LG polls: 448 aspirants jostle for APC tickets in Nasarawa State

Four hundred and forty-eight aspirants are jostling for APC tickets to contest chairmanship and councillorship seats in the May 26 local government elections in Nasarawa State, our correspondent reports.

The primary elections, according to Mr Musa Dan-Azumi, Chairman, Aspirants Screening Committee, will hold between April 7 and April 11.

Dan-Azumi, who submitted the committee’s report to the party on Thursday in Lafia, said that 69 persons were cleared for chairmanship positions, while 379 were interested in becoming councillors.

“A total of 81 aspirants purchased nomination forms for chairmanship seats; 72 appeared for screening out of which 69 were cleared. Three were disqualified, while nine failed to appear.

“A total of 445 aspirants bought councillorship nomination forms, 426 appeared for screening, 379 were cleared, 47 disqualified while 19 were absent,” he said.

He said that the committee received 16 petitions which were “treated objectively”.

Dan-Azumi said that the committee adhered strictly to the party’s guidelines and terms of reference in carrying out its assignment, and thanked the party for the opportunity to serve without interference.

Mr. Philip Shekwo, Chairman of the party, who received the report, thanked the committee for doing a good job.

“The committee has done a thorough job; I am happy that we are about to feature our best candidates in the general elections,” he said.

Shekwo said that an appeal committee had been inaugurated to listen to appeals from aspirants that might feel unjustly treated by the screening committee, and advised those with complaints to approach it.

He promised that no candidate would be imposed on the people, but said that the party would support wards or local governments that had agreed on consensus candidates.

“But, even where a consensus is reached, we shall conduct a primary election if there is one dissenting voice,” he said.