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Tag: Sokoto State

  • ‘No consensus resolution on APC guber candidate in Sokoto’

    A contrary stand came to bare against alleged resolution by the Sokoto state Chapter of the All Progressives Congress(APC) adoption of a consensus formular, emerged from Wafee Ahmadu Suka, Special Assistant on Media to Hon. Farouk Malami Yabo, a leading aspirant for the state governorship seat on the party’s platform saying “there is no consensus for any governorship aspirant to emerge as candidate of the party in the state.”

    Accordingly, Suka said ” Farouk ‎Malami Yabo is still a gubernatorial aspirant on the party’s platform.”

    With the recent developments, it seems the party in the state has a handful of issues to resolve internally to avoid imminent consequence before the 2019 poll.

    ‎In a statement issued in reaction to an online publication being circulated on the Facebook timeline of one Malam Bashir Gidan Kanawa, an Islamic Cleric in the state, Ahmadu Suka said the party never in whatever form, guise or manner negotiated anything that would jeopardise the lawful aspirations of other aspirants.

    Read Also: Sokoto State Governor Tambuwal returns to PDP with 18 lawmakers

    According to the Media Aide “our attention has been drawn to the message contained in the publication which seems to suggest that the leader of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Sokoto state, His Excellency, Senator ‎Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko has handpicked Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto among other aspirants as the sole candidate of APC for 2019 governorship election in the state.”

    Suka, however, noted in the statement that” Malam Bashir ‎Gidan Kanawa is a respected Islamic cleric in the state who is neither the spokesman of Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko nor the Media Assistant to Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu, the Deputy Governor of Sokoto state. He is rather an enthusiastic facebook commentator with no political reliability for his followers.

    ” I wish ‎to against this background, point out to the good people of Sokoto state particularly teeming members and supporters of APC, that the party has not negotiated anything that will jeopardise the lawful aspirations of other aspirants.

    ” All aspirants are equal
    and wish to inform members of our great party that Hon. Farouk Malami Yabo MFR is still a gubernatorial aspirant and he respects the constitutional rights of other aspirants. Also, his respect and loyalty to his mentor, Sen. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko remain unshaken”, the statement ‎concluded.

  • PDP governors disagree on consensus presidential candidate

    Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have collectively rejected the consensus option for picking the party’s presidential candidate.

    They have insisted that all the 12 presidential aspirants must go through primary election for a winner to emerge.

    The governors however agreed on the choice of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital as venue of its convention where the party’s presidential candidate will emerged. The convention is billed to hold from October 5-6.

    The resolutions were adopted after a marathon meeting of the governors, under the platform of the PDP Governors’ Forum.

    The party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) had earlier canvassed the consensus option and had even resolved to meet the 12 presidential aspirants any time this week to persuade them to agree on consensus.

    But the governors were said to have reasoned that the consensus option could trigger crisis that might throw the party into turbulence and that they wanted the most popular among the aspirants to emerge through the ballot.

    Those in the race for the presidential ticket of the PDP are former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwabo; President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki; former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; former Governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi; and a former Special Duties Minister, Tanimu Turaki.

    Others are a former President of the Senate, David Mark; a former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; a former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa; a former Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang; and a former senator, Dr. Baba Datti Ahmed.

  • 2019: Tambuwal’s successor, Dan Iya emerges by consensus

    The wide range speculation within the Sokoto state PDP ranks over who succeeds Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal was on Monday evening laid to rest with the opposition party’s adoption of Alhaji Mannir Dan Iya, the immediate past Commissioner for Local Government as a consensus candidate for the state governorship election in 2019.

    The decision was arrived at during a stakeholders meeting of the party in Sokoto presided over by Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

    However, the trio of former Governor Atthiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, former deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Mukhtari Shagari and Ambassador Abdallah Wali who contested the seat on the platform of the party in 2015 were conspicuously absent.

    Though, reasons for their absence was not immediately known, but Tambuwal said they had extended their apologies and support for any decision taken at the meeting.

