The Nasarawa Government says the newly appointed members of the State Independent Electoral Commission are not card-carrying members of All Progressives Congress.
Musa Elayo, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Tanko Al-Makura, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Lafia.
Elayo was reacting to allegations by a former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, had on April 4, that the state government appointed members of the APC as NASIEC members to conduct the May 26 local council polls.
Maku, who is the National Secretary of APGA, had expresed worry that the new chairman of NASAIEC, Henry Omaku, was a former chairman of Doma Local Government Council under the Al-Makura administration, while other members served as aides to the governor.
He also disclosed the All Progressives Grand Alliance would boycott the scheduled council elections of May 26.
But Elayo tasked Maku to prove his allegation with untainted evidences, saying the governor followed transparency in the appointment process of the NASIEC members.
Eloya said: “In the court of law, allegation must be supported with evidence and must be proved beyond reasonable doubt.
“So, let he (Maku), provide evidence that these people appointed as NASIEC members are card-carrying members of APC.
“Otherwise, it remain an allegation, if not, he is just making a wild allegation.
“Let me tell you something, His Excellency, Governor Tanko Al-Makura is a law abiding citizen, a democrat that respects rule of law and somebody that cannot do things unconstitutionally.
“Governor Al-Makura is a person that runs an inclusive government; he is having the right under the law to appoint any qualified person to hold any position.
“So as long as you are competent, he can appoint you irrespetive of party affiliation, that is all.
“If Maku’s party will not participate in the local government poll, other political parties will participate and the threat that APGA will not participate has nothing to do with the government of Nasarawa state.”
NAN reports that the governor had on March 12 swore in Omaku as the new NASIEC chairman along three other members.
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