THE deputy governor of Nasarawa State, Silas Ali Agara has debunked a media report alleging that the state governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has endorsed his aspiration to contest the 2019 governorship election in the state.
This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Godspower Ede, a media aide to the deputy governor and made available to newsmen in Lafia on Monday.
According to the statement, “the attention of the deputy governor had been drawn to a publication in the Leadership Newspaper edition of 18th December, 2017 page 12 captioned ‘2019: Al-Makura Gives Nod to Deputy.’
The statement added that in the report, the Nasarawa State correspondent of the newspaper relying on ‘reliable sources’ claimed that the deputy governor had received favourable endorsement and approval from his principal to contest the 2019 gubernatorial election and succeed him as next governor of the state.
“The deputy governor would have ignored the publication for what it is, speculative journalism, but for the damage the story is capable of doing to the excellent relationship existing between him and his hardworking principal, the governor, since 2010.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the governor has never given such ‘nod’ or endorsement or tap to his deputy governor to succeed him and any such insinuation should be dismissed as a figment of the writer’s imagination,” The statement said.
The statement then revealed that though it is true that the deputy governor is undertaking wide-ranging consultations with APC stakeholders with the hope of aspiring to be the Party’s candidate in the 2019 but has not received any endorsement from the state governor knowing fully well that the governor will not want to impose candidates on the people.