    While announcing the decision, the Governor said “we had a very crucial meeting and in line with the democratic principle of consensus, majority of the participants have agreed and consented of Mannir Dan’iya as the sole candidate of the party in the forthcoming Governorship election in the state.

    Read Also: Sokoto PDP is united, focused -Tambuwal

    “We will all work together as a united family to ensure the victory of PDP in the state and at the central,” he said

    Accordingly, Tambuwal said all the 18 state lawmakers that defected with him and the national lawmakers would be given automatic tickets as promised by the national headquarters of the party.

    He further appealed to the members of the party to respect the agreement and take it in good faith.

    Shortly after, Dan’Iya who spoke to reporters thanked the leaders of the party in the state for finding him worthy for the ticket.

    “I am short of words to describe my feeling. I thanked God and all members of PDP in the state,” he said

    The former Commissioner further remarked that he was said very prepared for the task and assured the other aspirants that he would carry them along if eventually elected.

  • 2019: Turaki, Bafarawa pick PDP presidential forms

    A former Special Duties Minister, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki and a former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa on Wednesday picked the presidential nomination forms of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    The two aspirants expressed the hope that the PDP will defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the 2019 presidential elections.

    Ruling out the prospects of stepping down for one of the 12 PDP aspirants in the race as consensus candidate, the aspirants however said any of the aspirants could willingly withdraw from the race.

    Turaki said, “If we say that we are going for consensus, what are we going to do with it? We agree we are all brothers. We see it as a game. Therefore, if anybody is interested in withdrawing from the race, it’s a welcome idea.

    “But talking of consensus, you are going to fall like the All Progressives Congress (APC) where we are going to have a one-man show. We don’t want to go for one-man show. We want to practise democracy so that people will choose their own better candidate.

    “For example, if APC is playing democracy, they will allow at least three to four aspirants to aspire for the position. But because the party is a limited liability company, while PDP is a public limited company, it is welcome by everybody”.

    Turaki’s nomination documents were picked on his behalf by the Director of Media of his campaign organisation, Mr. Sola Atere.

    On his part, Bafarawa, who came to pick his nomination papers in person, said he was encouraged by the number of aspirants in the race, stressing that it was an indication of acceptability of the PDP among Nigerians.

    Read Also: Nigerian leaders should emulate Ayade, says Turaki

    “That is why people are aspiring, more are interested in joining the party unlike other parties where they run a one-man show. So, it’s very encouraging to all of us who are aspiring for this seat.

    “We are brothers, we are family. Our ambition is to get rid of APC. Therefore forget about the number of aspirants of the PDP. At the end of the day, we are all democrats, we must accept (the outcome of the primary, win or lose.

    “Therefore, anybody who wins, I believe collectively we are going to work together and see that we save this country from this mess”, Bafarawa said.

  • Tambuwal loses 252 aides to APC

    In what appears like a political earthquake,  252 Special advisers and Special assistants appointed by Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state have resigned  their appointments.

    And they have returned to the All Progressives Congress, instead of working under a PDP government.

    Alhaji Ibrahim Haske, a special adviser to the renegade governor and  spokesman for all the aides, announced this  at a news conference  in Sokoto on Sunday.

    He said their decision followed  Gov. Tambuwal’s defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “Our appointment is based on the position that APC is the political party governing the state and now that the government belongs to PDP, we have no option other than to resign.

    “We are bonafide members of APC and our position has always remained same; we therefore resign voluntarily from the PDP government ,” Haske said.

    Haske, who was a former Sokoto South Local Government Chairman, further explained the decision was based on their desire to support APC to deliver on its mandate  after the  2019 general elections.

    Alhaji Abdullahi Sokoto, also a special adviser to Tambuwal,  restated the  former aides’  commitment and dedication toward ensuring the success of APC across the state.

    Read also: You can’t return Imo to PDP, Okorocha replies Atiku

    “We will continue to remain in our party APC and as such we sacrifice our political appointments to clarify people’s doubt and show our stand on party supremacy.”

    He restated the group’s loyalty and support to the policies and programme of the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of APC.

