Nasarawa State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said the government of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has failed to justify over N309 billion his administration collected in six years. PDP Chairman in the state, Francis Orogo, made the claim, yesterday, during a press conference and added that the governor has failed the people of the state and the Alago nation, in particular.

The party said there is no basis for the governor to aspire to proceed to the Senate in 2019. It expressed disappointment in the governor for allegedly ordering the closure of the Alago tribe’s programme on the state radio and television, because it was promoting the aspirations of his opponents. Orogo said: “From 1999 to December 2016, which is 18 years, Nasarawa State has received N456 , 792, 000, 000 billion as both internal and external revenue. Of this total, from 1999 to 2007, Abdulahi Adamu, in eight years, received about N60,974,000,00 billion.

From 2007 to 2010, Aliyu Akwe Doma’s government received about N86, 571, 000,000 billion in four years. From 2011 to 2016, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura recieved about N309,247,000,000 billion, which is twice what Abdulahi Adamu and Aliyu Akwe Doma recieved in 12 years.

“Can the government of Al-Makura show us just N1 billion project executed in all Alago communities, which are located in Doma, Keane and Obi Local Government Areas, where he intends to represent at the Senate in 2019?

In his response, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Musa Elayo, said the PDP state chairman is living in the past. He insisted the achievements of the governor are visible in all the Alago communities.

“Right now, as I talk to you, road construction work is ongoing in all the local government areas dominated by the Alagos. For the first time in the history of the state, roads are constructed within local governments.”

He said the governor will not join issues with any of his opponents, as he is eminently qualified to proceed to the senate in 2019, having achieved so much for the people of Alago nation.

Umaru Tanko Al-Makura (August 1952) is a Nigerian businessman cum politician has been  the Governor of Nasarawa State since 26 April 2011, running on the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) ticket. He was re-elected for a second term on April 11 2015.

Al-makura was born around 1952 in Lafia, Nasarawa State  as is a member of the Gwandara ethnic Group. He attended Dunama Primary School, Lafia (1959–1966), Keffi Teacher’s College (1967–1971) and then Government Teachers College of Education, Uyo (1972–75). For a short period in 1975 he was an Assistant Producer at the Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria. He then went to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1975–1978), graduating with a Bachelor of Education Degree. For his National Youth Service he was a teacher at the Government College, Makurdi.

In 1978 he formed Almakura Nigeria Limited, importing and servicing agricultural and industrial machinery. Later he ventured into real estate and property development as owner and chairman of Ta’al Nigeria Limited, with properties in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Washington DC, United States. He owns the Ta’al Lake Resort, Abuja and the Ta’al Conference Hotel, Lafia.

n 1980, Almakura became the youth leader of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the old Plateau State. He was elected to the constitution Assembly of 1988–89, representing the Lafia–Obi Federal Constituency of what is now Nasarawa State. He was state secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC) party in Plateau State from 1990 to 1992. Al-makura was a founding member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State in 1998.

Al-Makura defected from the PDP after losing the primary elections for the Nasarawa Governor competition. Al-Makura was elected Governor of Nasarawa State, Nigeria on 26 April 2011, running on the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) ticket. He defeated the incumbent governor, Aliyu Akwe-Doma of the PDP.

On 14 July 2014 the Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly gave a notice of impeachment to the Clerk of the House to serve on Tanko Al-Makura. The Clerk was told to serve the notice on Al-Makura either directly or through the media. The document contained allegations of gross misconduct and was signed by twenty of the twenty four Assembly members. The impeachment was supported by the twenty Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members but opposed by the four All Progressive Congress (APC) members. On 17 July the House of Assembly decided that the impeachment notice would be served via the media, since the governor had been evading personal service.

On 20 July 2014 it was reported that the Nasarawa traditional rulers had called on both sides to refrain from holding rallies for or against the impeachment so as to avoid violence. On 23 July four members of the Assembly tried to seize the speaker’s mace to delay a motion to ask the Chief Judge of the state to set up a seven-person panel to review the allegations of gross misconduct. The members of the House met twenty minutes later and passed the motion by twenty votes against four.