The Nasarawa state Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance Group, (NS-TA&G2) has demanded that the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman in the state, Aliyu Bello, should step aside over alleged favoritism ahead of party primaries for 2027 general elections.
A statement signed by the chairman of the group, Lazarus Salaki, and made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Lafia, the group accused Bello of already favoring specific individuals.
He said the current state APC chairman’s absence will guarantee a transparent process to take place during primaries in the state.
Lazarus stressed that his continued stay in office will erode public trust, lead to acrimony amongst party faithful and ultimately intimidate other eminently qualified aspirants from participating in the elections.
“In sane climes, when issues like this which bothers on integrity arises, the occupants of such office, usually steps aside to ensure fairness and accountability but the reverse seems to be the case here,” he said.
Lazarus added that it is a known fact that the state party chairman, and the “preferred aspirant”, Aliyu Wadada are very close friends and this could be perceived by other aspirants as favouritism and being bias.
Therefore, “We the NS-TA&G2 reaffirm our unwavering commitment to equity, justice, good governance and the rule of law.”
He however, said that based on the aforementioned, “We are calling on the Chairman to as a matter of fact and urgency, step aside to allow for justice, fairness, equity and transparency in the selection process.
The group equally called on governor Abdullahi Sule to have an introspective view of the whole scenario and revert back to all aspirants and stakeholders alike for an amicable resolution.
The group said his decision has placed the party at the risk of implosion and explosion.
He emphasised that the eventual candidate must emerge through a transparent and credible primary, arguing that all aspirants must be given a level playing field.
“The present democratic experiment in Nasarawa state seems to be in defiance of democratic norms and principles, where some few individuals or stakeholders will choose to present a flag bearer of a party without recourse to the existing guidelines,” he said.
The chairman observed that the preferred aspirant shouldn’t have been presented to the President, rather a consensus candidate that has emerged through a transparent primaries, should be presented for presidential blessings.
He therefore, urged governor Sule and party leadership to exercise caution and avoid actions that could violate electoral guidelines ahead of APC primaries in the state.
Recently, governor Sule picked Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada as his preferred successor, a pronouncement that has split APC stakeholders in the state.
