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Tag: kano state

  • I’m sure of victory, says PDP candidate

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has assured his supporters of victory in the march 23 supplementary poll.

    Kabir’s assurance was contained in a statement signed by his spokesman, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday declared the governorship election inconclusive. The PDP candidate scored 1,014,474, leading the APC candidate who scored 987,819 votes; 2,155,128 was recorded as valid and 49,761 votes were rejected.

    INEC said its declaration of the election as inconclusive was in line with Section 26 of the Electoral Act that said if the number of cancelation of votes cast is beyond the margin between the winner and the loser.

    The PDP candidate was quoted as saying: “We call on all supporters to remain calm, we are known to be peace-lovers and so we shall remain, as we are very sure of victory during the rerun.

    “Our supporters should not forget that PDP is already leading in the last count of the election and interestingly, the bye election would take place in the strongest areas of our party.”

    “We urge everyone to keep hope alive on our quest to rescue Kano from the hands of corrupt leaders and agents of distraction.”

    The statement urged voters to come out en masse to cast their ballot in favour of the PDP, saying: “We will, Insha Allah, emerge victorious after the rerun to restore the lost glory of Kano.”

     

  • Kano rerun: I‘m sure of victory, says PDP candidate

    The governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf has assured his teeming supporters of emerging victorious in the forthcoming Gubernatorial rerun election in Kano declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    This was contained in a statement signed by Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa the Spokesperson to PDP Gubernatorial Candidate for Kano State Abba Kabir Yusuf

    The statement said the election was declared inconclusive due to the cancellation of many polling units.

    The Nation recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday declared the gubernatorial election in Kano as inconclusive as the PDP candidate scored 1,014,474, leading the APC candidate who scored 987,819 votes, adding that 2,155,128 was recorded as Valid and 49,761 votes were rejected.

    According to the electoral body said declaration of the election as inconclusive was in line with section 26 of the Electoral act that said if the number of cancelation of votes cast is beyond the margin between the winner and the looser.

    ‘’We call on all supporters to remain calm, we are known to be peace lovers and so we shall remain, as we are very sure of victory during the rerun.’’

    Read Also: Kano gov results safe, says INEC

    ‘’Our supporters should not forget that PDP is already leading in the last count of the election and interestingly, the bye election would take place in the strongest areas of our party.’’

    We urged everyone to keep hope alive on our guest to rescue Kano from the hands of corrupt leaders and agents of distraction.

    It appealed to people in the affected areas to  come out en mass to cast their votes in favour of PDP, We will Insha Allah emerge victorious after the rerun to restore the lost glory of Kano

     

  • Nigerians return to polls to elect 29 governors, 991 state legislators

    Nigerians today return to the polls to elect their state governors and legislators as well councilors for the six Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils.

    The electorate will vote for 1,082 candidates for the various positions, two weeks after the Feb. 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    The positions include Governors in 29 States and 991 members of state Houses of Assembly as well as the six Chairmen and 62 Councilors for the Area Councils in the FCT.

    The governorship election is taking place in 29 states as the elections in remaining seven other states of Edo, Kogi, Ondo, Ekiti, Anambra, Osun and Bayelsa were staggered and already conducted off season by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    For the governorship election, no fewer than 1,063 candidates are contesting for the available 29 governorship seats.

    FINAL-LIST-OF-GOVERNORSHIP-CANDIDATES-1-1

    These include 64 governorship candidates in Rivers, 44 in Plateau, Kaduna 38, Adamawa 29, Jigawa 18, Delta 50, Cross Rivers 26, Kebbi 31 and Ogun 41 candidates.

    For instance, in Lagos State 45 governorship candidates are vying for the governorship seat, while 640 candidates of various parties are eying the 40 seats in the state House of Assembly in the election, also in Sokoto State 51 political parties are contesting for governorship and 462 state House of Assembly candidates are participating in the state election.

    The electorate in Adamawa will be voting for 313 candidates for governorship and state House of Assembly from the 29 political parties participating in the exercise.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa, Mr Kashim Gaidam, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that 29 candidates would be contesting for governorship, while 284 candidates from various political parties are vying for the 25 state House of Assembly seats.

