A group in Nasarawa State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Concerned Youths has cautioned party stakeholders about the consequences of imposing a Speaker of the seventh House of Assembly.
Addressing a news conference in Lafia on Sunday, the group’s leader, Mr Salihu Osuko, said it was disappointed at the dimension campaign for the election of speaker of the assembly had taken.
He said stakeholders should stop using religious affiliations to campaign for the election of principal officers of the assembly so as not to undermine existing peaceful coexistence in the state.
Osuko added that based on the 1999 Constitution, every member-elect from the 24 state constituencies was eligible to vote and be voted for in the election of the speaker and other principal officers.
He said the election of any member into any position in the assembly should be based on competence.
He said also that various stakeholders expected that the election of principal officers would be free, fair, credible and free of interference from any quarter.
The APC youth group leader advised members-elect to vote leaders with the capacity to unite them and coordinate their affairs of law-making.
“Vote based on your conscience and do not sell your votes on the basis of unrealistic promises by any person of group of persons.
“You are all qualified; as such do not allow anyone to undermine your sensibility or use religion to deceive you.
“You need a challenging, vibrant and active assembly that will give its best for the development of Nasarawa state,’’ Osuko stressed.
The group promised to resist any attempt by external forces to jeopardise the constitutional process of electing principal officers and rights of members of the assembly
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that speakers of the fifth and sixth assemblies, Alhaji Balarabe Abdullahi and Mr Danladi Jatau (APC-Kokona West), respectively are eyeing the seat of speaker of the seventh assembly.
Also in the race is Mr Daniel Ogazi (APC-Kokona East).
