No consensus candidate for Chairmanship position in Toto LG, APC stakeholders declare

By Musa Adamu

As politicians in Nasarawa state prepare for Local Government Elections slated for May 26, All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Toto Local Government (LGC) took to the streets of Lafia, the state capital, to insist that no candidate had been adopted as consensus candidate for the position of Chairman in the coming election, declaring that primary must be held.
The stakeholders, who carried placards with inscriptions such as: “Allow Democracy to thrive”, “we will not accept imposition”, and “do not take us for granted”, marched through Lafia streets to the State APC Secretariat to see the state chairman, said they would not accept any candidate who didn’t emerge through primary contest.
Mr Suleiman Appolo, the spokesman of the stakeholders, who relayed their position, claimed that some people were out to cause crisis in the local government’s chapter of the party by imposing the current Caretaker Committee Chairman of the local government, Nuhu Dauda, in the name of consensus candidate.
He said: “From what we have heard, a group has misinformed the Governor that we have agreed to allow Dauda to pick the APC ticket to contest the May 26 local government election.
“We want to state that the group is only out to disrupt the peace in Toto Local Government,” he said.
Appolo appealed to Gov Tanko Almakura to ensure justice to all aspirants by conducting a free and fair primary election so that a popular candidate would emerge through a popular vote.
“The state chapter of the party must intervene in this matter to avoid mass defection of APC members to other parties.”
Responding, Philip Shekwo, APC Chairman in the state, who was represented by Mr Aliyu Bello, the Secretary, thanked the group for the peaceful protest, and assured them that the party would not tolerate any imposition.
He said: “Candidates will only emerge through open and transparent primaries. That is the APC philosophy.”