The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Katsina

  • Partial compliance in Sokoto, Kebbi, Enugu, Katsina, Anambra

    The nationwide strike recorded partial compliance in Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Enugu and Anambra states, according to reports.

     

    Sokoto

     

    In Sokoto, workers were on their duty post at federal and state government owned hospitals, as well as higher institutions.

    Although courts visited were not sitting, primary and secondary schools were operating while some offices remained opened at the federal secretariat.

    Commercial banks opened for business in spite of attempt by labour leaders to make them stop operations.

    However, Aminu Umar, State Chairman of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), said the trike had recorded substantial compliance and would be total in next coming days.

     

    Kebbi

     

    In Kebbi public schools have been shut in compliance with the strike order.

    A teacher in one of the public schools in Birnin Kebbi, Mrs. Richeal Ngozi, told NAN that they had to send back pupils after the state branch of Nigeria Union of Teachers ordered teachers to remain at home.

    When NAN visited a branch of Keystone Bank, normal operations were going on.

    However, a worker of the bank, who sought anonymity, said: “We are just waiting for an email message from the bank head office in Lagos,  by 12 noon, we will close and join the strike.”

    Also, activities at the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, have been paralysed as staff joined the strike.

    At the state secretariat, normal official work was going on as at the time of this report.

     

    Enugu

     

    It was observed that banks, other corporate bodies and most schools failed to carry out the directive of organised labour to embark on strike.

    Except for few institutions like the Federal  Government College located at Independence Layout, others public schools were open.

    Some of the teachers of the schools that failed to embark on the strike, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they did not receive any directive to go on strike.

    But the Chairman of Enugu State Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Igbokwe Chukwuma Igbokwe, said the compliance level was 60 per cent.

    He attributed their inability to actualise 100 per cent compliance to the gap in communication, adding that the deadlocked meeting they had with government ended very late and hence their inability to get across to all the workers.

     

    Katsina

     

    Workers in Katsina State, including those from the civil service and commercial banks yesterday, partially complied with the directive of the national leadership of the organised labour.

    Investigation by The Nation showed that the workers shunned their various duty posts even as the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Tanimu Lawal Saulawa, held another round of meeting with about 30 leaders of affiliated unions in the state to ensure full compliance with the directive on the strike.

    The meeting, which took place at the NLC state Secretariat located at Sabo Layi area in Katsina, according to one of the leaders, was to strategise on the enforcement of the warning strike and ensuring compliance

    Saulawa told reporters that the strike was nationwide and that he and the leadership of organised labour have the responsibility to ensure its success.

     

    Anambra

     

    The warning strike was partial complied with in Anambra State.

    When The Nation monitored the situation yesterday in the state, banks and hospitals and schools were opened.

    But at the state secretariat in Awka, there were movements of some workers, while the offices were locked.

    However, the state Chairman of NLC, Jerry Nnubia, said he was satisfied with the level of compliance.

  • Katsina Police nab cultists who beheaded sergeant

    The operatives from the Katsina state Police Command on Thursday arrested three cult syndicates that beheaded police sergeant Umana Ishaya, attached to 56 Police Mobile Force and was on special duty at Operation Safe Heaven, Jos

    The State commissioner for Police, Mohammed Wakili told newsmen during a press briefing that those arrested include: Abubakar Sani,35, alias, ’’Kwaya’’, from Mani Local Government Area, Abubakar Mohammed Soni,28, alias’ ’Ali Dan Bauchi’ ’from Rafinfa quarters Laranto ,Jos and Husain Musa,80, a herbalist, from kanda Shagari off lorento quarters in Jos.

    He said’’ while Abubakar Sani was arrested in mashi local government of katsina state, the other two were arrested in Jos’’

    “the items found on the suspects include: two human eye balls in a plastic container, an ax used in beheading the late police sergeant, a sharp dagger used in plucking off the eyes and some clothes”

    The Police boss further revealed that the arrested criminals have confessed to the crime, with each stating the role he played. He further assured that they will be charged to court as soon as their investigation is concluded

    In a related development, the police have arrested an armed robbery syndicates and foiled their operations, during an operation code named ‘’operation Sharon daji’’ ,while on patrol at jino forest, those arrested were Bola Lawal,30, of Matazu local government in katsina state and Lawal Kabir,20,of the same address

    Other suspects arrested after a gun battle according to the police, along Danja and Tendema village in Dayi local government area, include motor cycle thieves who specializes in drugging their victims before snatching the cycles from them

    He said ‘’the syndicates are notorious motor vehicle thieves who specializes in drugging the victims through food and drinks before robbing them. Nemesis caught up with the duo of Bello Abdulkadir 30, and Yakubu Musa ,28,of Hotoro quarters ,kano’’

    ‘’the Katsina state command will continue to maintain a zero tolerance to crime of any nature in the state’’

  • Flood claims 53 lives in Katsina, Kaduna states in four months

    The North West zone of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said  yesterday that 53 lives were lost to floods in Katsina and Kaduna states over the last four months.

