2023 Gubernatorial Election: LP accuses APC of financial inducement in Nasarawa
By Jennifer S Kuwanta
The state Chairman of Labour Party, Alexander Ombugu has accused the ruling APC in Nasarawa State of financial inducement and intimidation, barely three days to the conduct of the governorship and state Houses of Assembly election, across the 13 LGAs.
Ombugu made the accusation in Lafia while reacting to the endorsement of Governor Sule by a faction of his party in Lafia.
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He said:” I am aware that the State APC have approached some of our (Labour Party) executives to prevail on the party and members of the Obidient Movement, to re-elect Governor Abdullahi Sule and other APC House of Assembly candidates during Saturday’s elections.
“I find this act of the State APC leadership to induce my members funny because all residents of the state and indeed Nigerians, in general, are aware that our (Labour Party) Governorship candidate, Joseph Ewuga, had stepped down and announced his full support for the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, David Ombugadu.
“I understand that the Nasarawa State APC is desperate to retain power for the next four years, but how do they intend to win the governorship election when all that Governor Abdullahi Sule could do since 2019 is to build two motor parks in Lafia and Karu Local Government Areas of the state.
” I was also reliably informed that some of the Labour Party executives purportedly endorse the candidature of Governor Abdullahi Sule for a second term in office.
“I want to state categorically clear that the endorsement is fake, and not recognized by the Party both at the State and National level as I am not part of it.
“So, I want to warn that any of our (Labour Party) executives who join the APC to sabotage the chances of our candidates in the coming elections, will be sanctioned according to the laws of the party.
” If the APC is ready to share money with them or any of our supporters, they should collect the money and still support our candidates to emerge victorious in the Saturdays elections. After all, the money being shared belongs to the state, so they are also entitled to it.”
The LP Chairman appreciated supporters for coming out en-mass on February 25, 2023, to vote for Mr. Peter Obi, where he polled 191,361 votes in the state to defeat his closest rival, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, who scored 172,922 votes.
He, therefore, urged the people of the state to come to vote during the March 18, 2023 elections to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
Meanwhile, a faction of the Labour Party ( LP) in the state has distanced itself from the recent endorsement of the Peoples Democratic Party’s ( PDP) Governorship candidate, David Ombugadu by the Governorship candidate, Joseph Ewuga, and other leaders of the party.
The factional LP members at a Press Conference in Lafia, the leader of the group and candidate of the party at the just concluded House of Representatives for Akwanga/ Nassarawa Eggon/ Wamba constituency, Rev Angba Solomon Kuje had claimed that the reported stepping down of the party’s Governorship candidate was not a collective decision of members of the party.
The group, therefore, announced the endorsement of the incumbent Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress( APC), saying that the governor deserves the support of the party in Saturday’s gubernatorial election.
