Some stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Jos North and Bassa local government areas of Plateau have endorsed the candidature of Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande for the Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency bye-election, fixed for Feb. 26.
The stakeholders made the endorsement of Kwande at a stakeholders meeting in Jos on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency seat became vacant after the demise of its occupant, Rep. Haruna Maitala on April 2, 2021, in an auto crash on his way to Jos from Abuja.
More thsn 30 aspirants from Jos North and Bassa local government areas have since declared interest for the seat.
Suleiman Kwande was a two-term member of the House of Representatives representing Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency from 2011-2019.
Mr Tijani Lawandi-Dati, a chieftain in the party, described Kwande as a courageous and selfless politician who has the political cloud and the democratic credentials to deliver
“I know from what I have seen delivered by Kwande when he was in office, he has the political support across Jos North and Bassa local government areas to win the bye-election for the APC.
“He lost narrowly the party primaries to the late Haruna Maitala in 2019, yet he collapsed his political structure, coupled with financial and moral support to ensure that Maitala and the APC won the 2019 election and he deserves to be supported now,” he said.
Lawandi-Dati rejected the political permutations making round that the seat had been zoned to Bassa.
Similarly, a member of the party, Mr Lawrence Zongo, said that Kwande deserved support for the bye-election election, having done well for his constituents while in and out of office.
“We advise our amiable Gov. Simon Lalong to adhere to the principles of democratic culture by allowing for an all inclusive contest ahead of the bye-election.
“The position should not be zoned to favour an individual because all the contestants are looking up to the governor as a father.
Mr Ezra Godit, another member of the party, while endorsing Kwande opposef zoning, observing that there had never been arrangement for zoning in Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency.
Godit noted that zoning in the constituency could be presented and discussed by stakeholders ahead of subsequent elections but not in the eve of an election.(NAN)
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