We seize the rare privilege of conveying fraternal greetings and love from the Kwande intermediate area to the good people of Benue State in this global season of Valentine.
It is noteworthy that our appearance on the political firmament of our dear state to announce the renewal of the Kwande Governorship Agenda in 2027 has received varied reactions ranging from expressions of support, surprise, outright abuse and threats.
This development has made it imperative for us to clarify certain issues and furnish further perspectives.
1. May we express profound appreciation to those who have found the courage to stand solidly behind us in every way and assure them that our sights are firmly set on Kwande Governor, come 2027. It is clear to us that if you stand for an election there are two possibilities – you either win or lose. That means there is the possibility of winning, no matter how slim the chances, if one participates in the contest. There is no chance of winning, at all, if you don’t. We are happy to announce that there is no legal inhibition to a Kwande indigene becoming Governor in 2027.
2. We wish to recall that we stressed during our maiden outing that 2027 would offer new political opportunities and that we would mobilize Kwande people to explore those frontiers. We stated that what we have set out to do was not anything new – it was the renewal of an old dream that was yet to be realized. As long as we live, and there is opportunity, we commit ourselves to pursuing the Kwande Governorship Agenda. May we emphasize that this agenda predates and transcends the political ambitions of individuals and groups on the scene at the moment.
3. Perhaps it might be necessary to remind our brothers campaigning for Kwande Senator that the Senatorial dream was also a possibility in 2023 when our fathers canvassed the Governorship Agenda. Indeed, it is most likely that at every electoral season opportunities for the two positions will continue to crop up. It will therefore, be a matter of choice, in 2027 or even beyond, to go for either, or both of them, as an intermediate area. On this basis we do not see our brothers campaigning for Senator as our opponents or enemies that need to be denigrated – far from that. We see most of them as noble Kwande sons who are our worthy partners in political endeavor. The few among them who have questionable, mercenary or even crass pecuniary motives are still part and parcel of the inevitable political lineup. It is very possible for all of us to partner and mobilize to deliver on both.
4. By announcing that we will mobilize for a Kwande Governor come 2027, we reckon that there is an incumbent who has surprisingly announced that he has eight years to be in office. But we know as of fact that the tenure of a first term Governor in Nigeria is FOUR YEARS subject to re-election. We also know as a fact that re-election is not and has never been automatic but rather subject to the wishes of the electorate. We do not wish to be the first to point to history which has recorded several governors in Nigeria who did not win a second term.
5. By referring to the fact that there is an incumbent who sees himself as having already won a second term, we are aware that arm twisting, intimidation, favor seeking, violence, influence peddling and sponsorship of counter groups will likely be deployed into the arena against us. Some of the things happening are indications of what we had anticipated. But we are fully prepared for all these.
6. In our maiden outing, we announced our commitment to pursuing the realization of the Kwande Governorship Agenda constitutionally within the ambit of the law. We have done nothing outside the law and shall not do anything illegal and as such we shall resort to legal means for the protection of our constitutional rights and privileges, if need be. No one should contemplate our inclusion in plans to use state power to cow us. The conviction that we are pursuing what is our right as well as the force of history as descendants of people who defeated marauders will avail for us.
7. Let us inform those who say we have come out too early that everyone who will participate in the 2027 elections is already 16 years old. There is therefore a lot of mobilization and sensitization needed.
8. May we renew our appeal to the Benue electorate to give the Kwande intermediate area the opportunity in 2027 to once again replicate and surpass the milestones recorded by another Kwande son, Governor Apollos Aper Aku, of blessed memory.
Signed:
Leonard Ikyem,
Convener,
Movement for Actualization of Kwande Gubernatorial Ambition
(MAKGA).
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