News Editor
By Khalid Shaiubu, Lafia
The puzzle is still dicey as the drama keeps unfolding in the controversial Gayam and Chiroma wards results in the March 18th Governorship and State Assembly elections in Nasarawa state.
Threats to stability in the parties especially, the APC are now hallmark of the case as the 3 member tribunal sits in Lafia, the state capital to adjudicate contestations by candidates.
At one of the tribunal, Barr. Dahiru Abdullahi Angibi, the candidate of APC for the Nasarawa state House of Assembly, in Lafia Central constituency, wants the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to declare him as winner of the said election.
Angibi who was declared to have come second behind the candidate of the SDP, believes he won the election, noting the number of inflated votes against the figures recorded for accreditation in the exercise. He insists that the figures announced are in conflict with the accredited numbers and contrasts sharply with the governorship figures especially for Gayam and Chiroma wards.
His petition might be going against his party’s overall interest as his case might expose the incidents in the defense of the APC governorship candidate in the same election for the same Gayam and Chiroma wards which is being contested by the PDP. In fact, the argument of the PDP governorship is pinned on the contrasting figures at Form EC 8A, IReV/ BVAS and the summary announced by INEC.
Realizing this possible legal lacuna, the state chapter of the APC hurriedly moved to halt Angibi a member of their party from actualizing his prayers at the tribunal. They want him to withdraw his petition and forget his ambition of representing his people in Lafia Central at the 7th State Assembly.
However, the drama appears unabated. The desperation of the Gov. Sule led APC in the state goes beyond Angibi’s perceived shattered dreams. They have spread their dragnet far and wide, hoping to hoodwink, cajole, lobby or blackmail both the judges and the petitioner to abandon his case or obtain an unfavorable judgement from the tribunal.
Angibi was said to have been offered mouthwatering sums of money which he reportedly rejected. Similarly, he was offered instant appointment as Special Adviser or later, as Commissioner when the new “re-elected” administration would have inaugurated in May. He rejected all of these offers. As for the judicial panel for instance, there has been intense lobbying to get government accommodation and comfort for the tribunal judges. Allegations of land purchase in choice commercial areas of the state for them, enticement with huge sums, etc. to whoever that matter to aid the accomplishment of their desperate acts. The investigations into these are at various stages in the social media space.
Their headache is to get INEC to tamper with form EC 8 series, IReV portal and the BVAS in line with the declaration and return of Gov. Sule’s second term as Nasarawa state governor!
Findings also revealed that the Nasarawa state government has rearranged hotel accommodations for the adjudicating tribunal officials away from Taal Conference hotel to a serene government lodge aim at monitoring, controlling access of all the proceedings in favour of the state governor, Engr AA Sule.
The state government plans to acquire and allocate these choice lands to all the judges including the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, the 3 members of the tribunal as an inducement. A top official of the Nasarawa state land Information System, NAGIS, is at the forefront of searching for these promised lands for this purpose. With all these set in motion, some traditional rulers are used to push further pressure to protect and secure the unlawful declaration of A A Sule. A ranking Emir is said to be investing his previous judicial links to get members of the tribunal to do the needful.
A plum large parcel of land around Mararaba, near Abuja belonging to a woman is being considered for deal as one of the high ranking judicial official had indicated interest to own it.
The State government has approached and made an initial #30m offer to the lady land owner. The trouble is that the multiple agents associated with the property are insisting on their 20% instead of the usual 10% while the NAGIS officials also want their cut.
The state government is reportedly embarrassed following the leakage of the deal which was detailed to be executed confidentially and with absolute speed given the circumstances.
The leakage has also trump up threats to Barr. Angibi as the supposed source of scandalous information. This is erroneous.
While pressure from his local chiefs, associates and family continue for him to withdraw his petition, strange movement suspected to be unholy are being dictated around his Lafia residence. Angibi has now been forced to flee to a safe hideout.
There’s more to this unending drama as the case appears to be.
