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From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Former Senate Minority Leader Senator Simon Mwadkwon has dismissed the threat by the All Progressives Congress to win the state in the 2027 governorship election.
He also dismissed the insinuation that Governor Caleb Mutfwang is one of the four PDP governors planning to defect to the ruling APC.
Speaking to newsmen in his campaign office in Jos, Mwadkwon, who represented Plateau North senatorial zone, said that Mutfwang had, in a different forum, dismissed reports of his impending defection to the ruling party, saying that he truly believed him.
He said that any attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state would boomerang, stating that the country’s complexity cannot tolerate such political arrangements, regardless of the strength of the political party in power and that a one-party state is dangerous and worse than a military regime.
Mwadkwon stressed that those attempting to coerce or lure elected political office holders from opposition parties into the ruling party are wasting their time and that voters will have the final say when elections are held.
He said, “Plateau is always a PDP state, and whether the governor leaves the party or not, the people of the state know that their love for PDP is unparalleled.
“So if Mutfwang leaves the PDP to contest at whatever level, the PDP will find a replacement for him and the party will win. I think he’s better off with the PDP than any other party.”
He took a swipe at any attempt to turn the country into a one-party state, saying, “Attempting to establish Nigeria as a one-party state is futile. A one-party state can be much more deadly than a military regime. Governor Mutfwang is at ease in the PDP and would work with whoever becomes the president of Nigeria in 2027, regardless of party, to advance the nation; therefore, those calling on him to join the APC would be better off burying the rumour.
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“The Plateau State Governor has publicly denied joining the APC on several occasions; therefore, I don’t think he has any interest in doing so. Despite several appeals, he has refused to back down on this issue.”
He expressed optimism that the People’s Democratic Party will win elections at all levels in Plateau State come 2027, saying the party’s relationship with the people of the state has been symbiotic since the inception of this democratic dispensation.
Mwadkwon, who spoke also on Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, said that the country is yet out of the woods.
He said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not altogether sincere in his address to the nation, saying that insecurity is still ravaging Nigeria, particularly in the northern part of the country.
Mwadkwon maintained that state police will go a long way towards addressing the myriad of security challenges, adding that those opposed to it have no compelling reason to support their position given the number of people killed, kidnapped, and properties destroyed.
He declared, “I am a strong supporter of the State Police. Nigeria will not be the first nation to implement this; at one point in time, when we had what was known as local government native authority police in Northern Nigeria, crime was at its lowest.
“The idea was that the police should be close to the people, but my position is that those against it may have hands in the killings. If those opposing it had been victims, either directly or indirectly, they would not oppose it. Human lives are sacrosanct and should be protected.”
He implored the National Assembly and the government to go to the grassroots and sample the opinion of the people on whether they want state police or not, instead of relying on the elites alone to discuss the issue.
