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Middle Belt and Governor Lalong’s Tones of the Conquered

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By Chris Gyang

No. You can only begin to appreciate the full extent of the harm Governor Lalong has inflicted on the body and soul of Plateau State when you take a look at the larger, more comprehensive, picture of the current circumstances of the Nigerian state.

To restrict us to the current cutting down and destruction of verdant crops in more than 80 farmlands in Plateau State by people the Lalong government has once again routinely described as ‘criminals’ (and at other times in the past as ‘unknown gunmen’) would be sorely missing the point.

This is because the current pains and agony of the Plateau people are only a crystallization of the perception and attitude of Governor Lalong towards burning issues that have affected Nigerians’ lives for a long time now.

One of such burning national issues is the persistent terrorism of irredentist Fulani herdsmen, of which Plateau State has had an inordinately huge share.

On January 1, 2018, Governor Lalong went on national television to gloat over the massacre of 73 Benue citizens by Fulani herdsmen. He lampooned his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom (whose tears were still fresh from that brutality) for hurting the sensibilities of Fulani herdsmen by opposing open grazing in the state.

Also still in deep mourning, an outraged nation was shocked by such crass insensitivity and squirming cronyism. Proud sons and daughters of Plateau State were overwhelmed with shame.

But Governor Lalong’s intention was to shore up his personal image as a rising star in the house of President Buhari and his extended Fulani family – overlords of the Nigerian state. That marked the morphing of Governor Lalong into what in his own eyes is ‘a true son of the core north’.

Later, to further consolidate on that warped thinking, he would vow to lay down his life for President Buhari.

We have deliberately taken this excursion down memory lane in order to, first, trace the misguided trajectory of Governor Lalong’s journey to his current station. Second, to show the slippery ground on which he stands, even with respect to unfolding national events.

Then, we can properly locate the on-going atrocities being perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen in Plateau State and the Lalong administration’s traditional penchant to literally wave them aside.

Apart from the core northern part of Nigeria, the governors of almost all the states of the country have openly stood up to boldly tell the truth about the deep wounds Fulani herdsmen’s attacks have inflicted on the overall socio-economic, political and economic development of the country. Even the South West governors who were once among Mr. Buhari’s most vociferous supporters have stood up against him on this score.

Not only did they set up a regional security outfit mainly to counter the expansionist menace of the Fulani herdsmen, they have teamed up with their counterparts in the southern region to ban open grazing.

This cooperation cuts across political party, religious and ethnic lines. Governors of the ruling APC and the opposition PDP have with equal zeal, passion and intensity spoken out against and enacted laws to stem the horrendous tide of Fulani expansionism (in the guise of open grazing) threatening Nigerians who do not belong to the Buhari clan.

It is also worthy of note that all the other five geo-political zones of the country have put in place effective zonal groupings with the aim of pursuing common goals that serve the interests of their respective peoples.

In fact, it is at this level that most of the policies that have served to counter the activities of the Fulani herdsmen have been fashioned out and concretized.

For instance, while strongly working at their respective regional levels, the governors of the South West, South East and South-South have been able to synergize and come up with united positions that have given them a most respectable voice on the national stage.

And for all their conservatism and myopia, the core northern states have equally mobilized themselves in order to leverage more powerfully on the national stage.

The North West and North East governors’ forums have been very formidable in the way they have spoken with one voice about the Boko Haram insurgency, the kidnapping, banditry and sundry crimes that are overrunning their areas.

This has earned them considerable Federal Government attention and resources.

But what about Governor Lalong’s ancestral North Central Zone? Knowing fully well the strategic importance of the Middle Belt as the buffer zone between the north and the south, the core north’s plan to neutralize it found a most willing and efficient tool in Governor Lalong.

Once they realized his disdain for the Middle Belt identity and a penchant for a leadership style that eschews integrity and responsibility, they knew that they had found a most willing accomplice.

Turbaning him as the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum was a deft political move that did not only give him that sense of belonging to the core north he so much craved for but set him up as the elephant in the china shop that is the Middle Belt.

If Plateau State, which has been one of the major arteries of the Middle Belt cause, is neutralized, then the core north can have a smooth sail to the south.

Today, governors of the North Central Zone have no coordinated front like their counterparts in other parts of the country.

They are in completed disarray because of the hatchet job Governor Lalong is carrying out for the core north.

That is why Plateau is one of the few states that has not even taken the preliminary step of speaking out against the evils of open grazing.

