Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State yesterday said his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), lost his ward during the local government election, “because of imposition of candidate”.
He made the assertion while addressing the newly elected local chairmen at the closing of a 3-day retreat held for them in Kaduna.
He said it was due to the wrong candidate imposed by ‘some people’ in his ward in Kontagora, that the APC failed to secure the councillorship position, stressing that if he, as the state governor let it be, why then would the chairmen not swear in the councillors from the opposition.
Bello said imposition of candidates often led a party into losing elections and also forced some candidates to abandon it and run on a different political party platform.
Governor Bello therefore urged the chairmen to settle their political differences, adding that divergent political views would always arise and create challenges in the discharge of their duties with their vice chairmen and legislators.
He said APC does not only represent change but also stands for fairness, fair play and justice.
He deplored the refusal of some local government chairmen to swear in their vice and councillors, saying such action is wrong and against the rule of law.
“The rule of law is key. For those of you that have deliberately or mistakenly refused to swear-in councillors because they come from opposition party that is wrong,” he said.
