Why Lalong Emerged Winner In Plateau Guber Race

 

Governor Simon Lalong

An election is the core of Democracy. For a candidate to win, he must be voted by the people. Rigging, rancor, and violence are part of the core features of politics in Africa.

On the Plateau, the incumbent governor defeated his opponent better this year than he did to the PDP candidate in 2015.

The APC won with 4,466 votes more and above the difference between 2015 and 2019 votes. In 2019, the difference between the parties is 48,752 while in 2015 the difference between APC and PDP in favor of Lalong was 44,286 votes respectively.

Hence, the APC made an upward progression in votes addition of 4,466 in 2019. This means that the APC became stronger on the Plateau than it was in 2015.

WHY LALONG REMAINED THE GOVERNOR OF PLATEAU STATE IN 2019

1.  Multiple opposition candidates. Like in Oyo state, for example, Seyi Makinde won because the opposition party aligned themselves against the incumbent. They pulled their strenuous strengths together and polled more votes than the APC in the state. The Oyo strategy works for the people. Plateau would have adopted such a strategy.

2. Tarok people voting APC during the main election and in the rerun or supplementary election of on 23rd March. This clearly shows that the Tarok nation is not ready for the leadership of the state.  Charity they said begins at home. The Langtang people didn’t bring more votes from their two local government areas of Langtang North and Langtang South to support the strength of votes polled by PDP in the Plateau north senatorial zone.

3. Late defections from the PDP to the APC at the eve of the 2019 elections. This is a part of the weaknesses of the PDP. Major candidate defect to ruling party when the elections were just days ahead.

4. Age of PDP candidate: On the Plateau, unlike in Nigeria generally, age played a major role. So many people were angry with the choice of the PDP to bring an aged general as a candidate. This prompted some defections into the APC by some grassroots PDP Youths days to the governorship elections.

5. The choice of PDP deputy governorship candidate. The candidate was unknown and unpopular. You can’t go into a strategic election with an incumbent with such a calculation.

6. Money was a factor too in the PDP. They lack the funds for logistics. While the APC we’re better in this right.

7. Plateau decision to retain Lalong. Plateau people want him. Plateau people are okay with him. Plateau voted for Lalong more in 2019 than they did in 2015. Lalong is more equipped now than he was in 2015.

Like Joseph de maistre will say “a people get the kind of leadership they deserve and in Democracy, people get the leaders they deserve or want”

Written by:

Rwang Patrick Stephen,

Department of Political Science, Faculty of Humanities, Management and Social Sciences, Federal University of Kashere Gombe state.