Stakeholders of the APC in Toto Local Government (LGC) of Nasarawa State said yesterday that nobody has been adopted as consensus candidate for the position of chairman in the coming local government elections slated for May 26.
The stakeholders, who carried placards with various inscriptions, marched through the streets of Lafiya that led to the state APC secretariat to see the state chairman.
They said they would only accept a candidate who emerged 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,” he said.
Responding, the state chairman of the party, Philip Shekwo, who was represented by the party’s secretary, Mr Aliyu Bello, 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.”
