Maku calls for cancellation of Nasarawa PDP gubernatorial primary election

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A former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, has called on the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, leadership to cancel the governorship primary election in Nasarawa State due to alleged irregularities.

Mr. Maku’s call was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the Director of Publicity, Maku Campaign Organisation, Zakari Edege.

“The PDP in Nasarawa state had written to the headquarters on Nov. 28, to protest against the sudden change of delegates’ lists from Keana, Obi, Lafia, Akwanga, and Nasarawa Eggon local governments,” he said.

“The Chairman of the Electoral Panel, Sen. Adolphus Wabara, following the protest, insisted that he had instructions from the national secretariat to use the altered delegates list for the primaries.”

Mr. Maku said he “wondered why there were separate delegates lists for the conduct of State and National Assembly primaries and the governorship primary’’.

He also alleged that the conduct of the primary election did not conform to the established guidelines as the number of ballot papers exceeded the number of delegates in Nasarawa state.

Mr. Maku complained that threat and coercion were used to prevent delegates from freely expressing their choice adding that voting commenced late and went into the night thereby exposing delegates to danger.

“It is on this premise that I urge you most respectfully to use your good and exalted office to intervene by cancelling the gubernatorial primary election held in Nasarawa state,” Mr. Maku said. “I also urge you to conduct another primary election so as to ensure that a free and fair election is conducted in the state,”

Maku denies leaving PDP

Mr. Maku also denied reports that he was leaving the PDP, saying he would work for the success of the party at all levels.

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES on phone, Mr. Maku’s campaign secretary, Kasimu Bakyano, said his principal remains a bona fide member of PDP and has never contemplated leaving the party.

Mr. Maku came second in the state PDP gubernatorial primaries with 160 votes while Yusuf Agabi polled 214 votes to emerge winner and defeated Mr. Maku and six other aspirants including the former governor Aliyu Akwe Doma, who scored 129 votes.

Mr. Bakyano said Mr. Maku would not leave the party just because of complains arising from the party primaries.
Mr. Bakyano said Mr. Maku’s letter of complaint to the party in the state over the concluded gubernatorial primaries in the state does not mean he intends to leave the party.

“Grievances is different from defection, because he forwarded a letter of complaint over the conduct of the primaries doesn’t mean he has left the party,” he said.

“We have one or two fundamental issues over the conduct of the primaries which we want the party to address it.”

When contacted the state publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mark Neto, said he was yet to see the letter of complaint but added that the party will inaugurate a reconciliatory committee on Wednesday.