Nasarawa state Deputy Governor Silas Ali Agara, has called on party delegates to shun financial inducement to influence their conscious in picking flag bearers in the party primaries for several political positions across the country.
Agara who stated this on Wednesday at a meeting in Keffi LGA of the state with All Progressive Congress (APC) party delegates and supporters in the area, said the call became imperative because of the negative impact cash for votes has had on the country’s electoral process urged delegates to be disciplined and take wise decisions devoid of sentiments during the process of electing flag bearers for their parties.
Agara is vying with 10 other aspirants for the APC governorship ticket with the governorship primaries expected to take place in Lafia, the state capital on September 25th, explained that if party delegates focus strictly on electing flag bearers with credible background and who have the intellectual capacity and political will to achieve giant strides, the constituencies where the positions will be domiciled will be the biggest beneficiaries.
He also called on relevant stakeholders especially Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to advocate against the trend so as to ensure democratic processes at all levels churn out credible leaders and representatives, “Accepting financial inducement is bad for our party, bad for our state and bad for our country. Lets search our conscience and do the right thing by picking candidates who will makes us proud.”
Agara noted that his call to all delegates irrespective of party affiliation is aimed at changing the mindset of Nigerians as a whole despite their differences and get them thinking on the negative impact of financial inducement on the country’s electoral processes.
He further announced that if elected governor, he would work assiduously to put an end to financial inducement in his party and provide a conducive and level playing ground for all aspirants to contest for positions they desire.
Responding, the chairman of APC in Keffi, Alhaji Muhammad Dabi thanked the state deputy governor for championing free and fair primaries and assured him that delegates in the local government have been well sensitized not to be carried away by any financial inducement offered them.
