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The immediate past governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, has vowed not to withdraw from the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship race.
There were reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has endorsed Senator Abdullahi Adamu, another former governor of Nasarawa State, for the chairmanship position.
Some governors and chieftains of the ruling party had reportedly tried to make Buhari change his mind on Adamu, but the president reportedly stood his ground.
It was also learnt that some chairmanship aspirants of the party have silently withdrew from the race.
But Al-Makura, while speaking with journalists in Abuja, on Sunday, said the reports of Adamu’s endorsement by Buhari was a speculation.
“The sources of information were not authentic. They were not genuine. And I know what Mr. President stands for, he always stands for what is right and due process. And unless I have an authoritative source of information that is clear. I still have my doubts. I have many avenues through which I can reach Mr. President and people around him.
“And since those speculation did not come through those avenues, I consider them as a speculation. That is why as I speak with you, my campaign is going with a different tempo, to ensure that my campaign is going far and wide to await the next line of action as directed by the party leadership,” he said.
Asked whether he had any past record that could affect his chances following the report that security agencies and the anti graft agencies had done background checks on each of the chairmanship aspirants and tendered the report to the President for a final decision, he replied: “Thank you very much, I don’t think so. I discharged my responsibility as governor, to the best of my ability, and as I speak, there’s no single petition against me, or any case that has to do with my propriety or otherwise.”
The former governor said to sustain the unity among the legacy parties, the APC needed somebody like him who understood feelings of various groups that constituted the merger as well as his experiences in party administration and parliament at this time.
The aspirant said he would be doing “a disservice” if he failed to show interest in presiding over the party at this transition period.