By Our Reporter
The All progressives Congress has been explaining how it won the last LGA election in Jemaa LGA, popularly known to be the stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party since 1999.
In an interview with a chieftain of the APC, the Assistant Public Relations Officer of the party in Jemaa LGA, Musbau Ado, he stated that the performance of the Kaduna State Government, led by Governor Nasir El-Rufai, both in the LGA and across the state hugely accounted for the victory.
According to Ado, “People are now beginning to realise what APC is all about. People now see our manifesto, the commitment towards people, and the level of the new construction that is going on in Kafanchan now. These are the few things that convince people now.”
Ado who was the former Chairman of APC, Ward B in Jemaa LGA, admitted that the LGA was a stronghold of the PDP and it was a tough battle taking over power from them in the LGA. However, he explained that his party did not engage in any smear campaigns against the PDP that had held the rein of the LGA since 1999 but which had nothing concrete on ground to show the people of the LGA. Instead, he added, APC focused on the achievements of the state government and used these to inform the people that they would benefit even more if APC was given the opportunity to hold the rein in Jemaa LGA.
Explaining the uphill battle that his party had to face, the LGA party Executive Committee member states that, “We did not tear posters. You see most campaigns don’t come easy, most especially in Southern Kaduna, and Kafanchan. It is a stronghold for the PDP. So you cannot expect it to be very easy, for sure. But one thing we thank God for was that there was no violence. There was mutual understanding. We campaigned based on the things people were seeing on the ground. That was what we campaigned for, and people were seeing these things, and that was why the people said they should give us a trial.
“We clashed, of course, in the process of campaigning. We clashed with the PDP. But there were no abusive words whatsoever from us because we didn’t go to their campaigns. We didn’t use abusive words. We focused on our campaign. We only campaigned based on what people were seeing on the ground.
Ado further noted that prior to the election, the PDP engaged in its usual smear campaign, painting his party as a sectional party, but unfortunately for them the people of the LGA refused to buy such narrative after more than two decades of non-performance from the PDP.
As Ado explained, before the last election, “ the PDP used to tell people that APC is Hausa- Fulani, that it is for Muslims, and that APC are killing their people. That is the general impression they have been creating with these two things, that is, APC is for Hausa/Fulani, APC are killing their people; that was what they were using then. We countered these things through the good work of our able Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai. We countered PDP with the good work of Malam Nasir El-Rufai. And our people have been telling the people that this is what is happening in the real world; that our party is not about religion, the party is not about tribe. The party is for interest, and service to the people as well. You know we have learned people here. Some understand, so do not understand. But as things go on, I think some 60 to 65 percent of the people understand what party is about, especially our APC.”
Ado added that APC is doing well now in the LGA, and he was optimistic that the incoming administration of the APC in Jemaa LGA would give the people the best that they had every experienced since democracy returned in 1999. “The party is doing well,” he said. “This is the first time we are in charge in the local government chairmanship seat in over 20 years since democracy began. It had always been the PDP, so this is the very first time. Before the LGA election our party chairman was trying, as well as the state governor since we were not in office at the LGA before now,” he added.
