I won’t step down for any candidate, LP candidate Asake vows
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Umar Farouk, has said that the lives of some of the party officials in Kaduna State were threatened by opposition parties.
Farouk said the threats came amidst spread of falsehood and campaign of calumny by the said opposition parties that the LP had collapsed structure into the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the March 11 governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, the LP Scribe said the governorship candidate of the party, Jonathan Asake, was fully ready for the election, adding he will not step down for any governorship candidate.
This was even as the governorship candidate of the the Party in the State, Jonathan Asake, said the party never entered into any alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party for the purpose of contesting the Saturday’s March 11 election.
The governorship hopeful said it became necessary to clarify in view of the rumour making the rounds that he had formed an alliance with the main opposition party in the state.
He insisted that he won’t step down for any candidate, noting that the party was fully prepared and determined to win the forthcoming election and form the next government in the state.
However, Farouk said, “We that are here in Kaduna State have received a serious threat from opposition parties. Besides the threat to our lives and the lives of our supporters and party leaders, there is a threat to our women leaders, and that is not enough, now the opposition parties have renewed their onslaught on the Labour Party in Kaduna State by spreading falsehood by telling the Obidients that the Labour Party and our governorship candidate, Jonathan Asake have collapsed structure into the PDP. This is completely falsehood and it is not true.
“Woe also want to make it categorically clear that our candidate, Jonathan Asake is the only candidate that is very clean. He is very ready and well qualified to be the governor of Kaduna State. Kaduna State had had series of religious crises which were instigated by politicians. So the candidacy of Asake is going to bring unity, peace, harmony and sincerity of purpose to Kaduna State for the collective interest of the people of the State. We call on all peace loving people to vote for our candidate, Jonathan Asake. We will ensure that Labour Party becomes victorious on March 11.
“While we will continue to appreciate the good people of Kaduna State, we have come out to vote enmass for Labour Party. We are enjoining and calling on you during the governorship election to vote for the Labour Party and we assure you that your vote must count.
“We have seen areas that we were being disenfranchised due to the behaviour of the opposition parties. We have taken measures against this and we are assuring you that our party and our governorship candidate will emerge victorious on March 11 governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
“The lies and insinuation and all manners of calumny that have been going on and spread by the opposition parties will not take them anywhere. We want to assure our supporters that we are going to reclaim our victory through the ballots.
“Our presidential candidate, Peter Obi has addressed us and told us to remain calm that the stolen mandate will be recovered. In this regard he has also enjoined all Labour Party supporters to come out en masse during the governorship and State House of Assembly elections on March 11 to vote for its candidates to various positions”.