The Social Democratic Party senatorial candidate for Nasarawa Western Zone, Ahmed Wadada, has said no amount of intimidation from those against his candidature will dim his popularity among voters in the zone.
The SDP chieftain made the assertion at a news briefing on Saturday in Keffi, Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
He was reacting to the alleged stoppage of his planned interactive session with the Fulani stakeholders and leaders of Keffi International Cattle Market by the security agencies.
Wadada described the alleged action of the security agencies, particularly the police as undemocratic and against the Nigerian Constitution as well as the Electoral Act, 2010.
He said he was invited by the Fulani stakeholders at the market for a meeting and he decided to write notification letters of all the Heads of the security agencies in Keffi.
Wadada however said “surprisingly, few hours to the meeting, the Fulani stakeholders informed me that they were asked not to allow the meeting to hold.”
Wadada, who is the Sarkin Yakin Keffi expressed shock and dismay over the development and wondered who was behind the abrupt cancellation hours to the meeting.
He said, “The leadership of the Keffi International Cattle Market sought to meet with me because I have a political history with them.
“That is because I have impacted, contributed and have been committed to the cause of the cattle market.
“So, they sought to meet me to interact and we agreed to meet today (Saturday).
“Being a former lawmaker who knows and adheres to the law, we decided to write the Police Area Commander here and DSS here about the proposed visit to the market.
“A message was sent to the leaders of the cattle market and when we heard about that, we felt we should stay back.”
Wadada said that they rescinded their decision about the meeting for peace to prevail.
“That is why we chose not to go for the meeting. Also, we don’t know what was planned and I don’t want to be linked to any disharmony,” he said.
Wadada said he had met the Fulani stakeholders and appealed to them to be law abiding and patient, adding, “efforts are on to unravel what led to the cancellation of the meeting and the way forward.
“I am a stakeholder not only in Nasarawa but in the Nigerian project. So, nobody can intimidate or scare me. Whoever feels he will wrongly use his position, we are going to seek to seek for our rights lawfully.
“I will continue to fight for the interest of the people. Nobody can intimidate me, nobody can stop me.”
Earlier, the leader of Fulani stakeholders in Nasarawa West, Alhaji Damau, reiterated the resolve of the Fulanis in the zone to support the candidature of Wadada.
Reacting to the development, the Nasarawa State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, refuted the allegation that the police had notified the leadership of cattle market not to allow Wadada hold the meeting.
“It’s not true. The police cannot do that. Nobody even notified us about anything. So, how can the police now go and prevent somebody from holding a meeting?
“I also called the area command in Keffi and they said they are not aware of any meeting. So, how can they prevent it from happening? So, I don’t think it’s the police.
“The SDP Nasarawa West Senatorial district candidate should investigate whoever instructed the cattle market leaders to cancel the meeting. It’s not the police,” he said.
NAN
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