By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
Hon. Edward Percy Masha, a former Commissioner for Water Resources, under ex-Governor Ahmed Makarfi, has revealed the reason he is vying for the Chairmanship position of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kaduna State.
Masha, in an exclusive interview with Arewa PUNCH, said he is running for the number one position of the Party in the State to help revitalize and reform the party to achieve success in future elections.
He assured that his emergence would usher in a new dawn for restructuring and revisit the core values and ideology toward revitalizing the party to advance a more effective and durable political environment in the state.
“My contest is a clarion call across the state, by stakeholders of the party, individuals, groups, and social media platforms asking me to throw my hat into the ring for the contest.
“I visited my Ward, Local Government, Zone, party officials, and the elders of the Party to inform them of my vision should the caucus of the party zone the Chairmanship to zone three, where I, Edward Percy Masha would like to contest.
“So, after due consultations, I strongly feel I should hearken to the voice of my people, and I can not pretend I didn’t hear them very well,” Masha stressed.
He noted that one of the things he’ll prioritize in his administration would be how to allow the young ones to come on board and occupy any position they so desire.
We won’t restrict women to just women leadership slots. We’ll create a platform for them to operate and occupy.
While insisting that only the youths be allowed to contest this time, he argued that the contest would not be for only a particular group, but he emphasised the need for those who have something to offer to be given prominence above anything.
“Many of us are advocates of youth inclusiveness. I became a commissioner at the age of 34, Sen. Nenadi became a minister at the age of 35, at that time most members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly were less than 32 years old, so, the PDP is a party that is youth-friendly.
“I always encourage the youths to come out and showcase what they’ve,” adding, “We can’t throw away merit and capacity and when you have it you’ll be given the chance,” Masha assuŕed Arewa PUNCH.
While commenting on the recent defection of some big shots in the Party, he said their defection would not affect the chances of the Party come 2023, maintaining that, “one thing one should understand is that there are some people that you cannot stop from leaving your party but one thing that you can do is to keep people to acknowledge what everybody is offering.
“Disagreement and agreement is an ingredient of politics. I disagree with you if you say you want to eat rice in the morning and I say I want to eat beans.
“We have to talk when there are challenges in some areas and people get tired and feel they’re not needed. People are leaving PDP and the same thing APC members are also leaving AP to join the PDP.
“There are internal wranglings in all political parties, but the way and manner you manage those issues tells how mature you are in this game of politics, so PDP can do better,” he concluded.
However, Percy pledged to reach out to those who are still in the party but have decided to develop a cold feet.”
We’ll reach out to them so that they become active and those who must have supported a different candidate but at a different position and didn’t win, and as such decided to withdraw, we’ll also reach out to them.”
