Kebbi Election: Dakingari confident of victory, as low turnout mars exercise

“I am confident of victory, but the Almighty Allah has the final say,’’ Dakin-Gari, who voted alongside his wife, Zubaida, told the News Agency of Nigeria after casting his vote.   He promised to work for the people “more than ever before if elected. The PDP candidate thanked the people for their enthusiasm, and promised […]

“I am confident of victory, but the Almighty Allah has the final say,’’ Dakin-Gari, who voted alongside his wife, Zubaida, told the News Agency of Nigeria after casting his vote.

 

He promised to work for the people “more than ever before if elected.

The PDP candidate thanked the people for their enthusiasm, and promised to deliver democracy dividends if given a second chance.

Dakin-Gari, who enjoyed a smooth first tenure of four years had his April 2011 victory for a second term truncated by the Supreme Court on Feb. 4, 2012, based on an appeal by his CPC challenger, Alhaji Abubakar Abubakar.

Voters decry absence of opposition

As  Kebbi people elect a new governor in the re-run governorship election o Saturday, some  voters in the state have decried  the  absence of any opposition party to the PDP.

After the defection of the CPC candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Abubakar, to PDP and withdrawal from the race by the ANPP candidate, Alhaji Suleiman Argungu, PDP seemed to be the only contestants, some voters said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Abubakar’s petition against the April 2011 victory of Alhaji Saidu Dakin-Gari of PDP necessitated the re-run election.

Some voters told NAN in Jega on Saturday said that they were not enthusiastic about the election because it was a “one-way affair”.

A voter, Sani Nassir of Dankat village, said he was not enthusiastic about the election because the result was already known.

“The beauty of democracy is opposition but most of the opposition in Kebbi have collapsed into the PDP.

“A lot of us would have been happy to vote but the interest is generally low because the PDP appears poised to carry the day,” Dankat said.

Maam  Yushau Maman, said that he might  not vote because his vote might not make any difference since the PDP was sure to carry the day.

Another voter, Ali Almu, said that opposition to any political contest was crucial to ensure the gains of democratic governance and added that it was that the idea was lacking in the state.

Voters without cards accredited to vote

Some voters, who turned up to vote in  Saturday’s Kebbi re-run governorship election without their voters’ cards were accredited to vote in some parts of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in Birnin Kebbi, Zagga and Suru areas, some party agents and security personnel, who initially opposed  the idea, had to succumb to pressure.

The opponents of the idea succumbed to pressure on the insistence of those willing to vote, whose attitude began to generate tension and confusion around some voting centres.

Political party agents in some of the polling units held meetings and resolved to allow the voters to participate in the election.

A presiding officer in Zagga Primary School, Suru, Mr Aule Aminu, and a security officer, who preferred not to be named, told NAN that they abandoned their initial objection since the agents had agreed to allow the voters to cast their votes.

“The agents had resolved that voters, whose pictures were captured in the master list should be allowed to vote,’’ the INEC official told NAN.

NAN reports that the decision to allow the voters to exercise their right calmed the situation and restored peace to the voting centres.

Defection of politicians won’t affect opposition in Kebbi -CNPP

The defection of top members of the opposition to PDP will not strangulate the opposition in Kebbi, an opposition politician said.

The Chairman of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Kebbi Alhaji Boyi Zaito, made the statement in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jega, Kebbi, on Saturday.

Zaito told NAN soon after casting his vote at Sabongari polling unit that the opposition political parties would remain united and focused to ensue good governance in the state.

“We are intact and we will continue to be intact and oppose any unpopular policy of the PDP government,’’ he said.

The chairman said that as far as CNPP was concerned, none of the 15 political parties officially withdrew from the re-run governorship race.

“None of the political parties wrote to INEC officially to convey any intention to pull out of the race,’’ he said. He further said that the opposition parties would deliberate toward charting a new course for the progress and speedy development of the state.

“For democracy to grow, there has to be sustained and constructive opposition that could put the ruling party instead for good governance,’’ Zaito said. He blamed the poor voter turnout in the election on the people’s belief that other political parties had withdrawn from the contest.

Aliero says fusion of political parties will enhance progress in Kebbi

A former Kebbi Governor Alhaji Adamu Aliero has said that the state will experience accelerated development following the fusion of major political parties into PDP.

Aliero told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday after voting in the re-run governorship election in Kebbi that such fusion had opened a new vista for speedy development.

According to him, the fusion of ACN and CPC into PDP would culminate into an amalgam of political forces that would lead to political progress that was free of unnecessary of rancour and bickering. “We are now one as the contentious issue was how to forge ahead as a people,’’ he said.

Aliero recalled that Kebbi was an ANPP enclave, which he led to the PDP, adding that the step had yielded numerous dividends or the people.

He expressed happiness that the election was rancour free with voters casting their votes without molestation or intimidation.

Aliero voted at Fada polling unit in Aliero town in company of his supporters.