The Benue State governor who has had the liver to stand up to the core north in this regard is demonized, even attacked by Fulani militia, while Governor Lalong is glorified.

The Middle Belt has become an orphan without a formidable political force to champion its cause the way it used to be.

Surely, the calculations of the core north have splendidly added up as Governor Lalong has so far proved to be one of the most divisive factors in the history of the Middle Belt.

Worse still, he has become one of the most vocal proponents of the very odious narratives that have underlined the savage rape and despoilation that Plateau State has suffered in the hands of the Caliphate in recent times.

That is why he has, just like Buhari and his kinsmen in the core north, never conceded that it is Fulani herdsmen that have been killing his people in Plateau State, Southern Kaduna and elsewhere in the Middle Belt.

That is why he is now saying again that it is ‘criminals’ that have cut down crops and destroyed more than 80 farmlands in Plateau State.

He dares not openly agree with the victims who insist that it is indeed Fulani herdsmen that perpetrated these heinous crimes so that he will not incur the wrath of President Buhari and his extended family.

Once again, Governor Lalong has portrayed himself to the world as a leader who has become very adept at evading truth in order to satisfy his overlords who have won the battle over his conscience and integrity.

That is why our governor is always speaking with the fearful, hushed, tones of a man weighed down by a conquered mentality.

At best, Governor Lalong will tell you that Fulani herdsmen kill with sophisticated weapons to defend themselves against local farmers who weild AK-47 rifles!

POLITICS

Osun 2026 Guber: APC Aspirants Should Not Waste Money Contesting Against Adeleke – Ex Party Chieftain, Jackson Ojo

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By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

A former Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Jackson Lekan Ojo has advised those in the race for the APC ticket not to waste their resources as the victory of Governor Isiaka Adeleke is practically a done deal.

In a video post on his Facebook page, Jackson Ojo said Governor Adeleke has won the heart of the people of his state with his transformation of all the 30 local governments in the State and prompt payment of workers and pensioners.

According to him, the achievements of Governor Adeleke has already done 80 percent of his campaign ahead of the election.

Jackson Ojo, who is a Security Expert and global affairs analyst, from Osun State, stressed that he has always advised political office holders to perform while in office as this is the greatest strategy and tactics to win future elections.

He stressed that the abysmal performance of the APC at the Federal level and the poor performance of previous APC governors in Osun state will count heavily against any candidate that is presented by the party to contest against governor Adeleke.

The former APC chieftain added that he is not patronizing the governor for any personal gain as there is nothing that the governor can give him that God has not already given him.

He stressed that his intervention in the Osun governorship race is to stop opponents of the governor from wasting their resources for an election they can never win.

His words: “Two weeks ago I resigned from partisan politics, so I am no longer member of any political party in Nigeria. When I speak now I am not speaking in favour or against any political party. So, I am very free to air my views

“This is my views on the forthcoming governorship election in Osun state. I still see some people struggling for governor in Osun state come 2026.

“That is highly impossible for an APC aspirant. What is the APC government doing at the national level, what are the doing in the Senate, what are they doing in the House of Representatives to encourage Nigerians?

“If we are in a place like America or United Kingdom (UK) APC will not be able to win ordinary councillorship again in this country. Is it in the management of economy, education, health, security and others?

“In all these areas put together they have not scored up to 10 percent. I can boldly mark them today they they have woefully failed in area of agricultural development, educational development, health development, security, economy and infrastructural development. In all ramifications this party has failed.

“Look at the antecedents of the APC in Osun state. Aregbesola tried a bit, yes, but then Aregbesola left the State aground.

“When Baba Jeje, Mr. Go Slow, the unfortunate Minister of Blue Economy or whatever they call it, came there was nothing to write home about during his tenure as governor of Osun State. He came, he bartered the state, he rubbished the State, he insulted the state, he disgraced the State on the platform of APC.

“Now another APC is coming out now thinking of winning? Winning where, defeat who?

“Governor Adeleke does not know me, there is no benefit Adeleke can give me that God has not given to me. I can’t be a Commissioner in Osun state. No. I can’t be Special Adviser or whatever. I can’t even take their contract. I don’t think they can award the kind of contract that I need to an individual.

“But then, Adeleke has tried. If you go to my community you will see the way he has positively turned the community. Even if I am the governor of Osun State I don’t think I can do what Adeleke has done in my town and that transformation cuts across all the 30 local government areas of Osun State. All the communities, all the local governments, all.

