By Joseph Erunke & Emmanuel Elebeke

ABUJA—THE Nasarawa State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently declare a state of emergency in the state, saying the security situation had degenerated to a point that warrants the action.

This was even as the party accused Governor Tanko Al-Makura of sponsoring ethnic cleansing in the state.

At a briefing in Abuja yesterday, stakeholders of the party in the state, on the aegis of Stakeholders of Peoples Democratic Party in Nasarawa, insisted that for peace to return to the state, Federal Government must consider declaration of a state of emergency in the state paramount.

Nasarawa State chairman of PDP, Mr. Yunana Iliya, who read a prepared text on behalf of the group, said the governor imported a large number of mercenaries to embark on widespread destruction of villages, towns and communities across Nasarawa South and Nasarawa North senatorial zones opposed to his re-election bid.

The group comprise immediate past Minister of Information, Labaran Maku; former governor of the state, Alhaji Akwe Doma; current deputy governor of the state, past and present senators, state House of Assembly members and other PDP elected officials.

They said: “There is no doubt whatsoever that these mercenaries are hired and sustained by the state government to completely dislocate the voting population to enable Governor Al-Makura to return as governor of Nasarawa State in 2015.

“There is definitely a careful programme of ethnic cleansing being executed to achieve a wicked and selfish political end by APC-controlled state government under the leadership of Governor Tanko Al-Makura.

“Whereas the governor pretends and continues to tell the world that it is an ethnic war, it is clear to most citizens of Nasarawa State that the state government is actually the one prosecuting and sustaining these attacks to achieve a definite political end in 2015 and beyond.

“Already thousands of people have been displaced ahead of the forthcoming distribution of Permanent Voter Cards, PVC, which means they will not be able to vote in the next election.

“Moreover, it is disheartening to note that the governor, who is not an Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, official, was quoted as saying that 30 percent of PVCs have been issued to the citizens of the state, knowing that INEC through the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, had earlier postponed the distribution of PVC on account of logistics problems till November 28 through 30.

“This statement credited to the governor have confirmed the rumour going round the state that the governor had completed arrangements with the help of INEC leadership to deny certain communities the right of collecting their PVCs, perceived to be in opposition to his party.

“We call on INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, to investigate and arrest any corruptible activities of Nasarawa chapter of INEC.”