    Among the 29 contestants for governorship seat are four women; Lami Musa of People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN), Na’ama Bulama of Progressive People Alliance (PPA), Rukayya Audu of Action People’s Party (APP) and Elizabeth Isa of Change Advocacy Party (CAP).

    Also 25 women are among the 284 candidates for the legislative poll.

    In Katsina State 334 candidates, comprising 18 for governorship and 316 candidates contesting for the 34 state House of Assembly seats, while in Abia 32 candidates are contesting the governorship and 353 candidates vying for the state 24-member legislature.

    In Yobe, 163 candidates from different political parties made up of 13 participating in governorship while the rest 157 would feature in the state House of Assembly poll.

    Also in Anambra, 23 political parties are contesting for the governorship seat and 518 candidates battling for the 30 assembly positions in the state.

    In Kano State, 52 candidates are gunning for governorship and 769 candidates for the state assembly election; and in Enugu State 42 candidates are in the governorship race, while 310 candidates would be vying for the 24 legislature.

    Also in Niger State, 31 candidates are battling for the governorship poll and 395 for the state House of Assembly election, while in Imo 67 candidates are jostling for the governorship slot and 981 are slugging for the 27 seats in the state House of Assembly.

    Also in Ogun, 41 candidates are contesting for the seat of governor while, 582 candidates are jostling for the 26 state constituencies.

    For the FCT Area Council election, a total of 105 candidates are contesting for the six chairmanship positions while 701 candidates seek to occupy the 62 councillorship seats.

    Similarly, 40 females are in the race for the chairmanship positions, while 88 females are seeking to be elected as councilors.

    FINAL-LIST-OF-STATE-HOUSE-OF-ASSEMBLY-CANDIDATES-1 (1)

    In addition to the state elections into 1,082 constituencies nationwide, INEC is also conducting supplementary elections in 14 States covering seven Senatorial Districts and 24 Federal Constituencies, alongside the Governorship and State Assembly elections.

    NAN recalls that the elections in the affected areas were disrupted mainly by acts of violence including ballot box snatching, abduction of INEC officials, over voting and failure to adhere to regulations and guidelines in the national elections conducted on Feb. 23.

    While cancelling the affected polls, the electoral ombudsman noted that number of registered voters in some polling units involved in each constituency was more than the votes received by some candidates with the highest number of votes, hence the need for supplementary elections to determine the actual winners.

    The election will hold at 119,973 polling units across the country, while collation of results will take place in 8,809 Registration Areas or Wards, 774 Local Government Areas, 36 States and the FCT.

    The polling units are expected to open by 8 a.m. and close by 2 p.m. with the last person on the line allowed to vote.

    INEC maintains that the use of Smart Card Readers and Permanent Voter Cards were compulsory for the elections.

    The commission says the total number of registered voters in the country is 84,004,084, with 44,405,439 (52.86 per cent) as male and 39,598,645 (47.14 per cent) as female.

    It also said that 72,775,502 or 86.63 per cent of registered voters have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has expressed confidence that all polling units would open at 8 a.m. nationwide.

    Yakubu said that the commission had effectively tackled the challenge of logistics as materials for the election have been earlier delivered to all States and the FCT.

    Meanwhile, INEC has postponed the House of Assembly Election for the Nasarawa/Binyeri State Constituency of Mayo Belwa Local Government Area in Adamawa following the death of a member of the assembly, Mr Adamu Kwanate, who was candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election.

    Until his death on Wednesday, Kwanate was the member representing the affected state constituency. (NAN)

  • PDP hails court judgment on its Kano governorship candidate

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the order of the Court of Appeal on Thursday restraining INEC from de-listing its governorship candidate in Kano State.

    The Court restrained INEC from removing the name of Mr Abba Yusuf, the party’s governorship candidate, from the list of the state governorship candidates.

    The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said that the judgment had completely put to rest all controversies regarding the PDP candidate for the election.

    He said that Yusuf remained the bona-fide candidate of the PDP for the Saturday’s election.