    30 other  people were reported missing during the same period in the two states ,according to Mr Ishaya Chonoko, North West Zonal Coordinator of the agency.

    The floods did not spare Edo,Delta,Kwara and Kogi, among other states .

    Chonoko told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that  the agency recorded 51 deaths in Katsina State, two in Kaduna State, while 30 persons were confirmed missing in Jibiya, a border town in Katsina State.

    The floods occurred between May 3 and September 8 in 29 local government areas (LGAs) of the two states.

    Chonoko said a total of 12, 041 persons and 262 houses were affected in Katsina State, while 3,775 houses and 7,929 farmlands were similarly affected in Kaduna State.

    He listed the affected areas in Kaduna State as Abubakar Kigo Road, Tudun wada, Malali and Ungwar Rimi in Kaduna North.

    Others are: Barnawa in Kaduna South; Karatudu, Narayi, Rido village, Goningora and Sabon Tasha in Chikun; Hayin Na’iya, Rafin Guza, Hayin Dan- Mani and Kawo in Igabi LGAs.

    Areas in Katsina State included Malumfashi, Kafur, Bakori, Kusada, Kankai, Rimi, Musawa, Daura, Baure, Maiaduwa, Dutse – ma, Batsari, Kaita, Zango, Sandamu, Kurfi and Faskari LGAs.

    Chonoko said the agency had distributed relief materials to victims of the flood in the state.

    He said blankets, corn, rice, mattresses, cement and detergents were distributed because these were the immediate needs of the victims.

    The agency attributed the flood to blocked drainages, construction of structures along water channels and illegal mining along river banks.

     

    Kwara communities count losses after flooding

    Floods resulting from penultimate Thursday’s torrential rains  wreaked havoc in many parts of Kwara State including Ilorin,the state capital.

    Most  affected were Harmony Estate, Akerebiata, Gerin

    Alimi, Isale Koko and Kulende, all in Ilorin.

    Several  vehicles were swept away while houses and shops  were submerged.

    Over 72 communities in the riverine area of the Edu Local Government Area of the  state were similarly affected.

    These include Kpasha, Pututa, Lalagi, Yikpata and Belle.

    Thousands of residents were rendered homeless.

     

    Edo victims  refuse to leave communities

    Hundreds of flood victims in  over 14 communities in Edo State are refusing  to move into the resettlement centres  built by the Federal Government in 2012 and five other centre provided by local government authorities

    They say they cannot leave their ancestral land for a place they will have to depend solely on government for their basic needs.

    The communities include Udaba, Ofukpo, Agbaburu, Osomegbe, Ukpeko, Ugochi, Ifeku Island and Anegbette.

    Over 12,000 residents were affected and the people opted to live in tree houses and devised means to survive on the water.

    Schools and health centres in the communities have been shut.

    Mr. Johnson Agadaga, who was seen harvesting cassava, told reporters that he would not leave his farm and community because of flood.

    He said he and his family would survive.

    Chairman of Estako Central, Mr. John Akhigbe, who visited the communities with the aid of a speed boat asked the federal government to send relief materials to the people.

    Akhigbe stated that some of the affected communities promised to leave on Sunday after harvesting their corps.

     

    Delta victims seek succour on higher grounds  

    Hundreds of  Abuta residents in Asaba, Delta State capital,  have  fled to higher grounds as rising floods continue  to ravage their homes.

    The Abuta community, which lies on the banks of the River Niger, is currently under threat of being washed away.

    The  flood sacked residents in the early hours of yesterday following a torrential rainfall.

    Most of the submerged houses have been deserted by their occupants who were said to have mobilised wooden boats and tricycles to evacuate their property.

    Although no life was lost to the flood, many churches including Pasture of Life were submerged under water, while two other churches, including Celica Church of Christ and a branch of Deeper Life are under threat of being washed away.

    Workers at the Pasture of Life Church were busy salvaging church’s property as they were dismantling the air conditioners mounted on the walls of the building.

