- * Conducts Election This Sunday
By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief, North-Central, in Minna)
The nationwide Local Government Congresses (LGCs) of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) did not turn out as expected across Niger state, as 5 out of the 25 Local Government Areas (LGA), on Saturday, rejected consensus candidates as adopted by the party.
Chairman of the APC Committee for Niger state, Senator Domingo Obende, who disclosed this at the Government House, Minna, Niger State capital, after the exercise, also confirmed that the affected 5 LGAs could not agree on consensus and therefore will go ahead with the election on Sunday, September 5, 2021, by 10 am.
Addressing journalists shortly after monitoring the exercise, Senator Obende said, contrary to insinuations, there was no imposition of candidates anywhere because stakeholders across the 25 LGAs agreed to zone positions in their various areas.
Though there were minor skirmishes here and there, Obende said the exercise was relatively peaceful, especially for the position of chairmanship which has been in contention in few local government areas.
Obende gave the Local Government Areas where the people resisted consensus candidature to include; Wushishi, Rijau, Shiroro, Bida, and Lapai, promising however that the Sunday' exercise will be transparent, free, and fair to the acceptability of all.
“I assure you that the APC congress in five local government areas this morning will be free, fair, and transparent devoid of rancor”, Senator Obende said, adding, however, that the 3-man panel set up by the party had been given a template on how to go about the exercise.
While calling on the party faithful in the affected local government areas to remain calm and to conduct themselves peacefully by shunning violence or chaos, Obende assured them of a fair and transparent election. NNL.
