Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule has said his recent visit to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike was not to influence the ongoing Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in the state, but to seek collaboration between Nasarawa and the FCT.
He explained that the purpose of the meeting was for the construction of a metro line from Apo in the FCT to Keffi, Nasarawa State, and the development of the 13,000-hectare Gurku/Kabusu mega city, which is about five kilometres from Maitama II in Abuja.
At a press briefing, the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Francis Orogu had cautioned the governor against dragging President Bola Tinubu and Wike into the political matters of the state.
Reacting to the development in Lafia. the state capital, on Sunday, Sule, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Mr. Peter Ahemba, said the clarification became necessary following allegations made by the state PDP chairman.
He explained that before the governor’s visit to the FCT Minister, he (Sule) had been visited by the Honourable Ministers of Police Affairs, as well as Health and Social Welfare, at the state governor’s lodge in Abuja.
He added that the governor had also visited the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development in order to attract development to the state.
Ahemba said: “About 40 per cent of those working in the FCT are resident in Nasarawa State, and any right-thinking opposition political party leader, who means well for the state would admit to the fact that there is a need to collaborate with relevant individuals and organisations in the area.
“Nasarawa State has witnessed and still recording tremendous progress under Governor Abdullahi Sule’s led government as a result of such collaborations with relevant individuals and organisations.
“An opposition party that has the interest of the people at heart and is interested in propelling good governance through constructive criticisms, will applaud the governor’s initiative to timely seek partnership with the new FCT Minister because it is a right step in the right direction.
“His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Sule is not in any way surprised at this deliberate falsehood by the opposition party, as such has been the antics of the opposition party in the state and its style of politics, which the governor views as normal behaviour of any opposition political party.
“We find this show of desperation by the PDP laughable because, while the good people of the state are praising governor Sule for the recent visit to the FCT Minister and that of Solid Minerals Development due to its potential to impact positively on the State, the PDP leader, who has become a false alarmist is alleging that the visit was designed to influence the pending judgment of the governorship tribunal.
“For the opposition party, any visit to Abuja by the Governor or any other stakeholder that is not a member of the PDP is working to influence the outcome of the tribunal.
“Again, let it be known to the PDP that, His Excellency, Governor Sule and his party, the All Progressives Congress, have zero worries about what might be the outcome of the tribunal. The Governor has tremendous respect for the judiciary and believes in its ability to dispense justice fairly”.
Ahemba also said that his principal was focused and committed to the task of governance for the overall benefit of the state and will never allow his government to be distracted by the antics of the opposition, adding that no amount of false alarms and media propaganda will save the PDP from the eminent defeat at the tribunal.
