Ahead of Saturday’s Governorship and State Assembly election, some stakeholders in Nasarawa State have called for the removal of the state resident electoral commissioner (REC), Dr Urthman Ajidagba.
The stakeholders under the aegis of Concern Nasarawa State Progressive Stakeholders alleged that Ajidagba is colluding with the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to rig the upcoming governorship poll.
Spokesman of the group, Comrade Manga David Ugbo, who stated this at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, also asked the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies to deploy more security personnel to the state for the governorship election.
He said the AOC and its candidate were desperate to win the election at all cost, including resorting to violence.
Ugbo said, “We wish to also use this medium to condemn the unholy romans and hobnobbing going on between some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in NASARAWA State, particularly the State Resident Electoral Commissioner Dr Urthman Ajidagba who is clearly now in Bed with the APC,
“We therefore call for his immediate removal as Nasarawa State Electoral Commissioner as we have Lost confidence on his credibility to conduct free, fair, credible and Transparent election in the state.
“We also call on the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies to ensure more deployment of security men to Nasarawa state on election duty with a view to ensuring peaceful election in the state during and after the election as the Governor’s defeat is sacrosanct.
“It has been brought to our attention through credible intelligence that the Governor cum the All Progressives Congress (APC) Nasarawa state is not planning to win the forhtcoming March 18th 2023 governorship election but snatching victory through violent means as it has mobilized thugs from outside the state to help in executing it nefarious and satanic agenda against the will of the good people of Nasarawa state who have rejected him and the All Progressives Congress APC on account of poor performance as governor for the pass 4 years.”
The stakeholders further accused the APC of perfecting plans to cause violence and intimidate voters across the state, particularly in Karu, keffi, kokona, akwanga, Nasarawa toto, lafia and other areas where PDP is strong.
Ugbo continued: “We also have it on credible intelligence that the Governor has directed all the elected councilors to collate and submit names of 100 eligible voters each across all the polling units in the state along side their account number with a view to buying votes which the electoral acts frowns at.
“It is a shame that the governor can not canvass for votes from the good people of Nasarawa state on account of his performance but has resolve to vote buying, Nasarawa people are now wiser, we urge them to collect the money as it is our common patrimony and vote for their conscience and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party “PDP) His Excellency RT Hon, Davematics Ungboghadu in the March 18th, 2023 governorship election.
“The Governor’s silence is an endorsement of the religious sentiment, being whip up across the state. We condenmed this with a loud voice and we dare to say Nasarawa state is a multi religious, and multi ethnic community which have co¬-exist with each other since time immemorial. We therefore say no to religious sentiment and politics.”
