Photo: Mr Isaac Kwallu, Rep Member-elect
Ex-LG chairman defeats Gov Lalong’s candidate, clinches Reps ticket
Mr Isaac Kwallu, the immediate past Executive Chairman of Quaan-Pan Local Government Area, Plateau State, has made a mincemeat of Chief John Dafaan, Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong’s anointed candidate for Shendam, Quaan-Pan, Mikang Federal House of Representatives seat in Saturday’s National Assembly elections by beating him with an unprecedented wide margin of votes.
Announcing the results on Monday afternoon in Shendam, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s, Returning Officer, Prof Stephen Mallo, declared Kwallu winner of the election, after polling the highest total number of 74,645 votes against Dafaan, who scored just 43,467 votes, that is, with a wide margin of 31,178 valid votes cast.
The 48-year-old Kwallu of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) roundly defeated 59-year-old Dafaan, who is a former Chief of Staff to Gov Lalong and candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
The breakdown of the polls shows that in Shendam Local Government Area, which is Gov Lalong’s LGA, Kwallu, against all odds, scored 26,545 votes, while Dafaan polled 18,538 votes.
In Quaan-Pan Local Government Area, where both Kwallu and Dafaan hail from, the Reps-elect scored 36,881 votes, against Dafaan’s 17,901 votes and also defeated Dafaan in his own polling unit, as well as all the federal wards in the LGA.
The youthful Green Chambers-bound politician also won in Mikang LGA, polled 12,138 votes, while his closest rival got 7,028.
Kwallu was elected local government chairman on the platform of the ruling APC but was illegally suspended by the Plateau House of Assembly and subsequently removed from office, a move which many had pointed accusing fingers at the state government over alleged conspiracy.
The lawmakers’ action was, however, later voided by the High Court, which described it as a grand conspiracy and mere comedy.
Kwallu had earlier in an interview urged the electorate to reject politicians who held political offices in the past but failed to perform.
He had admonished the electorate to be vigilant to ensure that they do not vote for politicians who had been tested and not trusted.
“Our electorate should punish politicians who have misused the opportunities given to them in the past for them to make impact, but failed.
“They should shun politicians who only come to them during electioneering campaigns.
“The electorate should reject politicians who come with lies, propaganda and fake promises to hoodwink them. My constituents should vote for me because I have a track record of performance,” he said.
He said the driving force behind his ambition was his desire to attract developmental projects to his constituency.
“Becoming a legislator has been my ambition in politics. This explains why the very first elective position that I vied for was the House of Representatives in 2011. I also aspired for the state House in 2015.
“It’s my belief and conviction that no nation can advance without requisite laws that are geared towards development hence my desire to be part of the lawmaking process to enact sound laws for Nigeria.
“Voting for me is a vote for creating opportunities, inclusive growth and sustainable shared prosperity,” he added.
Kwallu attributed his victory to God, saying, “The Bible says he who is able to manage a little, should be entrusted with bigger tasks.
“I believe our people decided to entrust me with the ticket because of my scorecard in Qua’an-Pan,” he said.
According to him, his experience as a former local government chairman and onetime supervisory councilor for works, has prepared him for the job of a lawmaker at National Assembly.
“The local government is the third tier of government that opens up one’s horizon beyond imagination.
“Serving my people as executive chairman has tremendously helped me to understand the basic needs and problems in our rural communities.
“My experience at the grassroots level will be very useful in enacting laws that will not only help in better administering the third tier of government but also to revolutionize the rural areas towards a holistic national development,” he said.
He said that he recorded achievements in virtually all sectors of the economy while serving as LG boss.
“We procured ultramodern medical equipment for the Cottage Hospital, Kwalla, rendered free medical services to thousands of the indigent populace, and established the snake bite treatment center, all worth millions of naira.
“We established the Quaan-Pan Innovation Hub and awarded scholarships to deserving students, as well as reconstructed and expanded the Secretariat Road with solar lights installed.
“We also procured fertiliser and other essential farm inputs, resuscitated the local government owned QP Line Mass Transit service and procured six new vehicles.
“We cleared the contractual liabilities of about 20 years, from 2000 – 2019, and paid all outstanding benefits of past political office holders and civil servants, among many others,” he said.
The Rep Member-elect said he had forgiven those who conspired against him, culminating in his illegal suspension from office and so-called impeachment.
“Well, the High Court nullified the so-called suspension and impeachment, I have already forgiven all the culprits, who I’d say are the enemies of democracy and the people,” he said.
He said that his victory was expected because his federal constituency had been the PDP’s domain, having produced representatives for 20 years from 1999 to 2019.
Kwallu promised to develop his constituency in critical areas like agriculture, water, education, healthcare, women and youth employment and empowerment rural electricity and water supply interventions, among others.
“My constituency is mainly agrarian and rural, whereby farming is the predominant preoccupation of the bulk of the population.
“Therefore, I will first lobby the National Agricultural Land Development Agency (NALDA) to open up rural feeder roads across the entire constituency and construct rural market stalls.
“We’ll also partner with agro mechanisation agencies to provide tractors, rice milling machines, cassava processors to cooperative societies and lobby for construction of earth dams to promote irrigation and commercial fish farming.
“For our teeming youths and women, I will provide sustainable empowerment by lobbying for the establishment of a vocational education and technical center, an entrepreneurship and ICT skills hub.
I’ll lobby for employment in federal MDAs and the establishment of entrepreneurship seed fund for businesses and sports development centers, etc, etc,” he added.