    Read also: 32 political parties set for polls in Benue, says REC

    “The Court of Appeal is commended for delivering justice by upholding the lawful nomination of Yusuf as the PDP candidate for the Kano state governorship election.

    “All stakeholders are advised to note the order of the Court of Appeal and be guided accordingly.”(NAN)

  • Maternal health: Kano wins $8.1m, emerges 2018 MNCHW North-West champion

    Kano State has earned $8.1 million emerging the overall winner of the 2018 North-West Matenal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) programme.

    The feat followed the commitment of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s administration in Saving one Milion lives Programme on the platform of offering low cost intervention to Pregnant Women and Children under the age of five years in the State.

    Dr. Ganduje disclosed this during the Flag-off of the MNCH 2019, held at Getso in Gwarzo Local Government Area.

    Dr. Ganduje who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna stated that, “during the last round of the exercise, over two million Children were supplemented with Vitamin A, while 1,180,760 Children were dewormed and thousands of women were given LLIN, Iron- Folate supplements and malaria prevention drugs respectively.

    ”Kano State Government which has been consistent in the implementation of all health programmes aimed at improving the lives of our people, has provided all necessary support to ensure this campaign is a success.

    ”This administration has placed the highest priority on saving the lives of especially Women and Children through the provision of essential health services both at Primary and Secondary care levels, and did not relent in taking holistic insight in to the fundamental needs of our healthcare sector and came up with comprehensive action plan.”

    He assured that Kano State Government would strive and work harder in delivering more democratic dividends in housing, transportation, fly-over bridges, improving road network, agriculture, commerce and many other interventions that would improve standard of living and ensure development in the state.

    He emphasized the importance of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week to the lives of Women and Children, maintaining that, “this week exercise would provide Vitamin A supplement for Children, Deworming of Children, immunization, Screening of Children Nutritional Status and Birth registration exercise among others.”

    Read Also: NDLEA nabs 250 drug suspects in Kano

    On his part, the Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, represented by the District Head of Tudun Wada, Dr. Bashir Ibrahim Muhammad Dankadai, expressed satisfaction on the effort made by Kano State Government and other development partners in promoting the lives of Women and Children in the State despite economic challenges.

    Also speaking, the State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Kabiru Ibrahim Getso said the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week is a week- long event during which low cost interventions are offered to prevent women and Children under age of 5 with the aim of increasing coverage levels of some important preventive and curative health indicators that allow mothers and Children to thrive and develop.

    According to him, Kano State Government in collaboration with other developed partners had spent over N1 million in procuring the needed supplements to ensure the successful conduct of the MNCHW Programme across the 44 local government areas in the State.

    On the effort being made by the State to improve the health sector, Dr. Getso explained “The Present administration of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has renovated and equipped over 300 Hospitals with new working materials to ensure that people benefit more from its health revitalization agenda.

    ”Apart from this, Kano State Government has procured medicines worth billion of naira and distributed to the hospitals across the State, provided free maternal care and free Child treatment in the State,” he added.

    Former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Engr. Tijjani Mohammed Gwarzo, the representatives of CDC Dr. Halladu Sulaiman and that of UNICEF Dr. Muhammad were among the dignitaries that spoke at the occasion

     

     

  • Ganduje: Those doubting Kano presidential results are unserious

    Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje on Wednesday described those doubting the elections results from his state as unserious.

    From his state, President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had got the highest votes of 1,464,768 to defeat the People’s Democratic Party’s  (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar, who scored 391,593 from the state.

    While there were no incidences of violence in the state, seventeen local government areas were affected by election cancellation.

    Ganduje who was at the Aso Villa to congratulate President Buhari on his re-election, spoke with State House correspondents.

    Asked to react to those questioning the figures that came from Kano State, he said, “First of all, they are not serious people, they are people who are anti-democracy.

    “If you have seen how the elections were conducted I think everybody will agree that INEC tried very well. Even though there was low turnout of voters because we were expecting to get much more than that, but the election was fair and free.

    “Those who say we couldn’t have got that much are ignorant of the politics of Kano.” he added

    Read Also: Ganduje to would-be losers: accept defeat

    According to him, the result of the Presidential and the National Assembly in the state has put the APC in good position to win the March 9th gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections.

