Langtang North/South : Fierce battle ahead of Beni Lar, and other contenders

From Francis Nansak.

The name Beni Butmak Lar,in the politics of Plateau State, especially among the Tarok people from the Southern Senatorial zone,as she represents both the sole ethnic local government of langtang North and langtang South in the green chamber of the Nigerian National Assembly.

This male hearted ,but female lawmaker is a household name, especially that her records remains the unbeaten ever in Plateau state.

Barrister Beni Lar, defeated a lot of male contestants across various political platforms and succeeded,Victor Rampyel Lar,who then vied for governorship but didnt make it, in 2007.

Beni Lar,a daughter of late Dr Solomon Daushep Lar,the first executive Governor of Plateau on return of democracy in 1979- 1983,one politician that took the bull by the horns by confronting the then military junta led by ,Late General Sani Abacha against his(Abacha) planned transition from military to civilian rule.

Beni like her late father has kept faith in the mandate of her Tarok nationalities, perhaps due to the kind relationship her father had shown to the people,as detribalised leader ,whose dealings before his demised was not given to sectionalism ,religion nor regionalism,as a nationalist.

For these reasons and idealogies of the electorate from her constituency, Beni had for the fourth time been returned with overwhelming votes in each of the elections.

However,there appears to be a different tune in the current political permutations which in December,during the Christmas celebration that are beginning to suggest otherwise,whether her 2023 bid for a fifth return to the national assembly will ganner the support she earlier enjoyed.

Some sakeholders and political game players from the two local government areas she is representing are putting heads together ahead of the 2023 election,on how possible or not to give her a fifth term,as arguably,some are of the view that she steps down for another Tarok son or daughter,others have frontally taken a stand that her unbeaten records should not be displaced in a hurry as long as she still have interest.

Be it as it may, youths are not also left out of the permutations and the trending arguments that has formed the central discussions during the Christmas period, almost at every small or mega gathering politically speaking.

Pundits, revealed that in her recent moves meeting her has become difficult as some of the promises she made during campaigns have gradually recorded a degree of failure on her part.

Still on the argument,those that prefer her even if she will be there for life,said there was no bases for replacing her if only the one reason hinges on the ground that she has stayed or enjoyed support for too long.

” We had people on that seat before Beni,yet no significant changes were recorded,apart from building their immediate families and personal enrichment.

” Today ,even infants can testify that Honourable Beni Lar has and is still touching lives and transforming our community,far against what the state government would have done” The pundit alleg.

However,the chances of Beni Lar,for the 2023 election for the house of representative dangles and going by the discordant tunes,the game may be a fierce battle in the sense that at the moment as it were in the past,some cognate sons of langtang,from langtang North are beginning to warm up interest for the 2023 federal house of representative seat.

Record had it that a former chairman of langtang North who later got elected into assembly and contested for governorship election,Mr Nandom Pyennap(Exo) Mr Kefas Miri and Ponfa Audi are among those that at the moment are making consultations.

Meanwhile some other persons from the langtang South LGA ,had never found it interested,alleging that they have suffered relegations since the return of democracy,in 1999.

The question that begs for an answer and demands a prove to whether the calibre of those that have indicated interest through consultations can give honourable Beni Lar a run for her money , owing too to her records which makes her the longest serving female legislator in the floor of the green chamber,Beni chronologically too is the first female to be elected into the national assembly from plateau state.