By Francis Nansak, Lafia
Against a subsisting court order barring the Turaki Gamji-led executives of the Nasarawa State Marketers and Traders Association from parading themselves as leaders, elections into local government executives of the association was held on Saturday.
The election took place across the eleven local government areas of the state under consensus arrangement.
New National Star’s correspondent who monitored the exercise in Toto, Karu, Keffi and Nasarawa LGAs, reported that the exercise was hitch-free.
Some members however cautioned against violating a court order, but the counsel was ignored as elections went ahead under the watch of representatives of Turaji Gamji.
At the various venues for the election, there was a heavy presence of officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
In some LGAs such as Keffi, election did not hold at the earlier location as the police prevented members from holding the elections in compliance with the court order.
However, it was learnt that the venue was later shifted to an unknown location where the said election was conducted.
It would be recalled that the High Court sitting in Lafia had 28th August 2023 restrained the present executive from conducting elections for the association in Nasarawa State and also ordered that Turaki Gamji and members of his team stopped parading themselves as leaders of the association until the determination of the motion on notice at the court.
A group, the Human Right Watch and Rescue Operation had earlier petitioned the state governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule against plans by the Gamji-led executive to hold the said elections in violations of court order.
The human right group also suggested to Governor Sule, as a matter of urgency, to intervene in the crises between the traders and the leadership of the association to avoid unrest among the traders.
However, the chairman, electoral committee of the election in Karu Local government, Aminu Iliyasu, charged the newly elected officers of the association to work hard toward the progress of the association and to promote business in the Muhammadu Buhari International Market, Karu.
Iliyasu announced Alhaji Salisu Jika as new Chairman of the association, Umar Bayawa as deputy, Suleiman Haliru, Secretary, Manu Kusada, Treasurer and Abdullahi Ibrahim Baba, Auwal Ibrahim are to serve as Financial secretary and Organizing Secretary, among others.
In Keffi Local government, Alhaji Nasiru mode, emerged as Chairman; Usman Ibrahim, Deputy Chairman; Abdullahi Ibrahim, Secretary, and Al-Husaini bin Idris Assistant Secretary.
In Toto Local government area, the new officials include Alhaji Mohammed Ahmed, Chairman; Mohammed Usman, his deputy; Gambo Bashir, Secretary; Stephen Asemayina, Assistant Secretary; Umar Ahmed, Treasurer and Hajiya Aishatu Shuaibu as Women Leader, among others.
Responding on behalf of the elected officials, the association’s chairman in Karu Local Government, Alhaji Jika, promised to redouble efforts towards addressing the roadside trading that caused traffic gridlock in Mararaba and Masaka areas of Karu.
He solicited for the support of members of the association to enable them succeed.
