By Francis Nansak,Lafia
A chieftain of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Nasarawa State, Hon. Joseph Kaura, has dismissed allegations made by Barr. Ebere Kana that the emergence of IGP Adamu Abubakar (Rtd) as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election breach the Electoral Act 2022.
Barr. Kana had alleged that the nomination of the former Inspector-General of Police violated provisions of the Electoral Act, citing an affidavit deposed by one Mr. Musa Adamu Angba.
Reacting in a statement on Sunday, the SDP stakeholder described the allegation as a distraction and questioned the basis for Barr. Kana’s conclusion.
The statement queried “Is Barr. Ogbere just realizing that there is an Electoral Act, from the very day he saw an affidavit deposed by Mr. Musa Adamu Angba? Is he saying he knows the law better than the INEC Chairman who is a Professor of Law and presides over the Commission? Since when did Barr. Ogbere become the spokesman of INEC or the Legal Adviser to INEC to interpret what is a breach and what is not?”
He insisted that due process was followed in the nomination exercise, noting that a letter was duly written to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by the National Secretariat of the SDP, and that the Nasarawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner was physically present at the exercise alongside two other officials from the National Headquarters of INEC who monitored the process.
According to him, the candidature of IGP Adamu Abubakar had long been a subject of criticism even before his confirmation as the duly nominated candidate, describing the latest allegation as “another dimension of distraction.”
He advised Barr. Kana, whom he described as “my very good friend and brother,” to focus on marketing his own candidate.
The statement further referenced Governor Abdullahi A. Sule’s position that Nasarawa people vote for candidates and not just political parties, arguing that supporters of Abubakar Adamu cut across APC, PDP, NDC, ADC, Labour Party, Accord and Zenith Labour Party.
“You can see it clearly in the candidature of Abubakar Adamu in SDP, we have APC, PDP, NDC, ADC, Labour Party, Accord and Zenith Labour Party members as supporters who are ready to vote Abubakar Adamu as a candidate, not just as an SDP candidate,” the statement said.
He recalled that in the 2023 general elections, some APC members voted for Senator Ahmed Wadada and Hon. Gaza Jonathan despite the party having its own candidates for Senate and House of Representatives.
The statement concluded with a declaration of support for the retired police chief: “Sai IGP Abubakar Adamu Rtd for Governor, Nasarawa State 2027.”