“This man is no longer paying half salary of quarter salary. This man is not owning workers, he is not owning pensioners. This alone has spoken, this alone has done 80 percent of his campaign.

“If you perform well in office that is the highest strategy and tactics that you can use to win the heart of the people.

“Come 2026 whoever is putting money on ground in Osun state to go and contest governorship in Osun state, honestly that person has money to waste. It is sadaka, the money they have stolen they want to come and do sadaka. It is Adeleke till 2030.”

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POLITICS

Former DG of PDP Governors Forum Defects to ADC

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By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

Former Director General of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, Hon C.I.D Maduabum has resigned from the party and joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In a statement made available to Daily Asset in Abuja on Sunday, Hon Maduabum said he is dumping the PDP because the party has been “hijacked by self-serving, unscrupulous elements who are more interested in personal power grabs than in party discipline, internal democracy, or national interest.

Part of his statement read: “After deep reflection, extensive consultations, and careful evaluation of the current political realities within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I have taken the difficult but necessary decision to resign my membership of the PDP with immediate effect.

“As a committed democrat, a two-term member of the House of Representatives, and former Director-General of the PDP Governors’ Forum, I have dedicated significant portions of my political life to building the PDP as a platform for democratic consolidation and national development.

“However, the soul of the party I once served with pride has been hijacked by self-serving, unscrupulous elements who are more interested in personal power grabs than in party discipline, internal democracy, or national interest.

“The PDP today is a shadow of its former self. It has descended into chaos, internal betrayal, and systematic destruction by diverse forces who have no regard for the principles upon which the party was founded. Sadly, voices of reason are no longer welcome, and genuine reformers are vilified or silenced.

“I can no longer in good conscience remain in a house that has been stripped of its moral compass and overrun by opportunists.

“In light of this, I am proud to announce that I am joining the African Democratic Congress (ADC) — a party that now stands as the only credible democratic alternative for Nigeria.

“The ADC is emerging as a beacon of hope for good governance, integrity, accountability, and inclusive politics. It offers the opportunity for principled politics, genuine people-oriented leadership, and a platform for rebuilding our nation from the grassroots up.

“The ADC Coalition includes progressive minded people like Mr. Peter Obi and others.

“I join the ADC not merely as a defector but as a reformer committed to helping build a new political culture — one based on merit, ideology, discipline, youth inclusion, and national unity.

“The time has come for all well-meaning Nigerians to take a stand against the decay in our political system. I call on all patriots, especially those disillusioned by the dysfunction in the traditional parties, to rally around this movement for a new Nigeria through the ADC.

“I remain committed to the democratic ideals of justice, equity, and service to the people. The struggle to rescue Nigeria and restore its promise continues — and it begins now on a new, firmer footing.”

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POLITICS

Anambra: INEC Registers 96,085 New Voters, Extends CVR by Three Days

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has registered 96,085 new voters in nine days and extended the exercise by three days in Anambra.

The commission disclosed this in a statement by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, on Thursday in Abuja, after its weekly meeting.

He said that on the preliminary stage of the CVR, 56,017 representing 58 per cent of new registrants were female while 50,429 52 representing 48 per cent were young people between the ages of 18 and 34.

“The commission is pleased with the turnout of registrants in Anambra and the peaceful conduct of the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in all the 326 registration centres in the state.

“As of yesterday, Wednesday, 96,085 new voters have successfully registered in nine days. On average, the Commission registered over 10,600 voters per day.

“In addition, 12,595 voters applied for transfer of their registration both within and outside the state while 7,061 persons applied for the update of their records or the replacement of their damaged or lost Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).

“The CVR in Anambra ends today. However, in response to appeal from citizens, the Commission hereby extends the exercise for three more days. It will now end on Sunday, July 20,” he said.

Olumekun said that the commission would thereafter display the register for claims and objections by citizens as provided by law.

This, according to him, will be followed by a further clean-up of the data using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).

“Subsequently, the detailed breakdown of the new registrants by age, gender, occupation and disability will be published for public information,” he said.

Olumekun also disclosed that INEC had received five more letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties.

According to him, the new application brings the number received so far by the commission to 134.

Olumekun stated that the details of the new associations, indicating their proposed names, acronyms, logos, addresses and interim leaderships were already published on INEC website and other platforms for public information.

He said that INEC would continue to keep the citizens up to date on all its activities.

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