|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Anthony Maliki
Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has assured All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders from Awe Local Government Area, that as a product of democracy, he will not deny others the opportunity to also emerge through transparent processes.
Engineer Sule gave the assurance when he hosted APC stakeholders from Awe Local Government Area, at the Government House, on Thursday.
While assuring the stakeholders that true democracy will prevail in the coming party primaries, the Governor emphasized that he came through a democratic process and as such won’t deny others the opportunity to come through the same process.
He therefore assured the Awe stakeholders of level playing field ahead of the scheduled primary elections of the APC.
Recalling the process through which he emerged as the flag bearer of the party back in 2019, Engineer Sule, said even though he enjoyed maximum support from the then government led by Senator Umaru Tanko Al-makura, the primary election was transparent, free and fair.
He emphasized that during the coming party primaries, he will allow democracy to play.
While acknowledging Awe Local Government Area as a home of the APC, the Governor however expressed concern about threats to security in the area, mostly as a result of competition for power.
“Every time I see you this way, I am worried because Awe is one of the areas I consider really my home when it comes to this party. And I just don’t want to have problems in Awe.
“Awe is one area that I believe there is total peace there and purely APC. One area, where even for my own selfish reason, I have participated in bringing an investment there and I want to make sure that the investment matures, not for me personally but for the state,” he stated.
Responding to the stakeholders’ call for primary election to hold for the Awe North state assembly constituency, Engineer Sule said he will allow democracy to play.
He intimated that, unlike the local government primary election, which ran into the night and had to be relocated because of security concerns, the coming primary election will hold early enough and be completed in good time.
“Instead of holding a primary that will go into the night, we will now hold the primary in the morning. So that by midday, it’s done. So the fear will not be there,” he assured.
He however warned that politicians will not be allowed to bring thugs to the venue of the primary election.
The Governor dismissed insinuations that he is backing a particular aspirant for the Awe North state constituency, urging the stakeholders to discountenance individuals collecting signatures to endorse an aspirant for the Awe North seat.
“If anybody is sitting in Awe collecting signatures, its total waste of time. It will have no effect whatsoever. The most important thing that if it’s all the people of Awe that sit together and said it’s only one person we are supporting and that’s it,” he said.
The Governor appreciated the existing unity critical stakeholders in Awe, commending them for accepting to support any candidate that emerges once the process is transparent, free and fair.
Earlier, leader of the Awe APC stakeholders, Dr. Hashimu Abdullahi, said because of the clamour for change in Awe North state constituency, stakeholders are appealing to the Governor, being the leader of the party in the state, to allow democracy to prevail.
Dr Abdullahi pointed out that, stakeholders will support the incumbent or any other aspirant, if the process through which he emerged is transparent, free and fair.
The stakeholders in Awe, he added, are appealing to the Governor to allow primary election to hold for Awe North state constituency, rather than consensus.
“There’s a serious clamour for power shift or change in the occupancy of the House of Assembly seat for Awe North.
“And this clamour we cannot do anything about it and we are appealing to you Sir, unlike in the past, as our leader, to allow the primaries to hold for that seat,” he stated.
He explained that, stakeholders in Awe are of the view that so long as people are willing to contest the position, because of the longevity of where it belongs, people should be allowed to express themselves.
Dr Abdullahi equally drew the attention of the Governor to the conduct of the APC chairman in Awe Local Government Area, who was alleged to be collecting signatures from party excos endorsing the incumbent member representing Awe North at the state assembly.
He commended the leadership style of the Governor, assuring him of their loyalty, stressing that they will not leave no stone unturned, during the primaries and main election, to see that Engineer Sule garners more votes than he scored in the last election.