    Asked why he did not deliver on the five million votes he promised, he said, “Well, I told you it’s because of the low turnout of voters but I promise you next time…let’s look towards the governorship election.”

    On his chances on the coming governorship election, Ganduje said “My chances are very high and you can see the beginning of it with the presidential elections. We gave Mr. President the highest number votes, all the three senators are back, 24 House of Representatives members out of 24 have succeeded. What else are you expecting? That is the foundation.

    “Another thing is that Mr. President has done a lot of work in Nigeria and in Kano and as a government we have done a lot in Kano State. If there was negative reaction we would have seen it from the presidential election.

    “That is why I say we are heading for a huge success in Kano both in the gubernatorial and state House of Assembly elections.”

    On why he was in the Presidential Villa, the Kano governor said, “First of all we have to thank almighty God. I am here to expressed my happiness and congratulate Mr. President personally and to also thank all Nigerians for voting Mr. President for the second term, for voting the most honest person because he laid the foundation for the development of a new Nigeria, and a man who loves Nigeria more than himself, a man who believes in free and fair elections.

    “We are forging ahead in terms of getting the right thing done in Nigeria. So, I’m here to congratulate him personally before we come as a group from Kano to congratulate him.” he added

     

  • Kano spends N100 million on maternal, children free healthcare

    Kano state Government has set aside N100 million for the first round of 2019 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) designed to offer free medical care to thousands of women and children across the state.

    Speaking to reporters on the line up of activities for the programme, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kabiru Getso said the programme, which will hold from February 27 to March 3, is one of the ways to carter for the primary and health care needs women and children, particularly those in the rural areas.

    According to him, the programme will be at over 1200 primary and secondary healthcare centres across the state.

    Dr. Getso explained: “It is a week where high impact low cost interventions are offered to pregnant women and children under the age of five with the aim of increasing coverage levels of some important preventive and curative health indicators that allow mothers and children to thrive and develop.

    “It also provides an opportunity to deliver health services for mother, newborn and child through the existing health system most of which are already enshrined in our aged-long free MCH services available at both primary and secondary levels of care.”

    Read Also: Buhari beats Atiku in Kano State

    Dr. Getso said the programme will render services such as offering Vitamin A supplementation for children aged six to 59  months, de-worming of children aged 11 to 59 months, immunisation of children under five years and nutritional status screening for children under five years.

    Other services include birth registration for children under five years, antenatal services including malaria prophylaxis for pregnant women child birth spacing services and HIV/AIDS counseling and testing services.

    He further informed the programme will include demonstration of key household practices such as hand washing, personal hygiene, exclusive breast feeding, complimentary feeding and use of long lasting insecticide treated nets, among others.

  • Ganduje to would-be losers: accept defeat

    Kano state governor Dr Abdullahi Ganduje has appealed to whoever loses at the ongoing Presidential and National Assembly Elections to accept defeat in good faith.

    He spoke shortly after casting his vote along with his wife Hajiya Hafsat at the Ganduje Cikin Gari unit PO 008 of  Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano.

    The governor, who arrived the polling station at about 10 am joined the queue, was verified and voted at about 10:30 am.

    Addressing newsmen, the governor expressed satisfactions with conduct of election that verification and casting of votes was smooth without hitches.

    Ganduje however called on losers to accept defeat adding that politics is not a do- or- die affair.

    Read Also: Kano poll: Why Ganduje will win

    According to him: “The striking thing is that the system adopted by INEC this time for people to instantly be accredited and vote immediately.

    “Such move is quiet commendable because it doesn’t allow people to be crowded in one place to cause violence. “As soon as you vote you move away making the place peaceful.”

    He expressed delighted he was properly verified by the card reader and as such this is an indication that the conduct of election will be hitch free.

    He hailed INEC for providing the necessary electoral materials required for the elections on time to allow for quick and smooth voting.

    Our reporter in Ganduje town observed that the turnout of voters was massive with security efficient.

    The Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II voted at about 9:45am with a call on the electorate to come out en-mass and cast their votes.

