INEC must be fair in March 11 polls – Niger PDP

By Musa Baba Adamu

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger State, Hon. Isah Liman Kantigi has called on the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to create a level playing ground for the governorship and state House of Assembly elections on Saturday.

Kantigi stated this while speaking to journalists in Minna. He said his party will ensure votes are protected from the polling units to the collation centres during the election.

He insisted: “I am optimistic of winning the election but let me say that INEC should not repeat what happened last week that the BVAS was not used in some polling units.

“We are not going to allow it to happen in this election, we will make sure our votes are protected from the polling units to the collation centres.”

Kantigi revealed that if voted he will not set up a commission of inquiry to probe his predecessor, but rather seek clarification on abandoned projects where necessary.

“No commission of inquiry constituted by past administrations yielded any results. I will not bother myself to probe, but I will ask questions. My administration will not probe anybody. I will draw a line; I will ask questions for clarification. I will call to ask questions about why so and so contract was abandoned after collecting money. That is what I will do. I will draw a line,” he stated.

He also disclosed that women and youths would be accorded top attention if he wins the election.

“I will have the Ministry for Women Affairs directly under my office as a governor and a department would be created to assist women that lost their husbands to engage in various trades, likewise the men that lost their wives. I know the pains that both of them suffer after losing their loved ones,” he said.

On his Muslim-Christian ticket governorship candidature, the PDP candidate said he picked a Christian as his deputy governorship candidate to ensure believers of the two religions are represented and carried along in his administration.

L-R: National Commissioners of INEC, Major Gen. Abubakar Alkali (rtd), Mrs. May AgbamuchiMbu, Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and National Commissioner, Barr. Festus Okoye, during the meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC’s), at the Commission’s headquarters on Saturday in Abuja.

He added: “We want the people to be united, but [it’s] rather unfortunate that religious issues are being given prominence. How can a Muslim-Muslim ticket do better?

All the state needs is a leader that fears God. The state needs a man with maturity and capacity to lead and [issues] should not be centred on religion. I wonder how some people in the state are making issues of it, and, to me, those calling for a MuslimMuslim ticket are being myopic.”

By Musa Baba Adamu

The New Nigeria People’s Party ((NNPP) has charged its members to stay focused, campaign vigorously and ensure the party sweeps the March 11 governorship and States House of Assembly elections across the country.

A statement issued yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary of NNPP, Agbo Major, said the