of African Business Round Table, who chaired the occasion and Isa Yuguda, Governor of Bauchi State who was the guest of honour. There was also the former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu and a host of others. 
It was a day that speeches were not in short supply. All the speakers stressed the need for continuity in the current leadership structure of the state following the impressive record of achievements of the administration of Governor Akwe Doma.
Chairman of the occasion, Bamanga Tukur said as much. He applauded the people of the state for their unanimous resolve to return Governor Doma to power in 2011, saying they will not regret the decision as it would spur the governor to do even more henceforth. He said, “Your decision to organize this rally is not misplaced because your governor is an achiever. If somebody has performed, the best to do is to encourage him not only to do more but to continue in office’’.
Alhaji Tukur, who said he was excited by all the good things he has heard about Governor Doma, added that the rally was an indication that the governor has really performed and “the best thing to do to reciprocate his good works is this support you are rallying for him”. 
 The Senate President, David Mark, praised the 13- point Agenda of Akwe Doma’s administration, saying that the governor’s achievements in the areas of agriculture and urban renewal programme were particularly impressive and could serve as a model for others.
Governor Gabriel Suswam in his speech also expressed satisfaction with the achievements so far recorded by Gov Doma, particularly in the areas of road construction, agricultural development and social re-orientation, noting that as a friend and close ally of Akwe Doma, he has always admired the developmental strides of the madauchi.
 His remarks were not different from that of the minister of state for information and communications, Mr. Labaran Maku, who urged the people not to vote for any other candidate but Aliyu Doma because according to him, ‘’the election has been concluded’’.
Also speaking, former Governor Abdullahi Adamu praised Governor Doma for his giant strides in almost all spheres