    He also commended INEC for a job well done.

  • Police arrest 70 over bloody clash in Kano

    More than 70 people have been arrested over the bloody clash between supporters of the immediate past governor of Kano State, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso and the House of Representative member representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency, Hon. Abdulmuminu Jibrin Kofa.

    Confirming the arrests to our reporter on the phone, the spokesman of the Kano State Police Command, DSP Abdullahi Haruna, also said that Hon. Kofa and the chairman of Bebeji Local Government Area, Alhaji Ali Namadi Bebeji, were also invited by the police.

    DSP Haruna, however, noted that Kofa was only invited alongside some political leaders in the area for investigation and questioning on the cause of the clash.

    The Nation recalls that five people were feared dead on Thursday at Bebeji Local Government Area of Kano State when supporters loyal to former Governor of the state, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso and former House Committee chairman on Appropriation, Alhaji Abdulmumuni Jibrin Kofa, engaged in a bloody clash.

    According to eyewitness account, trouble started when Senator Kwankwaso’s convoy, while returning from a campaign, rally passed through an open space where Kofa and his supporters were praying for the peaceful conduct of the general elections.

    It was gathered that Kwankwaso’s convoy disrupted the prayer session, resulting in the bloody clash that reportedly led to the death of five people while many others were injured on both sides.

    According to an eyewitness account who pleaded anonymity, “the long convoy of Senator Kwankwaso, which disrupted the prayers, was actually the cause of the problem.

    “It was, indeed, a bloody sight. The Kwankwaso people had provoked Kofa’s supporters who were conducting a peaceful prayer session for the peaceful conduct of the elections.

    Read also: Security experts counsel on violence-free polls

    “I counted five dead bodies which were moved away on a police Hilux Van. Many vehicles were set ablaze and buildings around the Kofa Neighbourhood were also burnt.”

    Confirming the incident, the House of Representatives member in a telephone interview said that senator KwanKwaso’s supporters attacked his house on their way back from Bebeji and Kiru local Government.

    According to him, over 60 vehicles were burnt while his house was not left out.

    He added that the mobile policemen attached to Senator Kwankwaso shot sporadically for more than one hour, resulting in the death of many.

    The spokesman of the PDP governorship candidate, Mallam Sanusi Bature Dawaki Tofa, accused Kofa’s supporters of launching attack on Kwankwaso’s convoy.

  • Police arrest 6 suspected armed robbers, car snatchers in Kano

    The Police Command in Kano State has arrested six suspected armed robbers and car snatchers who have been terrorising Kano residents.

    The Commissioner of Police, Mr Wakili Muhammad, disclosed this while presenting the suspects newsmen at the command’s Headquarters in Kano on Thursday.

    Muhammad said the suspects whom were all of Sheka quarters, had been dispossessing residents of Sheka, Zoo Road, Tudun Maliki, Tukuntawa and Maidile quarters of their valuables.

    He said an English made pistol was recovered from three of the suspects, Auwalu Adamu, Mohammed Suleman and Abdullahi Iliyasu.

    He said the other suspect, Ahmed Abubakar of Mil Tara in Kano, who specialised in snatching exotic cars on Highways, allegedly conspired with the others whom were now at large.

    “The suspect drove to a hideout located in the above address where they disassembled and sold spare parts to unsuspecting members of the public.

    “One Toyota Hiece Computer bus, one Golf Wagon and a Hummer bus are the vehicles they disassembled,”the commissioner said.

    He said the two other syndicates of car snatchers of Ladanai quarters were nabbed in Kano with a Toyota Hilux.

    He said the command had also arrested one Mohammed Sani of Mubi Local Government Area of Adamawa with 6, 750 locally made knives concealed in sacks.

    Muhammad said the suspect was intercepted at Kwanar Dumawa village in Danbatta Local Government Area of Kano State, and that the suspect was on transit to Katsina State with the exhibit for unspecified mission.

    He also said that as part of efforts to rid the state of fake and counterfeit drugs, the command had intercepted two trailers loaded with fake and expired drugs.

    He said investigations were ongoing after which the suspects would be charged to court.