At last, some signs of life appear to be creeping out of the Plateau political scene. A lot of the usual gubernatorial candidates who run in virtually every election, have all declared their intentions. Whether or not they stand a chance of winning still remains unclear, but they all have declared their intentions, in similar fashion to 1999, 2003 and 2007. At this stage of the race, it is still too early to separate the contenders from the pretenders. However, like we have seen in the past, these “purported aspirants” may not be vying for the positions they claim to be; some may simply be looking for appointments, deputy positions or political favours.

At last, some signs of life appear to be creeping out of the Plateau political scene. A lot of the usual gubernatorial candidates who run in virtually every election, have all declared their intentions. Whether or not they stand a chance of winning still remains unclear, but they all have declared their intentions, in similar fashion to 1999, 2003 and 2007. At this stage of the race, it is still too early to separate the contenders from the pretenders. However, like we have seen in the past, these “purported aspirants” may not be vying for the positions they claim to be; some may simply be looking for appointments, deputy positions or political favours.

Amidst the several declarations is that of Senator Victor Rampyal Lar. At 53 years of age, Victor Lar falls into the category of leaders of the next generation, who may play active roles in shaping the polity of the next decade. Having passed through the political academy called the National Assembly –from the Lower House (House of Reps member), through to the Upper House (Senate), he has garnered enough experience not to be written off as a pretender. Anyone who writes him off does so at his peril –you only have to ask Hon. Beni Lar, Gen. John Shagaya and Gen. J T Useni, who he (Victor Lar) defeated flatly in 2003 and 2011 during the House of Reps and Senate elections to understand the clout and appeal of the fellow. Especially remarkable was the feat he pulled when he defeated the two Generals –John Shagaya and J T Useni. In the case of Gen Useni, it was a case of the student beating the master, because Victor Lar was somewhat his (Useni’s) political godson, having singlehandedly picked him and funded his campaign for House of Reps in 1999 when he was the Deputy Chairman of the ANPP.

Would he make a good Governor?

Because of the complex nature of Governance, It is always difficult to determine whether someone would make a good administrator or not. However a lot can be said about Victor Lar in this regard. Having been a legislator for over a decade, his leadership skills, confidence and appeal to the masses and his colleagues are undeniable. On several occasions, he has shown that he can earn the respect and trust of his colleagues and has been a very vocal advocate of Plateau issues in the House of Reps. He was the Chairman of the House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crime, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Special Duties and was elected Deputy Minority Chief Whip of the House. Using these privileges, he established himself as a force in the House of Representatives and was famously credited with being the first legislator to oppose Obasanjo’s third term agenda.

His performance in the senate however has been somewhat lacklustre and has not had the same stellar quality of his previous role. This remains a massive conundrum given that people had very high expectations of him in the Senate. Could this possibly be because the modus operandi in the senate is different from the Lower House and he is finding it harder to put up a showing? Could it be that he is out of his depth? Are there too many intrigues in the house that have hampered his vibrancy?

Like I stated earlier, it is difficult to say whether a good legislator would make a good Administrator/Governor. The two positions are radically different and call for different aptitudes and interpersonal skills. One thing though that can be said about the fellow though, is that he possess rare social intelligence i.e., his ability to read/judge situations correctly. This talent has worked magic for him and may be responsible for how successful he has been politically. His political savviness can perhaps be compared to that of former Senate President, Ibrahim Nasir Mantu. Ibrahim Mantu, even though not academically gifted, possessed rare social intelligence and wisdom above ordinary and was therefore able to perpetuate himself as Deputy Senate President for several years (even though 3 Senate Presidents were impeached when he was there). Mantu was also able to get several Plateau people appointed into boards and parastatals at the Federal level –like never before in the history of the state (even when was Lar was PDP Chairman).

Is Victor Lar such a politician like Mantu? Well, he certainly exhibits a lot of the political savviness and foresight, but many would still argue –what tangible thing could be pointed out as Lar’s achievement? It is true that, in his 8 years as a House of Representative Member and in the Senate, he has been very vocal and vibrant, but beyond that can Plateau point to any specifics in terms of what he has done? That question would perhaps be better answered by people in Langtang North and South, but to the average Plateau man –this remains unclear.

In closing, Victor Lar definitely has a lot to offer Plateau. His ambition, youthful exuberance, confidence, charisma and political connections on the national scene would suit Plateau very well. And, he falls in the category of young and aspiring leaders who can serve as a mentor to a lot of our young people coming up. Is he the right man –only time shall tell.

count | 61

Victor Lar 2015: Should he be the occupant of the Rayfield Government house?