From Esther Akaa, Lafia
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State says it has rescheduled its election campaign, earlier slated for November 28, 2022 in Toto Local Government Area of the state to November 29 over alleged police disapproval.
The Chairman of the party in the State, Mr Francis Orogu, disclosed this on Friday at a press briefing held in Karu Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, PDP on Friday morning received a letter from the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Maiyaki Muhammad-Baba directing the party to stop preparations to commence its election campaign as earlier scheduled in Toto LGA, alleging conspiracy to scuttle the party’s first campaign.
“This act is laughable and to us democratically mischievous because we know that Commissioner of Police knows the chairman of a local government has no space under the electoral act to be informed and secure permission to campaign in his local government.
“Aside that, we were the first to make known our schedule for campaign only for him to communicate to us that the ruling party in the state, All Progressives Congress are insisting on also flagging off their campaign that same day in that same local government area,” he said.
Also speaking, Director General of PDP Campaign Council in the state, Mr Labaran Maku expressed disappointment over the development and called for absolute neutrality from security agencies.
“It is strange that 48 hours to go to our campaign rally, we suddenly received this letter, despite the fact that our party was the first to notify the police of our campaign schedule.
“We want the public to know that the PDP is confident and we will not be intimidated. This campaign will not be intimidated and we are calling on the public to take note of this tactics being used to disrupt out campaigns,” he said.
He said after consultations with the leader of the party and the campaign, the party and the campaign council had agreed to reschedule the party’s commencement of its campaign in Toto to Tuesday, November 29.
He, appealed to PDP supporters, especially those in Toto LGA to be law abiding in spite of the development.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Ramhan Nansel said: “I called the CP over this matter and the CP told me that there was a clash of date. So he advised PDP to shift theirs to the next day to avoid clash and so that adequate security will be provided for both parties when they hold their campaign rallies.
“Because if the two parties are carrying out campaigns on the same day, in the same place, there is going to be a clash. So it is for the sake of providing adequate security for the two parties that led to the advice to PDP to shift theirs to the next day. It is not as if they stopped or prevented. They were only advised.”