The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on Saturday, issued a statement, calling on Governor Abdullahi Sule to refrain from implicating President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, traditional rulers, and fellow Nigerians in the state’s political matters.
They asserted that the state’s political scenario, encompassing the ongoing gubernatorial dispute at the tribunal, is intricately tied to the court’s judgment on the March 18 election.
The party, through a statement signed by Francis Orogu, the State PDP Chairman, and shared with newsmen in Lafia, said that the era of politics had passed. They emphasised that moving from one stance to another in search of favour was not the answer to fulfilling the desires of the Nasarawa people.
It is important to recall that Mr. David Ombugadu, the PDP’s gubernatorial candidate, is challenging the official declaration of Gov. Abdullahi Sule from the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the victor of the 2023 governorship elections.
The tribunal, during its session on September 14, chose to defer its verdict on the petition. This development came after the petitioner’s and the first, second, and third respondents’ counsels presented their final written addresses. The tribunal pledged to notify the counsels about the date of the judgment.
The PDP Chairman, in the statement, pointed fingers at the governor, claiming that his tenure of over four years has not yielded any substantial achievements for the state.
He urged the governor to concentrate on his political challenges and leave out President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, and other Nigerians from the state’s political affairs.
‘We have observed that after four years in office, Governor Abdullahi Sule was yet to commission a single remarkable project in the state.’
‘It is disturbing that the governor is only hiding in the guise of collaborating with the federal government to tackle the infrastructural and security challenges facing the state,’ the PDP Chairman added.
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Additionally, Orogu highlighted that over the past four years, there has been a disturbing surge in kidnapping, killings, and other criminal activities that have gone unchecked under the governor’s leadership.
He added that in the last four years, the state has experienced a wave of violence, leading to the untimely deaths of prominent figures, including Philip Tatari, the sitting APC Chairman, and Zakari Kigbu, a former Federal Commissioner of the National Population Commission.
Furthermore, he brought to light an incident involving the convoy of Deputy Gov. Emmanuel Akabe, which was subjected to an attack, leading to the unfortunate demise of several police personnel who were part of the deputy governor’s security team.
He also mentioned that Labaran Maku, the Former Minister of Information, and his family faced a series of three attacks on their home, and one of these attacks tragically resulted in the loss of lives.
Orogu also pointed out that, apart from the cases mentioned, there is a concerning pattern of kidnappings and killings occurring in various locations throughout the state.
‘Prof. Onje Gyewado, former deputy governor, Emirs, Chiefs, farmers, and civilians, have been killed or kidnapped and nothing serious was done by the state government.’
‘We believe that a conscious commitment to governance by Gov. Sule will reduce or eliminate these security challenges,’ he added.
Hence, he appealed to the federal government, requesting their backing for the army, police, and various security agencies to confront the growing insecurity in Nasarawa State.