‘You’re a hypocrite’ – Godday Samuel under fire over deputy governorship ambition

The lawmaker representing Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency, Godday Adagboyi Samuel, has come under fire over his deputy governorship ambition.

There are indications that Godday is pushing hard to emerge as running mate to Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue State, a development many party stakeholders have frowned at.

The Independent National Electoral Commision, INEC, had given July 15 as the deadline for all political parties to submit the names of their presidential, governorship candidates and their deputies.
However, there are frantic moves by Godday to emerge as deputy guber candidate through the backdoor.

Reacting to the development, Idoma Young Professional League described Godday as a hypocrite, who speaks from both sides of his mouth.

The group recalled how Godday fought his own brother, Barr. Omale Omale from becoming the APC state chairman, against the collective decision of the party’s stakeholders.

Engr. Johnson Onaji, the co-convener of IYPL said Godday was only fighting for his interest and not the interest of the generality of Apa/Agatu people.

The statement reads below;

We noted with sadness, the current political scheming in Abuja by the member representing Apa/Agatu federal constituency, Hon. Samuel Adagboyi Godday to be nominated as deputy to the guber candidate of the APC, Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia, on the grounds that the position belongs to the people of Apa/Agatu.

While the above reason might sound logical and germane, we find it suspicious coming from an anti zoning agent like Hon. Godday who had previously used his privileged position to wage a relentless war against zoning of political positions in Idoma land.

The good people of Apa/Agatu federal constituency and indeed, the Idoma nation have not forgotten the ignominious role he played in ensuring that Apa/Agatu was denied the state chairmanship position despite the Benue South Stakeholders under the leadership of our eminent leaders, Chief Audu Ogbeh and distinguished Senator Ameh Ebute exclusively zoned the position to Godday’s Apa/Agatu which has not occupied the position before. We remember the critical role Godday played in ensuring that an Ogbadibo son succeeds another Ogbadibo son who had held the position for over 12 years.

That act alone, which he helped to actualize, will continue to haunt zoning in Idoma political landscape forever. It therefore amounts to blowing hot and cold at the same time for the same Godday to now purport to wear the garb of an advocate of zoning when it directly affects his interest.

The most shameful part of the betrayal of the good people of Apa/Agatu by Samuel Godday, the member representing them was when he went on stage, before the mammoth crowd that had gathered at the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi for the APC state Congress exercise, to denounce Barr. Omale Matthew Omale, an illustrious Apa/Agatu son who was chosen by consensus to occupy the top party position in the state. That night, the world watched with disappointment as Godday broke the golden rule that in Africa, leaders don’t denounce their own in the public except in an action that brings shame and dissatisfaction.

It is a fundamental principle of justice that he who wants equity must do equity. A voyage into the Apa/Agatu federal Constituency seat reveals the obvious political strangulation of the people of Apa LGA which our new advocate of zoning, Hon. Godday has not properly addressed before coming to address a larger scale of “marginalization” in Idoma land. Is charity not supposed to begin at home?

Take a look;

Hon. Solomon Agidani from AGATU LGA represented the constituency for three terms of twelve years.

Thereafter Rt Hon Ademu Entonu of APA represented the constituency for two terms of eight (8) years.

Currently Godday is serving out his one term as Member.

So from 1999

AGATU LGA has held the position for 16 Years while APA LGA has only had a stint of 8 Years.

It is clear from the foregoing that APA LGA, in the spirit of equity and zoning, should occupy the seat of Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency.

But Godday seeks only selective justice which is no justice at all. He wants equity but has refused to do equity. His advocacy for zoning is fake and deceptive. It is a decoy to further an ambition that does not reflect the yearning of the good people of Apa/Agatu federal constituency. He should first relinquish the ticket for Apa/Agatu federal Constituency position to Apa LGA so we can take his sudden advocacy for zoning seriously.

We as a people must draw the curtain between self-seeking interest and the interest of the people.

Godday cannot profess love for Apa/Agatu when it directly affects his interest and that of his immediate family and go on stage before Benue people to unashamedly denounce an Apa/Agatu son for a position he was eminently qualified to occupy and had been supported by consensus to so occupy.

Godday should throw his hat into the ring of the jostle for who deputizes Alia for he has the right to do so and leave the people of Apa/Agatu out of his wild goose chase. His selfish interest cannot translate to the interest of the generality of Apa/Agatu people.