    A resident in the area, who simply identified herself as Mama Faith, lamented that her children had not eaten for about 24 hours since  the flooding incident, adding that there was simply no place to set up fire for cooking.

     

    No relief in sight in Kogi

    64 communities in Kogi State have been submerged by flood in the last one month,according to the State Emergency Management Agency.

    At least, one life  has been lost and property damaged.

    A representative of the Head of Operations at the NEMA headquarters, Abuja, Reuben Babatunde, during the on-the-spot assessment of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp at Edeha, said five temporary camps have been set up for victims.

    The Kogi  State Government on Monday advised residents of flood-prone communities in the state to relocate to a safer place to avoid loss of lives and property.

  • Masari tasks NHIS on Advocacy campaign in Katsina

    The Katsina state governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, Wednesday tasked the management of National Health Insurance Scheme-NHIS to carry out aggressive advocacy campaign to create the needed awareness level of its activities and for the people to understand its programme properly.

    Alhaji Masari who was speaking when he received the Executive secretary of the scheme, Professor Usman Yusuf during a courtesy call at government house, said the scheme, laudable as it is, could be misunderstood by the people as insurance affects the sensibilities of Muslims in general.

    The governor was however happy with the performance of a staff of NHIS who volunteered to educate people from some communities in Danja local government area, on the advantages of the scheme, which he said encouraged acceptance and participation.

    He said’’ the state government in collaboration with the state house of assembly, state chapter of Nigeria labor Congress NLC, Medical and Health Workers Union and others, to closely come up with a bill for an Agency to replicate NHIS in the state’’.

    ‘’ the new agency will no doubt reduce problems of seeking for donations for patients to buy drugs prescribed for them by Doctors in clinics and hospitals’’.

    Earlier in a remark, the Executive secretary of NHIS, Professor Usman Yusuf said the National Health Bill has been assented to by President Muhammad Buhari. He added that the bill had provided for one percent of realizable federal revenue to be expended on the health sector.

    Of the amount, he said five percent is secondary, forty five percent for primary healthcare while fifty percent is for the NHIS, stressing that although the scheme had been characterized by failures in the past, everything is being done to turn round the fortunes of NHIS.

    Professor Yusuf said he was part of the restoration agenda setting of the Masari led government even before the 2015 general elections and expressed happiness that the governor had started implementing the agenda in the renovated and upgraded hospitals across the state.

    He assured that before leaving Katsina, he will meet with relevant stakeholders to ensure the passage of the bill that would help the state to benefit from NHIS programmes.

    He announced the opening of a new zonal NHIS office in Kano to take care of Kano, Jigawa and Katsina States.

  • Chairman urges support of girl child education in Katsina

    The Executive chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board, Katsina state branch, Alhaji Lawal Buhari has called on the women folks in the state to embrace the spirit of ensuring that their children, particularly the girls, were enrolled in schools.

    The Chairman was represented by the Director Planning, Research and Statistics of the Board, Alh Isah Musa Kankara made the call while monitoring the conduct of 2 day training of mothers Association in Batsari Local Government Area, among the 3 Focus Local Government Areas of ‘’G4G’’, organized by the board in collaboration with UNICEF,

    Buhari further argued that it is the right of parents to provide basic education for their children, and ensuring that the females amongst their children attend school rather than sending them out to hawk on the streets

    The Executive Chairman then implored them to continue to cooperate and support the programmes and policies of the state government especially in its efforts at restoring the lost glory of the Education sector.

    Read Also: Katsina disburses N1, 727b to schools

    Earlier, the Desk officer of the programme, Hajiya Maijidda Kaikai revealed that 1,250 women were participating in the training in 50 schools across the 3 Focus local government areas of Batsari, Kankia and Kankara. She also noted that the training was aimed at showcasing the importance of Girl- Child Education, especially in their enrollment, retention, completion and transition from one level of education to another

    The Nation recalled that recent statistics released by the United Nations Children’s Education Fund, UNICEF, survey on the current campaign on Girl-Child Education in Katsina state, had shown a remarkable improvement in enrolment, thanks to the aggressive efforts of the current administration under Governor Aminu Bello Masari and the complimentary role of traditional rulers and parents

  • Katsina disburses N1, 727b to schools

    The Katsina state government has disbursed the sum of One billion, seven hundred and twenty seven million and ten thousand naira (1, 727. 010,000) to schools to cater for improved access and quality with particular attention to Girls Education in the basic education sector in the state.

