The PDP governorship candidate in Nasarawa has dismissed the purported endorsement of Mr Labaran Maku, his APGA rival, by the Eggon Cultural Development Association (ECDA).
David Ombugadu, in a press briefing in Lafia on Thursday, said that the purported endorsement was a “stage-managed” gathering by Maku’s supporters to sway the opinion of the Eggon people believed to be one of the largest in the state.
“I was told that some people rushed to the media to claim that Maku has been endorsed for the governorship seat by the Eggon speaking people, but I have found the claim to be totally false.
“I have watched a video of what transpired and can confirm that nothing like that happened,” Ombugadu, a ranking member of the House of Representatives, who is also Eggon, said.
He said that Maku’s associates had attempted to “deceive the people by staging a coup in media houses”, but failed in that bid.
“To me, their desperate actions should be condemned. As far as I am concerned, I am a popular choice of the entire people of Nasarawa State. I am the right person to take Nasarawa State to a new height.
“From what I saw in the video, the ECDA President, Mr Wilberforce Alaku, never said anything close to endorsing Maku.
“What he said was that both Maku and Ombugadu were Eggon children. He also said that two of us cannot afford to go into the governorship contest together because we needed unity to achieve success.
“What the Maku team wanted to do was to stage a `democratic coup’ by misquoting the ECDA official. It was a desperate attempt to circumvent due process in seeking the mandate of the Eggon people. This is wrong and should be disregarded.
“It is a shame that Maku was `in a hurry to stage a coup against his own people’.
“I am even more disappointed with the manner the alleged endorsement spread on some media outlets. Journalists must engage in serious investigative journalism so as to get the truth of an issue and avoid spreading fake news.
“Newsmen must try to confirm claims, especially on sensitive issues like this, before going public. It is the only way to earn the respect of members of the public,” he said.
The PDP governorship candidate urged voters to choose candidates based on merit so as to enjoy the benefits of good governance.
Four persons from the Eggon tribe are in the race for the Nasarawa State Governorship seat.
The quartet include Ombugadu (PDP), Maku (APGA), Mathew Ombugaku (Rebuild Nigeria Party), and Abdullahi Agibi (Labour Party).