Nasarawa State governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has admonished newly elected ward executives and other officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC), against laxity ahead of the October 6 local government elections, stressing that, his administration, won’t rig the exercise.
Engineer Sule cautioned officials of the ruling party, at the inauguration of ward executives from the 147 electoral wards across the state, which held on Tuesday, at the Lafia Square.
While describing the July 31 ward congresses in the state that produced the ward executives, as one of the most peaceful in the country, the governor said it’s not yet Uhuru, calling on officials and members of the party, not to relax but to do everything possible, in order to win at the coming council elections.
He emphasized that, the party has everything it takes to win the election fair and square.
“I don’t want us to be lazy and think that we can rig the election. We have no interest in rigging the election,” Engineer Sule said.
According to the governor, his administration is providing purposeful, result-oriented leadership, that is delivering dividends of democracy to the people, saying for these reasons and more, all wards councillors and local government chairmanship candidates of the APC, will be returned elected and not appointed.
Engineer Sule said the inauguration of the ward executives in the state capital, the first of its kind since the creation of the state, is a testimony of the unity and cohesiveness of the APC.
He used the opportunity of the event to show appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari, for the continued support given the state, Interim National Chairman of the party, Mai Mala Buni, former governors of the state, Senators Abdullahi Adamu and Umaru Tanko Al-makura for all their support and cooperation.
The governor equally thanked the people of the state, for their continued support, state Caretaker Committee Chairman, Dr. John Mamman and his committee members, for their leadership, as well as stakeholders of the party.
He congratulated the newly inaugurated ward executives, particularly a ward that elected a woman as its chairman, hoping that more wards and local government areas, will continue to recognise that and also engage women towards total inclusiveness.
Engineer Sule assured that, his administration will equally engage persons living with disabilities, as according to him, there’s ability in disability.
Earlier, State Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC, Dr. John Mamman, described the ward executives being inaugurated as the product of the unity, purposefulness and sense of direction, which the APC has identified since its creation.
He said the exercise was in line with the directives of the National Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, for all state caretaker committees, to inaugurate the ward executives.
The party’s caretaker chairman, used the opportunity of the event, to thank key stakeholders of the party, for their support, towards the successful conduct of the ward congresses, which has become a reference point for other states in the country.
Majority Leader at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Hon. Tanko Tunga, former member House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Aliyu Wadada and former state lawmaker, Hon. Peter Mbucho, spoke on behalf of the three senatorial districts.
In his remarks, Hon. Wadada, who spoke on behalf of Nasarawa West senatorial district, noted that, the unity, cohesiveness, progress, growth and development of the people, is greatly determined by the type of leadership in place.
He said the unity existing within the APC and the progress being witnessed in the state, is as a result of right leadership in governance, as well as in party politics.
The event was attended by stakeholders, party members and supporters from across the state, with top government functionaries in attendance, including the state deputy governor, Dr Emmanuel Akabe and Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Ibrahim Bala.