    The state Governor, Aminu Bello Masari who made the disclosure at the ‘flagging off of disbursement of school improvement grant, Girl’s scholarship and female teacher trainee scholarship scheme for 2018’, held at Rimi local government secretariat, said the objective of the scholarship is to support the parents to ensure that the Girl child attends school regularly with provisions of such materials like school bag, learning materials and meals.

    On the school improvement grant, the governor maintained that it was supposed to support school based management committees to implement minor activities in their respective schools, support increased enrollment, retention and competition of all pupils especially the girl child.

    He said the female teacher trainee scholarship scheme which involves about 361 female teachers has been supported with the sum of fifty thousand naira.

    Governor Masari further noted the remarkable improvement in girl child enrollment which rose to 89% in 2017, saying the impact of the programme has led to significant increases across the board in the sector.

    Read Also: FCT minister suspends mining, quarrying activities in affected areas

    He said ’’it is worthy to note that all these achievements are as a result of Katsina state government’s radical approach, direct funding to the education sector, and the cordial relationship with National and international agencies’’

    Earlier in his address at the occasion, the state commissioner for education, Prof Lawal Gbadamasi Charanchi, said Katsina state is among the 5 states that has benefited from the grant by global Partnership in Education, GPE, which has supported Nigeria with about N100m dollar grant meant to address issues relating to education services delivery, especially at the basic education sector with particular emphasis on Girl-child education

    He said ’’we are all aware that Katsina state has accorded and is still according Education the highest priority in the state. It is in this vein that government, under the leadership of Governor Aminu Bello Masari has constructed new secondary schools’’

    The UNICEF field officer in the state, Mrs. Fadma Bathi Yedla, commended the state government for the increased enrollment in Girl-Child education in the last few years and called for concerted effort to sustain the record already achieved

  • Katsina, Kaduna, Rivers, Imo APC adopt indirect method to pick candidates

    •Ebonyi to use consensus option

    More state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have adopted the mode of picking candidates for the 2019 elections.

    President Muhammadu Bihari’s home state Katina, Kaduna, Rivers and Imo states have chosen the indirect primary option. Ebony State opted for consensus arrangement but with an indirect system back up in places where they fail to reach a consensus.

    But Kaduna central Senator Shehu Sani rejected the decision of the state executive and stakeholders. The senator said direct primary ought to have been chosen.

    The Katsina meeting endorsed the candidature of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Aminu Masari to run for second term.

    The meeting in Imo was presided over by state chairman Daniel Nwafor.

    The motion for the adoption of the indirect primaries was moved by the APC Chairman in Nwangele Local Government Area Jude Mbamara and seconded and seconded by Obinna Egu, member representing Ngor-Okpala Council Area in the House of Assembly.

    At the APC stakeholders meeting in Rivers, members voted to pick their prefered option.

    Indirect primary recorded 106 votes, Consensus got three votes and Direct primary got just one vote.

    The meeting was presided over by Rivers State Chairman Ojukaye Flag-Amachree. It was attended by other members of the State Working Committee (SWC), Senator Andrew Uchendu (Rivers East); and the Deputy National Secretary of APC, Chief Victor Giadom.

    Flag-Amachree said:”I want to announce that members of the Rivers State APC, having sat down and considered all the various options, agreed to go for indirect primaries, based on reasons including insecurity, lack of data base and logistic challenge.”

    Senator Uchendu said: “I am a foundation member of PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and APC. I must praise the Rivers State Chairman of APC (Flag-Amachree) for organising this type of platform for us to air our views.

    “We will definitely not have a safe venue, at which we will call all our teeming supporters together for direct primaries. We know that the government of Nyesom Wike does not want APC to exist in Rivers State.

    “If we gather at a place for direct primaries, we will be in trouble. We know what Wike and his supporters are capable of doing and what they had done over the years. Opting for direct primaries in Rivers State will be putting the lives of APC faithful at risks.

    Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari who announced the decision, said: “indirect primary is the most ideal for us as it is rancour free, less expensive, and addresses logistics and security challenges. Although opponents of the indirect primaries argue that it encourages corruption which I quiet admit, but it still remains the best option within the time limit available to us’’

    State Chairman Shitu Shitu said the “states were given three options—direct voting, indirect (delegate) system and consensus voting.

    ”It is based on that we in Katsina have decided to come together as critical stakeholders to endorse the option we have chosen today and it is unanimously agreed”.