    In his reaction, the APC Chairman in the state, Alhaji Sadiq Achida, commended the former aides  to  Gov. Tambuwal for their demonstration of  loyalty to the party.

    He said, “the sacrifice of the Special advisers is highly recommended and will surely be rewarded by the people and APC in future.”

  • Ex-PDP Chairman defects to APC in Sokoto

    A Former  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman in Sokoto State, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu-Tambuwal, has led about 10,000 supporters to decamp to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Tambuwal Local Government Area of the state.

    Addressing a crowd of supporters on Sunday in Tambuwal, Shehu-Tambuwal said they made the decision freely based on their concern to participate in politics that would facilitate good development.

    He said they were convinced to join the party because of the viable policies and projects of the APC-led government, stressing that leadership and democracy should be about enhancing infrastructure and ensuring development for the people.

    Shehu-Tambuwal is also a former Commissioner for Education in the state.

    Alhaji Umar Maitafsir, the Chairman of APC chapter in Tambuwal Local Government Area, said no fewer than 100,000 people from Yabo, Kebbi, Tureta, Dange/Shuni, Bodinga and Shagari local government areas had also decamped from the PDP to the APC.

    Maitafsir described the decamping as a landmark in the political history of Sokoto South senatorial district, attributing the move to Shehu-Tambuwal’s credibility and political contribution in the zone as well as the state.

    Speaking while presenting the APC membership card to each of the new members, the Chairman of the state chapter of the APC, Alhaji Sadiq Achida, assured the defectors of a level-playing ground.

    Achida said President Muhammadu Buhari’s APC-led government would continue to address the challenges being faced by Nigerians through various projects and policies and urged the people to support the party to succeed at all levels.

  • I am heeding to popular call – Sokoto APC aspirant

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial aspirant in Sokoto state, Alhaji Farouk Malami Yabo said that his ambition was informed by the call from patriotic citizens in the state to serve them.

    He described the ruling APC as strong political formation that was far from a” push over”‎.

    He however, hinged his focus on fast tracking opportunities and policies that would support the actualisation of positive blue print and rolling plan to launch the state on the path of transparency, accountability and collectivity, that would translate to generating  employment, reposition the state’s aching education sector, boost agriculture  ‎for food sufficiency and security, upgrade health facilities in rural areas and expand road networks as well rejuvenate water supply organs and schemes.

    ‎Yabo who was two times Commissioner in the cabinet of the immediate past Governor of the state, Aliyu Wamakko between 2007 and 2015, was in charge of the Ministries of Local Government and Community Development and that of Finance respectively.

    Speaking exclusively to The ‎Nation in Sokoto, Yabo described the call as purposeful for the transformation of the state to prosperity.

    According to Yabo who is believed to be popular especially among the youths as well women in the state, “I have to identify with the struggle and vision of hope that the ruling APC nucleus is built on for good governance.

    “My ambition is synonymous with the conventional clarion call by the people of Sokoto state who believe I have the characteristics and visionary record to lead them.”

    Read Also: Saraki replies APC over allegations of incompetence

    The former Commissioner who is from the same Senatorial District with incumbent Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal ‎maintained that he had no better choice of political platform than APC.

    “The bond of political support and commitment enjoyed by the party from people in Sokoto state further convinced my decision to vie in the fold.”

    In the same vein, Yabo noted with optimism that the much celebrated 2019 elections were nothing but good omen for the ruling APC at all levels” I remain convinced that we will sail in victory and President Muhammadu Buhari shall emerge with land slide votes to complete his second term of 4 years”, he pointed out.

    Yabo, who is popularly called “Man of the people” across the state also acknowledged the political resilience of his mentor, leader and demystified Senator Aliyu Wamakko for liberating the spirit of Sokoto people for the progressives under the APC.

    The front-line popular politician noted that the APC led Federal Government  ‎had achieved a lot in so many respects of human and infrastructural development across the country under President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that” he obviously and earnestly need a second term to consolidate his works for Nigeria and Nigerians.”

