ANPP CHAIRMAN HARPS ON FREE, FAIR ELECTIONS

BY SAMINU IBRAHIM, Gusau
National Chairman of All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onuh has said for democracy to be rooted in the country, there must be free and fair election at all levels.

Onuh spoke at the 2012 Democracy Day in Gusau, Zamfara State capital; noting that only free and fair election devoid of guns and knives but concrete programmes was what the country needed to ensure peace and progress in 2015 general elections.

He said the country was currently facing threats to its unity, however lauded Zamfara State government for taking giant strides in uniting the people of the state, noting that the ANPP was committed to one indivisible Nigeria.

The former governor of Abia added that the party would win Zamfara State election in 2015, even as no party had defeated the ANPP in the last 13 years when the country began started another journey into democratic rule.

Commenting on Zamfara State, he commended the state government over the distribution of 10,400 vehicles including 900 cars and 9500 motorcycles  respectively at 50 percent discount by the governor saying that the gesture would in no small measure reduce unemployment and poverty in the state.

In his own speech, Governor Yari stated that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria inspite of challenges facing the country even as he added that is a period of stock taking on the country's nascent democracy.

Dignitaries who spoke at the event include; former Governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, first military governor of the  state, Colonel Jubril Yakubu, rtd, and Senator Sani Yarima among others.

Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal urged political office holders to focus more on governance after winning elections by placing less emphasis on politics and party affiliations.