Union, Party clash over guber endorsement in Nasarawa

Augustine Kuza, Lafia

Nasarawa state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) and the People Democratic Party (PDP) are in war of words over endorsement of a gubernatorial candidate of the party. This followed the condemnation statement issued by the state Association chairman of CAN, Arch. Bishop Joseph Masin on rumour making the round that both the western and northern zonal branches of the Union endorsed the PDP governorship candidate, Emmanuel David Ombugadu. The CAN chairman, who called on Christian faithful in the state to disregard such rumour, as the organization has not endorsed any candidate in the state and would never do such because CAN is not political party. His words: “it has come to our notice that some people are spreading fake news, collecting money to endorse candidates in the name of CAN, in the state. “I view of this, I want to stress with a loud voice that the Union in the state have no candidate for endorsement, so every good citizen should vote a candidate that intend to deliver the good dividends of democracy” he stated. The clergymen further stressed that only God can enthrone leaders, and whosoever God endorses, will win the governorships seat in the forth coming election in the state. Responding to the CAN chairman’s statement, the PDP chairman in the state, Hon, Francis Orogu, said, “Our attention has been drawn to a contradictory press release purported to have been signed by the CAN chairman, Nasarawa State, Bishop Joseph Masin, which is been circulated by Labaran Maku’s social media hirelings. On one hand, he claimed that the endorsement by the various Zonal leadership of CAN is fake, whereas in one fell swoop accusing the Zonal CAN leaders of collecting money for the endorsement but the fact of the matter remains that the CAN chairman is fully aware that there was an endorsement of the candidate of the People’s Democratic party (PDP), Rt. Hon. Davematics David E Ombugadu, both from the Western and Northern Zones in the presence of the CAN officials from various Local Governments and Development Areas of the two Zones, However, the CAN chairman chose to call the Zonal leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Nasarawa State chapter in appropriate and unprintable names because the endorsement did not go his way. Let it be on records that, the endorsement of a candidate by CAN cannot automatically translate to winning of Governorship position in Nasarawa state, “he warned.