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Ali Sani Kona
By Chuwang Dungs
The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Ali Sani Kona, aka ASK, will face Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) incumbent Senator, Shuaiabu Isa Lau for the senatorial seat of Taraba North after both defeated their primary challengers in their various parties to set up a historic, high-stakes showdown come 2023.
Lau, defeated 3 challengers backed by Governor Darius Ishaku on the ruling Democratic ticket in a very tough battle. While Ali Sani easily defeated former deputy Governor Sani Abubakar Danladi under the opposition Progressive party.
The general election matchup between Lau and Kona marks the first time that two major-party candidates for Senate in Taraba North are from the minority tribes.
The contest — expected to be heated — will test whether Progressives’ gains in the last 7 years in the state due to the mass exodus from the ruling PDP will yield positive gains.
If competency, integrity, credibility, steadfastness, and accessibility must not be sacrificed on the altar of mediocrity, but rather as a necessary tool for urgent political expediency in the face of political isolation, inaccessibility, and uncertainty in the last past years, the Kona remains qualified among every other candidate vying for the seat of Taraba North.
I first came in contact with Ali Sani, in 2005, when he was serving as one of the special advisers to former governor Jolly Nyame, I was then a correspondent with Leadership Newspapers.
On our first meeting, he was jovial, charismatic, charming, and generous. He jokingly challenged me about my critical disposition to the administration of Nyame, we had a frank conversation by agreeing and disagreeing on some issues and he asked me about the way forward.
Since then, I have been following his activities because I discovered we share the same vision and passion, which is to liberate the people of Taraba from the shackles of poverty orchestrated by long years of misrule.
We became friends, more closely when he became chairman of Jalingo local government council and later special adviser on local government and chieftaincy affairs to late governor Danbaba Suntai, despite my critical reportage of the administration that he was a key player.
As a key player in the late Suntai’s administration which is adjudged as the best-performing administration in the state, he displayed unprecedentedly, by providing sound leadership and team working relationships with all key players, like local government chairmen, traditional rulers, other political appointees of the Governor as well as the media.
Kona is not deceptive, a great listener, sound, competent, reliable, trusted, and above all humility personified leader.
As a former chairman and Special Adviser, he has proven trusted, capable, competent, and prepared to take on higher leadership assignments, because he’s a true leader with uncommon character, intelligence, and grassroots connection. He possesses the attribute of one of the greatest leader in the state, Danbaba Suntai of blessed memory. He’s a detribalized and responsible philanthropist, a great humanitarian, and a perfect giver.
He’s a true party leader who has shown undoubted loyalty, commitment, and dedication to the party, APC since he left the PDP sometime in 2015 as a result of maladministration and injustice.
I called on stakeholders, religious leaders, youths, women, people living with challenges, and my entire friends in Taraba to support and rally around a humble and trusted servant leader, Ali Sani Kona (ASK) for Taraba Northern Senatorial Seat 2023 ambition, for he has been tested and trusted.