    Senator Sani for the first time since his suspension by the party in 2016, was in attendance at the party’s SEC meeting and was sighted exchanging banters with Deputy Governor. Barnabas Bala Bantex.

    State chairman Emmanuel K. Jekada said, “The ‘Direct Primary method’ is not applicable in the State due to the following reasons: Absence of a comprehensive register of party members; the APC Kaduna party leadership has made spirited attempts to acquire a comprehensive database of party members from the party’s National Headquarters but to no avail. Without a comprehensive membership register, any direct primaries may be disrupted by non-members including individuals from other parties who may come up with fake membership cards to cause confusion in the process.

    “The Direct primary method would result in significant logistic challenges for the party; with party membership running into hundreds of thousands in the state, printing of ballots, deployment of election materials, accreditation, voting, collation and declaration of results would be very expensive with financial cost surpassing a billion naira in Kaduna alone. These are costs that the party may not be able to shoulder in view of the fact that it was not envisaged, and no budget provision has been made for it.

    Senator Sani and his predecesor Senator Mohammed Sani Saleh rejected the sdecision.

    Sani said: “ ‘So far out of these three categories of people, the state executive committee has taken its own stand, it is left for critical stakeholders and aspirants to state their own position on this matter. And as an aspirant to the office of senator for Kaduna central senatorial district, I do not agree to indirect method of conducting the primaries because of obvious reasons.

    In Ebonyi, the resolution was agreed upon at the meeting attended by APC leaders including past members of the national and state assemblies, led by Chairman Chief Eze Nwachukwu.

    The chairman said explained that the security challenges in the state and alleged sponsored attacks on party faithful by rival political thugs would not allow the party to go for direct primaries.

    He added that the party would not be able to grapple with the challenges posed by direct primaries, even though it gives equal opportunity to all registered and card carrying party members to participate in selecting flag bearers.

    Members at the meeting, in a unanimous decision, voted in favour of consensus method as first option for the selection of party’s flag bearers for all elective positions in the 2019 general elections.

    They also voted to adopt indirect primaries where consensus arrangement failed to produce consensus candidate.

  • Osinbajo launches N10,000 collateral free loans to petty traders

    The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday said that the Federal Government will continue to initiate and sustain programmes aimed at uplifting Nigerians at the bottom of the pyramid, especially petty traders regardless of socio-political background.

    He made the remark in Abuja at the formal launch of the FCT TraderMoni programme, a collateral and interest free loan scheme initiated by the Federal Government to assist petty traders across the country.

    The scheme, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, is part of the Social Investment Programme of the present administration.

    He said that the programme has been launched in Lagos, Kano, Katsina, Abia and Osun states and would be extended, in quick succession, to traders in all the States of the federation by the end of 2018.

    Speaking to traders at the Utako market shortly after witnessing the disbursement of funds to beneficiaries, the Vice President said every petty trader was eligible to benefit from the scheme.

    He urged petty traders across the country to take advantage of the scheme to improve their businesses.

    He said “This programme is for the petty traders selling in the markets, it is not for bigger traders. It is for the petty traders to improve their businesses. For now, we are giving you N10, 000, if you pay back in six months or less, you will get another N15, 000. We want to encourage petty traders, so that they can have sufficient amount to improve their businesses.”

    Read Also: Osinbajo, Atiku clash over restructuring

    He assured beneficiaries that the amount given to them would be increased if they paid back their loans within the stipulated period, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari himself was interested in the welfare of the traders.

    “The one we did before was for big traders under the GEEP programme, we gave them as much as N100, 000. If you do well with this one we are giving you now, we will increase the amount.

    “Everybody can benefit from this scheme; the President himself has said that he wants to make sure that those who are selling small items in the markets benefit from this programme.

    “When we give you this money, we want you to pay back and no interest is involved.” he said

    Earlier on arrival at the market, Osinbajo went round interacting with petty traders before he proceeded to address traders who had thronged access roads around the market to receive him.

    The Vice President was accompanied to the programme by two Ministers of State: Industry Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar and Zainab Ahmed among other top government officials.

  • Customs seize N50m worth of rice, vegetable oil, sugar

    The Kano/Jigawa Area Customs Command has intercepted over 2000 bags of foreign rice, 500 contraband kegs of vegetable oil and 1000 bags of sugar worth over N50 million.

