Dr. David Ombugadu, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Nasarawa State.
Cecilia Onah, Lafia
Following recent speculations that the Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in Nasarawa State, Dr. David Ombugadu, is a member of the Ombatse group in the state, a Youth group under the aegis of Concerned Mada Youth, has declared that Ombugadu has no link with the association.
The Ombatse group formed by the Eggon indigenes of the state, was in year 2013 accused of burning government vehicles and killing some Police Officers who were on a special assignment in the state, among other accusations.
In a Press Statement made available to our correspondent in Lafia on Tuesday, the Youth Leader of CMY, Musa Aruwa, blamed the negative narratives on desperate politicians who were bent on retaining power at all cost despite being defeated at the 2023 elections in the state.
The statement reads, “In the realm of politics, it’s not uncommon for politicians to employ various tactics to tarnish the reputation of their opponents. However, when such tactics involve baseless allegations and unfounded accusations, it raises serious concerns about the mindset of the purveyors of such accusations.
“After exhausting all their poisonous darts at Dr. Ombugadu with no any visible impact, Governor Sule‘s handlers have now resorted to regurgitating an event that took place 10 years ago in order to inflame passions and cause ethnic tension in Nasarawa State – all in futile attempts to hold onto power after the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sacked AA Sule from office.
“Even though AA Sule has appealed the verdict of the Tribunal at the Appeal Court, in a shocking turn of events, his handlers have engaged the over-drive gear by launching a smear campaign against Dr. Ombugadu linking him with the Ombatse group.
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“The accusations were not only unfounded but also extremely dangerous, as such claims have the potential to stoke ethnic tensions and incite violence in a country already grappling with insecurity.
“It is extremely ludicrous to propagate that the “victory of Ombugadu may raise ethnic cleansing in Nasarawa” because he shares the same Eggon ethnic background with the Ombatse Group, that was originally formed in order to foist the CPC government on Nasarawa State in the 2011 governorship election.
“We know that the motives behind linking Ombudagu with the Ombatse group is a desperate attempt to gain political advantage and undermine the democratic process by sowing the seeds of mistrust in the minds of the peace-loving people of Nasarawa State.
“The victory of Ombugadu at the polls is a classic case of how all the tribes in Nasarawa came out and queued behind him to ensure that he succeeded. As such, his emergence as the governor, as confirmed by the Tribunal, is a victory for all the tribes and religions in Nasarawa State.”
The statement further urged all the residents of the state to ignore the negative narratives against the PDP governorship candidate, while calling on his supporters to remain calm and live peacefully in spite of any kind of provocation from political opponents.
