The immediate past Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Silas Agara, has formally declared his intention to contest the Nasarawa North Senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Agara, a former deputy governor of Nasarawa State, would battle for the senatorial ticket of the APC alongside the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Sule, whose second tenure expires in 2027.
Addressing the State Executive Committee members of the APC at the party’s Secretariat in Lafia, on Thursday, Agara informed that persistent clarion calls from his political associates and party supporters across the senatorial zone prompted his decision to join the senate race.
He said that his acceptance to join the race, which he said was driven by service delivery, followed wide consultation from across the senatorial zone, calling on the party leadership to ensure that internal democracy prevails.
The former NDE boss also called on the State Party Chairman, Dr Aliyu Bello, to work towards ensuring that the party primaries and other election processes of the party remain transparent and unbiased.
Agara said, “I have embarked on a journey I will call a Christian missionary journey to make my humble contribution to the growth and development of this state.
“To heed the clarion call of our people, I decided to resign my appointment. I am doing so to honour the call of our people and to add value to the politics of the state.
“For me, Silas Agara, I am not competing with anyone for a stage. The stage is large enough for all of us to be able to show and to prove our worth.”
He informed that he was at the state party secretariat to formally inform the leaders about his aspirations, and to advocate for a level playing field, saying, “I believe that as party members, we should play by the rules. We will be ready to abide by the rules of the party,” he said.
Responding, Nasarawa state chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr Aliyu Bello, commended Sile Agara for his uncommon courage, stating that it was rare for a politician to resign from a federal appointment to come home and serve his people.
He said, “It takes a man of courage, a man of vision, and a man who loves his people to resign from a tenured federal appointment to come back home and serve,” Bello added.
The APC chairman assured Agara that the party would be fair and transparent in the conduct of primaries to ensure that the process was credible and acceptable to all.
“To provide a level playing field, I want to assure you and every other aspirant that this is our primary mandate.
“The APC in Nasarawa State, under my leadership, will ensure that the rules of the party are followed to the letter. We will ensure that every aspirant is given a fair chance,” Bello assured.