    Briefing newsmen at the Command’s headquarters on Thursday, the Customs Comptroller of the Command, Nasiru Ahmed said the operation was jointly carried out by Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Katsina state Command, Comptroller General of Customs Strike Force and Kano/Jigawa Command.

    According to him, the seizure was made within one week of intensive operation and raid by the joint team of the customs service.

    “What we are witnessing today is the seizures of 2000 rice, 500 kegs of vegetable and 1000 bags of sugar, valued at over N50 million, concealed in 17 J5 Peugeot buses. The big seizures were made along Katsina state axis.

    “You and I know what goes into a J5. We have rice, we have sugar, and we have vegetable oil. Like I said, it is a joint assignment, including the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Katsina state Command, Comptroller General of Customs Strike Force, Kano/Jigawa Command is what brought this success.

    “So, you can understand that if there is a team work, there is a better success. So far, no arrest has been made; we are still investigating the movement of the smugglers.”

    Ahmed, however, condemned the rising spate of smuggling through porous borders in the North, describing it as a recurring incident which has continued to sabotage the economy.

    He added that, “the sad part of it is that this is where government is spending money. The Federal Government has been spending huge amount of money on production of rice; and these are the same people again that are smuggling rice.

    “And apart from this, what we are seeing are bags of rice—do you know whether there other things inside the bags of rice, because arms and ammunitions can be concealed inside the bags of rice, tramadol can be hidden inside the bags of rice and sugar. We all know the dangers of tramadol to the youths and other hapless Nigerians today.

    Read Also: Niger approves N60m relief package for flood victims

    “So, I advise these smugglers to desist from these unpatriotic and criminal activities because right now, we are very much ahead of them. We are going to start targeting the kingpins.

    “Our problem is no longer the people carrying the rice on transit, we will go after the kingpins, we will locate their warehouses where they are keeping these consignments and raid them.

    “We will surely go after them because this is disservice to the nation. This is a disservice to the northern region; they are killing business in the North.

    “Government cannot come and do all this simple things for us, government can only give us incentives. Government can only encourage us with loans which is available at five per cent.

    “All these things are in place and somebody is smuggling rice, somebody is smuggling sugar. They don’t want to patronize BUA and Dangote sugar; and these are people employing our youths in this country. Now, the question is this, must you take our hard-earned foreign currency to other countries, the answer is no!

    “This is the only country we have and we must make it work. And the only way we can make it work is that everybody must contribute his or her own quota to make the country great, and to support the current government.”

  • Katsina APC adopts Buhari, Masari, indirect primaries

    The Katsina state branch of the All Progressive Congress, APC, on Thursday adopted both President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Aminu Bello Masari as sole candidates for both the Presidential and Governorship elections  in 2019 at federal and state levels respectively.

    The party at the state level also adopted indirect primaries to select candidates to contest the various positions next year’s election.

    This decision is however seen by some stakeholders as contrary to the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which approved direct primaries ahead of 2019 general election

    Governor Aminu Bello Masari who announced the decisions shortly after the end of an emergency meeting of party stalwart and, APC stakeholders in the state, including the state Deputy Governor, Alh. Mannir Yakubu, at a town hall meeting said the indirect primaries is the most convenient option available to the state, as it reduces cost, logistics and addresses any security challenges that might arise.

    He said ’’indirect primaries is the most ideal for us as it is rancor free, less expensive, and addresses logistics and security challenges. Although opponents of the indirect primaries argue that it encourages corruption which I quiet admit, but it still remains the best option, within the time limit available to us’’

    Also speaking, the state Chairman of the Party, Alhaji Shitu Shitu referred to the resolution of the party after its NEC’s meeting, which gave states the leverage to adapt to a system that is unique to them, adding the katsina state chapter had complied with it.

    He said the “states were given three options—direct voting, indirect (delegate) system and consensus voting.

    “It is based on that we in Katsina have decided to come together as critical stakeholders to endorse the option we have chosen today and it is unanimously agreed”.

    Read Also: 2019: Sokoto PDP commences registration of members

    Meanwhile a gubernatorial aspirant in the party, Alhaji Isa Funtua has protested the adoption of indirect primaries for the coming elections and threatened to petition the national leadership of the party

    The Press Secretary to the governorship aspirant, Abdullahi Usman Tumburukai, told The nation in an exclusive telephone chat that his boss, who has already obtained his nomination form, prefers the direct primaries as outlined by the national working committee of the party recently, and will oppose anything on the contrary.

    He said ’’we are not scared about Masari; we are looking beyond him in our march to victory come 2019’’