Nasarawa L.G Election: APC Is Determined To Win By Fielding The Best And Popular Candidates-Gov Sule

Rabiu Omaku

Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule has opened the can of worms why the party decided to field the best and popular candidates was to clinch the Chairmanship seat in the thirteen Local Governments of the State.

He gave the hint while addressing party members in the State, Abdullahi Sule stressed that the party is going into the election with the same spirit it undertook in the nomination of candidates through the consensus arrangement.

“We are approaching the election that we are going to do our best and win the election but going into it with overconfidence, I want you to look at it that way and to work hard,” he stated.

Calling on the candidates to continue with their vigorous campaigns across units and wards of their Local Government Areas.

He disclosed that he will personally attend the three zonal rallies in Keffi, Akwanga and Lafia.

“The Chairman has just announced that because of the limited period, we expect you to carry on with your unit to unit, ward to ward campaigns. It is not going to be possible for all of us to follow you to some of those campaigns but we intend and I plan to be at all the three zonal rallies that we are going to have”.

“We are doing this in order to show the world that our elections are not going to be just sitting down in the office and just writing down results. We are going to put all seriousness into it and we are going to work hard and ensure that we carry out elections,” he said.

The Governor expressed confidence that with the calibre of persons that emerged as candidates of the party, the Local Government system will witness tremendous improvement in terms of efficient management of resources.

He pointed out that unlike what was obtainable elsewhere, his administration decided to allow the candidates of the APC to emerge through a process initiated by the party towards making sure that elected chairmen on the platform of the party remain completely loyal to the APC.

“I have always mentioned loyalty to the party to be very, key to what is happening. This time around, we have refused for stakeholders to sponsor anybody. We wanted you to come through the process of the party. That way your absolute loyalty is to the party. Disloyalty will not be tolerated,” he said.

He expressed satisfaction with the smooth outcome of the party primaries, noting however that it is always expected that in a keenly contested election like that of the Local Government there is bound to be grudges.

“I congratulate you the party because you have been so busy the last few days and it has been a herculean task. I have never known that Local Government elections are more difficult than other elections until now. I am happy that we have had smooth primaries.

Said  grudges are normal in politics. Because in an election such as this, if it was direct or indirect, it would have been worst than what you are getting. I’m happy that we selected the idea of consensus,” he added.

He assured the candidates of unfettered control of their Local Government finances once they are elected into office.

“For us in Nasarawa State, we have never interfered with your resources. We had been augmenting some of the resources of the Local Government.  We never even for once, say that the Local Government has enough resources we want to use it to do other things.

“Instead, we are the ones thinking that you don’t have enough money to pay your pensioners, and we will pay Local Government gratuity on behalf of the councils. You will say you don’t have money to pay salaries and we will pay salaries on your behalf,” the Governor recounted.

Governor Sule used the opportunity to appreciate all the party’s stakeholders, particularly the first executive Governor of the State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and his immediate predecessor, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-M²\akura for their roles leading to the smooth conduct of the party primaries.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Nasarawa State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Aliyu Bello, said they were at the Government House to present the chairmanship candidates of the party before the Governor.

Dr. Bello said they were at the Government House to also appreciate Governor Sule for his efficient handling of the primaries.

“I have been in this party as a leader, as a party manager for the past ten years. This is the best, the fairest and the fiercest selection of party candidates of APC in Nasarawa State. 

“Because as a leader, you can decide to sit in the comfort of your office and call only few of us to write the names of candidates that would fly our own flags. We will call meeting for stakeholders to endorse it. That is what others have been doing in other states. But in your own wisdom you allowed the stakeholders to go and chose the leaders,” he stated.

The APC chairman agreed that the exercise was not devoid of rancor but that it was efficiently managed leading to the emergence of the candidates being presented before the Governor.

“We called on the nominated chairmen for you to present to them the form as a symbol of loyalty. Whoever that influenced your coming here, the final bus stop is Governor Sule. Your unalloyed loyalty should be first to Governor Sule and his administration and the party. Don’t attribute your success at the primaries to any individual. The party will not tolerate any act of disloyalty,” he warned.