The People’s Democratic Party, Nasarawa state chapter has said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is looking for an avenue to frustrate the campaigns of the PDP owing to the fear of loosing the 2023 governorship election in the State.
This was disclosed on Friday by the campaign Director General, Labaran Maku in a press briefing at the PDP office, Karu Local government area of the state.
“We heard rumors that the Governor of the state was planning to visit Toto LGA but it is shocking that this could happen. The incumbent administration is afraid of this election because they have not performed, so they want to use other tactics to postpone our election.
“But as a law-abiding party, after due consultations with other leaders, we have decided to reschedule our first campaign in Toto LGA to November 29, 2022.”
Maku who is a former minister of information further accused the State Police Command and Abdullahi Sule of conspiring to frustrate the party’s first campaign earlier slated for November 28, 2022 in Toto Local Government Area of the state.
The Campaign DG expressed disappointment stating that, after the PDP had informed the Police of the party’s plan to commence its campaign on the said date, Sule used his power of incumbency to prevail on the police to allow the All Progressives Congress hold its first campaign on the same day and in the same LGA.
He however, said because the PDP is law-abiding and wants a peaceful outing, it had agreed to shift the first campaign to November 29, 2022 to pave way for the ruling party to hold its campaign before the opposition campaign would commence in the LGA.
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“It is strange that some hours to the party’s campaign rally, the police commissioner told us that he is not aware that we are holding our rally in Toto LGA, therefore we do not have the permission.”
“It was established that this party was the first to notify the police of our campaign schedule. Strangely, we have not been called to any meeting with the APC that there is any conflict, so it is clear to us that this is an attempt to scuttle the campaigns in Nasarawa state.” He added
Francis Orogu, PDP state party chairman, reacting further, disclosed that the governor has shown clearly that he does not have the capacity to govern the state, alleging that he had vowed to crush anyone standing between him and the governorship seat ahead of the 2023 elections, noting that PDP is not afraid of the APC and it’s machination
“The APC by all indicies has failed our people. The coming election is going to be a walkover for the PDP,” he said.
However, DSP Ramhan Nansel, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nasarawa State Command, refuted the allegation that the police had directed the PDP to stop plans for its campaign flag off rally in Toto LGA.
Nansel said there was a clash of date and location with the APC and CP Mohammed-Baba advised the PDP to shift its rally to the next day in order to avert clashes among supporters, and to adequately provide security to both parties for their campaign rallies.
“So, it is for the sake of providing adequate security for the two political parties that the police advised PDP to shift theirs to the next day. It is not as if they were outrightly stopped or prevented,” he said.
