Nigerian elder statesman Jang marks 80th birthday with call to rise above bitter politics
A call for Nigeria to rise above bitter politics has accompanied former Plateau State Governor Jonah David Jang as he marks his 80th birthday, according to Real Broadcasting Network.
The tribute, reported by Real Broadcasting Network, frames the milestone as an opportunity to reflect both on Jang’s decades of public service and on the broader state of the country’s political life. The plea for the country to move beyond divisive partisan feuding was issued by Usman, whose remarks the broadcaster carried alongside the birthday celebration.
Jang is one of Nigeria’s longest-serving political figures. He served as military administrator of the old Benue-Plateau State during the late 1970s and early 1980s before transitioning to civilian politics. He was elected governor of Plateau State in 2007 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and held office for two terms until 2015. His tenure was shaped by efforts to manage recurring inter-communal tensions in the Middle Belt, a region that has long faced cycles of farmer-herder conflict and ethno-religious strain.
Since leaving office, Jang has remained an influential voice within the PDP and Plateau State politics, often intervening in debates over the direction of the party and the country’s democratic trajectory. The 80th birthday, as Real Broadcasting Network reported, has drawn goodwill messages from across the political spectrum.
Nigeria’s political landscape has long been characterised by sharply partisan competition, with parties frequently organised around regional and ethnic loyalties rather than ideological distinctions. Successive electoral cycles have produced legal disputes and allegations of malpractice, while questions of governance, security and economic management continue to dominate public discourse. The appeal for the country to move past bitter politics echoes a recurring theme in Nigerian civic life, in which elder statesmen urge reconciliation and a more issue-based approach to public affairs.
Sources
This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.
- Real Broadcasting Network — Jang @80: Nigeria Must Rise Above Bitter Politics — Usman
- Business News Nigeria — Nenadi Usman, LP National Chairman, felicitates with Jang at 80, urges Nigerians to rise above bitter politics
