From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
A Coalition of support groups for the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Isah Ashiru Kudan in 2019, on Friday, called on him to step down and support the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Jonathan Asake ahead of the 2023 election in Kaduna State.
The coalition in a statement by Joel Garba and Gideon Sardauna Leader and Secretary respectively argued that Asake, the President of Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU) has a better chance to emerge victorious in the forthcoming election in the state than Ashiru, who could not win his local government in 2019.
To this group, “the numbers are not in favour of Isah Ashiru, so also the spirit and letters of our constitution, which encapsulate the Principle of Federal character.
“Though It is the constitutional right of Ashiru to contest, it will be morally unjust for zone I that has held unto power for over ten years out of the 23 years since the country returned to democracy in 1999 thereby leaving zone II and III to share the remaining 13 years out of which zone III governed for barely two years.
“It is therefore fair and just for zone III candidate to emerge as the governor in 2023.
“We recognize the fact that there are candidates across various parties, but our call for Ashiru to back out and support Asake is based on the fact that we worked for him in 2019, and were disappointed that he couldn’t win his Kudan local government, and as it stands today, nothing much has changed, therefore, the need for someone from zone III to try his luck”, they opened.
On why they settled for Asake, the group said “Asake is the leader of Southern Kaduna People which spread across at least 14 LGAs a with a population not less than 4.5 million persons and voting strength of almost 2 million.
“He is also an experienced politician who served as a member of the house of representatives, interim management committee chairman of Zangon Kataf LGA and a former lecturer among others which makes him more than competent to lead the state.
“He has proven himself to be a good manager of diversity and lover of humanity which he manifested in his unrelenting advocacy to end the southern Kaduna killings.
“We, therefore, call on lovers of Kaduna State to support Honourable Jonathan Asake for governor, while prevailing on Honourable Isah Ashiru to step to build synergy among the opposition elements in the state”.