Nasarawa North Bye-Election: Maku Alleges Plot by State Govt to Rig in 9 Ward

The Labour Party (LP) candidate for the Nasarawa North Senatorial bye-election, Mr. Labaran Maku, has accused the Nasarawa State Government of orchestrating a plot to rig the upcoming poll.

Maku made the allegation on Wednesday during a press conference in his hometown, Akpata, near Akwanga. He claimed that nine wards had been specifically targeted by the state government for manipulation, all of which are located in the Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area, where voter registration is high.

According to Maku, the government, intimidated by his widespread popularity across the senatorial zone and convinced it cannot win a fair election, has resolved to rig the process.

"If you go to Nasarawa Eggon, Akwanga, and Wamba local government areas, you will find that the Labour Party has 80% of the support. This is due to our grassroots initiatives and commitment to serving the people. We have gathered reports of secret government meetings aimed at rigging the election, as they see no chance of winning," Maku stated.

Among the alleged plans, he said, is the deployment of hired political thugs to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the exercise. He called on the Federal Government to caution state governments against using federal security agencies to create confusion during elections.

"State governors create insecurity in their various states through the imposition and rigging of elections, and in the end, they will blame President Tinubu. People will come out to vote, but their votes will not count. This can trigger serious insecurity," Maku warned.

He further alleged that Governor Abdullahi Sule is collaborating with the police to redeploy area commanders and other senior officers, similar to what he claimed happened during the APC primary elections, which ended in crisis.

Maku also noted that the APC has yet to conduct a proper primary election for the senatorial bye-election, instead imposing an unpopular candidate on the people. He expressed confidence that the Labour Party would emerge victorious.

He emphasized that the people of Nasarawa North are politically enlightened and do not vote based on party affiliation, but on competence and credibility.