  • 2019 polls: Bafarawa pledges to remain in PDP

    ….says former gov using NASS as hideout from harassment

    Former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, on Thursday said he will remain in the Peoples Democratic Party even if he fails to emerge the flag bearer of the party in 2019 general elections.

    Bafarawa is seeking to become Nigeria’s President under the PDP’s platform.

    He said good governance and party supremacy must be respected at all times.

    The former Sokoto state governor spoke with reporters in Abuja.

    Bafarawa said he welcomes the entrant of new aspirants for the PDP’s presidential ticket.

    He said: “I will remain in theceven if I don’t get the ticket. Anywhere we are playing politics, the party is supreme than anybody. The governor, the president is the agents of the party. Therefore the party is supreme is to supervise what the governor or the president is doing.

    “The cardinal principle of any good government or party is the manifesto. Only the manifesto mentions what the party is going to do for the people.”

    Read Also: Breaking: EFCC: Court discharges Bafarawa, two others

    He kicked against former governors who are serving as senators in the National Assembly.

    According to him, some of the former governors have made the national assembly a hiding place to escape harassment from their previous deed in office.

    Bafarawa said: “I have been saying that the only way we can move the national assembly to be neat, to be well respected, is unless that governors are not going to join as senator. You cannot be a governor for eight years and then you occupy the whole constituency of a state and then for goodness sake what are you going to do in the senate?

    “Those who are joining (the senate) after serving as governor for eight years, it looks like it is just a hideout place where they don’t want any harassment from whatever they have done.

    “You can be a senator and then go for governorship but you can’t be a governor and come back to be a senator. Unless we change the system rejecting the governors joining to contest for senate then democracy will never be in good shape in this country.”

  • Breaking: EFCC: Court discharges Bafarawa, two others

    A Sokoto State High Court presided over by Justice Bello Abbas on Wednesday discharged former Governor Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa standing trial over a case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Also discharged were Alhaji Salihu Maibuhu Gummi and Nasiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, a younger brother to the PDP presidential aspirant.

    Read Also: Bafarawa’s 10-point political caterwauling

    Justice Abbas while ruling on the case after arguments and submissions by counsels to both parties in the matter, said the arguments and evidences given by the prosecution ‎Counsel lacked substance and proven weight and therefore, discharged and acquitted the accused persons.

    Bafarawa had been standing trial for 8 years on a 22 count charge ranging from breach of trust, corruption and embezzlement of state funds.

  • Sokoto: 34 women IDP’s deliver in camp

    Thirty four pregnant women at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Gandi town, Rabah local government area of Sokoto state, have so far given birth since the commencement of the camp operations, Malam Lawal MaiDoki , Coordinator of the camp disclosed on Monday.

    Maidoki stated while distributing relief materials and food stuffs to10 women who recently delivered in the camp.

    He also disclosed that there were no fewer than at least 54 others with pregnancy at different stages of delivery.

    However, items distributed to the victims of the recent attack include, soap, pomade, mattresses, mama kits, assorted food stuffs, women brocades among others.

    In a related development, IDPs at Gandi Primary School have been enjoined to complement the gesture being done by Sokoto state government and other private organizations toward their welfare.

    The camp Deputy Director, Malam Ibrahim Ahmad Gandi made the call while briefing newsmen who visited the camp recently.

    Read Also: ‘Three million IDPs face food insecurity’

    He said the state government had provided all necessary facilities and logistics for the welfare of the IDP’s in the camps which include provision of water, temporary toilets, shelter and food stuffs, clothing materials, security and cash assistance among others.

    He further disclosed that a temporary clinic, essential drugs and personnel were provided for the healthcare needs of the over 5,000 displaced persons in the camp.

    However, Gandi expressed dismay at IDP’s who were selling the items being provided to them such as bread and Gari among others.

    “Some have resorted to begging, leaving behind various  provisions made to them for their welfare  by the government.”

    In the same vein, the camp official lamented over the habit of open defication by some IDP’s instead of using the temporary toilets provided to them.