NASARAWA: THE SPONSORED PROTEST AGAINST THE JUDGMENT OF THE COURT OF APPEAL WAS A SHOW OF SHAME. APC BLAST PDP

By: Wilson Bako (Lafia)

The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Nasarawa State has expressed deep concerns over the recent outing by a group of individuals suspected to have been hired by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State to stage an unwarranted protest against the recent verdict of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, which  set aside the split judgment of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in the State and affirmed , Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, as the lawfully elected Governor of the State.

In a statement made available to Newsmen in Lafia the state capital, and signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs, Mr. Peter Ahemba, the ruling APC, described such an outing by the main opposition party in the state, “as a show of shame”, while explaining that the March 18th, 2023 governorship election which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Governor Sule as the duly elected Governor of the State is a true reflection of the popular mandate freely given to the Governor by the electorates in the state.

The statement maintained that, “It is as a result of this wishful mandate that has made the electorates remained firmly in support of the Governor and have refused to be intimidated by the drama being stage-managed by the PDP supporters in the state”.

Mr. Ahemba stated that the stage-managed protest against the Appeal Court judgment by a group of alleged sponsored individuals under the aegis of “Coalition of Indigenous People of Nasarawa State” is a calculated attempt to discredit, “a courageous, sound and firm judgment of the Appeal Court so as to blackmail the nation’s judiciary for choosing to look at the Appeal brought before it by the Governor on its merit rather than, primordial sentiments”.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor stated that the call on the International Community to intervene in the internal affairs of the state and the tagging of some ethnic groups as foreigners is laughable, adding that, “such utterances has further exposed the opposition PDP of its ethnic agenda in the politics of Nasarawa state”.

He reminded the PDP leaders that the state is highly diverse in terms of ethnic and religious beliefs, stating that, “No ethnic group or religion has the capacity to produce the Governor of the State without the support of the others”.

He described as unfortunate the action of the opposition party to rely solely on external forces to acquire power, having been rejected by the electorates at the governorship poll

He further stated that, “It is now in public domain the role being played by some highly placed individuals, including a retired Military General, who has been working with the PDP to truncate democracy in the state, adding that, “State government remains resolute and very optimistic that, with the facts of the matter, professionalism and fairness being demonstrated by the nation’s judiciary in the dispensation of justice, the will of the electorates will prevail even at the end of the legal Battle”.

He commended the good people of the state, especially, the teeming supporters and well-wishers of Governor Sule for the show of maturity and urge them to remain law-abiding no matter the provocative actions and utterances of the PDP agents in the state.

“As a responsible government, the security of lives and property as well as welfare of the citizenry will continue to top the priority of the administration” He declared.