Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia
A group, Nasarawa Youths Assembly (NYA), yesterday said that over 1,000 women prayer rally convened by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State would not save the party from defeat in the forthcoming State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal judgment.
Ahead of the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal judgment, some women were reported to have held a prayer rally for the victory of the PDP’s Governorship Candidate, Mr. David Ombugadu.
But the NYA has described the PDP’s prayer rally as a mere exercise that would not save the party from losing at the Nasararwa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal judgment.
The youths, in a statement that was issued by the Chairman of NYA, Mr. John Abimiku, said that the opposition party and its governorship candidate have become more apprehensive due to the turn of events at the proceedings of the tribunal.
Abimiku said: “The opposition’s witnesses during the sitting of the tribunal have rather exposed the widespread manipulation of election’s result in many polling units across the state by the
PDP.
“The petitioners have failed to prove their allegations of reduction of votes, cancellation of votes of the election of Ashige Electoral Ward and exclusion of votes in Aruaza Electoral Ward in Lafia and Doma Local Government Areas respectively, where the petitioners alleged over voting in four polling units.”
He, therefore, recalled that PDP had resorted to humiliation of unsuspecting Nasarawa mothers since the declaration of Governor Abdullahi Sule as winner of the March 18 governorship election in Nasarawa State.
He said: “The Nasarawa State Youths Assembly has reviewed the political activities in the state since the declaration of governorship election in which Governor Abduilahi Sule won and noticed with concern that the opposition PDP had directed the unsuspecting women to come out nude and protested in the streets of Nasarawa State.
“The main opposition party has equally launched provocative verbal and media attacks on the tribunal judges who it accused of being opened to inducement to sway the outcome in favour of Governor Sule.”
He continued that PDP has also mounted the same attacks on the person and personality of Governor Sule who has kept his cool despite all affront by the opposition party leaders.
“We want to use this medium to warn the party and its leadership to desist from plugging the state into crisis because of its parochial interests,” the youth leader warned.
Abimiku concluded that the inability of the petitioners to prove their case and testimonies, alluded to the fact that the PDP had shortchanged Governor Sule and the APC during the March 18 governorship election, hence the ruling APC might have nailed the petitioners at the tribunal.
