Last week an article written and circulated by one Tom Garba and published by the New Nigerian Newspapers, Kaduna alleging that the tribunal judgment in favour of Hon. David Ombugadu could spark ethnic cleansing arose some curiousity about the source and timing making an obvious antics and recourse of masterminds of those who likely foisted the chaos of that time and are today’s championsof continued criminal falsehoods, and mischiefs aimed at achieving public and judicial sympathy and favour in the court processes ahead.
The writer whose name suggest a ghost and his sponsoring cohorts are seeking to achieve their devilish agenda through promoting ethnic mistrust, hatred and sow the seed of discord in the generality of the peace loving ethnic nationalities living in harmony with one another and sharing common vision in Nasarawa State.
First, let it be pointed out that politics is not ethnic based in Nasarawa State, just as religion. This is the model in our country because a sprinkle of all kinds exists everywhere in the land. The personality in reference did not contest on ethnic platform, nor did he campaign on an ethnic agenda. His support came from all parts of the state across party lines, religious cleavages, and ethnic persuasion.
He emerged as a candidate on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) through an elaborate political process, the party primaries where he emerged victorious. He went to every nook and cranny to campaign and spoke to the people of his vision for a progressive Nasarawa State as a thriving investment hub in real terms. It is a fact that the Party is not just broad based in the state with people from all ethnic, and similar persuasions, it is a national party with well composed leaders which are of diverse ethnic backgrounds as well.
Yes, David Ombugadu is an Eggon by birth, but he is not a tribal bigot having been born in Kaduna of those peaceful days. It is unknown that he subscribes to any ethnic agenda, let alone to promote ‘ethnic cleansing’. Besides, his faith as a Christian, which values deeply guides his conduct, abhors killing under any guise. It is a capital sin. To garb him in tribal gowns amounts to ethnic profiling, an act of share wickedness and mindlessness.
He is not coming from out of the blues, he contested and won and represented the very good people of Akwanga/Nassarawa Eggon/Wamba Federal Constituency at the National Assembly and for the period he served he demonstrated his love not just for people in his Federal Constituency but across the entire State where he extended the opportunities at his disposal. For instance, he enlisted over 20,000 lives across faith on health insurance which exists up till date having left the National Assembly almost 10-years ago as well as dug water boreholes in several Mosques, Markets, and some Churches across the State as a private citizen.
Tom Garba and his sponsors should know that their campaign of hatred and the attempt to portray the Eggon people as vampires using the episode of the or orchestrated and unfortunate evil of 2013, the first and last of its kind in the story and history of the State is uncharitable and callous. Yes, in 2013, there was Ombatse (which translated means ‘it is time’) and he was not a candidate in that election. Ombatse as political movement was aimed at achieving a political aspiration of one of the candidates of the Eggon extraction in 2015 but along the way it was manipulated to become a fighting force (not attacking force)in defence of the Eggon ethnic nationality which unfortunately became a tool in the hands of some politicians of that time. David Ombugadu was not part of them. Therefore, they did not feature anywhere when he entered the race to contest the governorship in both 2019 and 2023.
First, the Eggon people were pitched against the Fulani people with whom they had maintained cordial relationship for ages. These forces of evil not yet done and having failed in their selfish mission turned their campaign towards tribal groups using weak links against the Migili, Mada people and later, with the Alago people in order to perpetually keep the people divided along tribal lines for reasons best known to them. And so between 2013 and 2014, these ethnic groups engaged in fiece conflicts and subsequently led to the episode in reference, the Alakyo security misadventure to arrest one Baba Alakio, which ended in disastrous loss of lives. Eventually, Baba Alakyo was employed by the government until his demise subsequently. The skewed government whitepaper is all there for public knowledge and has remained not implementable because of the outright falsehood contained in the report and in the whole of that report, there is nowhere, Hon David Ombugadu was mentioned as a member, supporter or financier of the Ombatse or sponsor of the political movement. To resurrect the issue now and say it would spark ethnic cleansing smacks mischief, criminal falsehood, and pure incitement aimed at promoting hatred and creating ethnic tension and suspicion at a time when the entire people have opted to move on. This is politics carried too far and calls for self-restraint in topics that we chose to write upon, publish, or broadcast because at the end of all, we will still be required to live together.
First it was the religious angle that a Christian cannot and must not be the governor of Nasarawa State that Islam will fail should that happen and now, that the people of Nasarawa State did or did not vote David Ombugadu. When they realized that such follies would not hold drive over the wedge, they have shifted to something else. They alleged that if Ombugadu becomes governor, some traditional rulers would be removed for whatever reason they did not disclose, and that too, failed, and now this other one the Ombatse dimension is the next plot. The question to ask is, which are the ethnic nationalities that the Eggon people will cleanse out and for what purpose? The Alago and the Eggon nation have since realized their mistakes and have moved on as united people.
The likes of Tom Garba and his cohorts should be reminded that court judgments are not based on sentiments, ethnicity or religion but on the strength of the facts of the matter laid before the court, and the fact that the election of March 18, 2023 was won by David Ombugadu but manipulated in favour of Governor Sule with the active support of some corrupt INEC officials that participated in connivance with State government officials.
How on earth? The election results or figures from just two electoral wards superseded those of the entire local government put together and especially when such result is not in tandem with the BVAS upload and accredited figures for the state Assembly which took place simultaneously using one machine?
The fear of ethnic cleansing is in the figment of the imagination of the writer, peddlers of falsehood, and their sponsoring cohorts. Nigeria is not bereft of credible judicial officers.
Hon David Ombugadu is a reality, a divine project. I only fear for those who would want to dare God, including this ghost writer and his clique of sponsors. Nasarawa State will be fine under Governor Ombugadu by the mercies of God.
