Abubakar Abdullahi, in Lafia
The Nasarawa State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria has declared its support for the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, LPin the state, Hon. Aliyu Bello amid his suspension by executive members of his electoral ward over alleged anti-party activities.
The Chairman of the APC in Gayam Ward of Lafia Local Government Area of the state, Ibrahim Iliyasu, on behalf of other executives, had announced Bello’s suspension, claiming that his alleged involvement in anti-party activities caused embarrassment to the party, and undermined the credibility of their collective efforts to take the party to greater heights.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Executive Chairman of Akwanga LGA, Safiyanu Isa Andaha who is also the Chairman of ALGON in the state, led the 12 other chairmen elected under the platform of the APC to the headquarters of the party in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital to declare their support for Aliyu Bello’s continued leadership of the party.
During the visit, Andaha described the action of the Gayam ward executives as sad and ugly, and called on the leadership of the ward to as a matter of urgency, write a letter of apology to the state’s APC chairman in order to sustain the unity and progress of the party.
While declaring the unflinching support of the 13 LG Chairmen, 147 Ward Councillors and 18 Administrators of Development Areas in the state for Bello’s continuity, the state’s ALGON chairman pledged not to allow desperate politicians destroy the successes that the party had recorded over the years.
He said, “We have been following a very sad and ugly situation that some few individuals from Gayam ward are trying to suspend our chairman. A man who has changed the perspective of this party, a man who has shown great leadership, and a man who is loyal to the party.
“Our chairman, we are here today to tell you that the APC in Nasarawa State has witnessed tremendous achievements under your leadership. We have seen you embrace everyone when it comes to party membership, so we will not support your suspension from the party.
“The 13 Executive Chairmen, 147 elected Councillors, and 18 Administrators of the Development Areas are solidly behind your leadership because we are proud of your achievements”
Andaha, further used the opportunity to call on all members and supporters of the APC across the 13 LGAs of the state to remain united, and not allow desperate politicians to use them to cause disunity in the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Responding, the Nasarawa State APC Chairman, Aliyu Bello expressed his gratitude to the 13 Council Chairmen for the confidence reposed in him to continue to lead the party despite the current disagreement with some of his ward’s executive committee members.
He explained that only eight out of the 27 executive members of the Gayam Ward had signed the document suspending him which made the process invalid, as the other 19 executive members have continued to declare their support for his leadership.
While denying his involvement in any form of anti-party activities, Bello noted that he remains the authentic state’s chairman of the party, and warned that the executive committee members of the APC in Gayam Ward, have no right to suspend him as an official of the state’s executive.
According to him, only the state’s executive committee, which is the highest decision-making body, could make decisions about his position as chairman, not the executive members of APC in Gayam Ward.
He further disclosed that the state executive committee had recently passed a vote of confidence on him over his commitment and dedication to the growth and development of the party.
“The Gayam Ward executives have no right to suspend me. Their mission is dead on arrival. Because of their desperation, they went to a magistrate court to look for an injunction, but based on our (APC) constitution, you have to exhaust all the internal mechanisms before going to court.
“When they went to the magistrate court, trying to put the magistrate in trouble, the magistrate later vacated the order.
“So, your coming here today is timely. You have not just come here to identify with me, but also to identify with Governor Abdullahi Sule, because some people are trying to intimidate him into submission for their selfish political interests. Ahead of the 2027 elections, we have decided that anywhere the Governor goes, that is where we will go,” he added.
The ALGON delegation were received in the present of the State’s APC Secretary, Yairus Dagusa; State Publicity Secretary, Douglas Otaru; the Organising Secretary of the party Hassan Abubakar and other State Executive Committee membersbduring the solidarity visit by the 13 Council Chairmen elected under the platform of the APC in the state.
