PDP faction rejects Sokoto State governorship primaries results

Sokoto - A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto
State on Thursday rejected the results of the state's governorship
primary conducted on December 8.
The media recalls that the 3-man electoral panel which conducted the
election and declared the results was headed by Sen. Usman Dukku.

The election was won by Sen. Abdallah Wali, who polled 547 votes,
while the state’s Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mukhtari Shagari, got a
vote, even though he withdrew from the race.

Sen. Abubakar Gada got 193 votes, while the former Minister of
Transport as well as Sports , Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, got no vote, as
boycotted the poll.

The trio of Shagari, Suleiman and Gada had petitioned the national
leadership of the party, calling for the cancellation of the results and
the conduct of fresh polls.

They cited some irregularities which they alleged marred the
elections, alleging that, it was illegal as “ghost” delegates were
substituted with the original 984 accredited delegates.

The state chairman of the party, Alhaji Ibrahim Milgoma, recently told
news men that the election results still stood.

“As far as we are concerned, there was an election which was won by
Wali, and we are ready for the 2015 general polls even now,” Milgoma,
added.

However, addressing news men in Sokoto on Thursday, a faction of
state executives of the party dissociated themselves from the
election.

The group spoke through the state's organising secretary of the
party, Alhaji Usman Yabo.

“As far as we are concerned, there was no gubernatorial election in
Sokoto State, and we are hereby dissociating ourselves from its
results.”

“We are calling on the national leadership of the party to
dispassionately and urgently attend to the petitions which arose from
it and we want it cancelled.”
“We are however law abiding members of the party and we therefore
want the national leadership of the party to employ its internal
mechanism to resolve the impasse,” Yabo stressed.

- NAN

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Sallah: Sultan urged insurgents to end terrorism

Sokoto - The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, has called on all perpetrators of terrorism in the country, especially in the northern part, to fear God and stop such heinous acts.

Abubakar, who made the call on Sunday in Sokoto in his Sallah message to Nigerians, said that the insecurity in the country had led to loss of many lives and property.

According to him, the massive losses of innocent lives and property are highly regrettable and they are “un-Islamic".

He noted that Nigerians were facing various forms of difficulties as a result of the recurring insurgency and other criminal acts.



He therefore charged Nigerians to sustain prayers “for God to either touch the hearts of the terrorists or expose them.”

The Sultan commended security agencies for efforts being made to contain the insecurity, and urged them to remain unrelenting.

He appealed to the people to complement the efforts of the security agencies of maintaining peace and unity with their support, adding that the task of doing so should be regarded as a collective responsibility by all Nigerians.

He appealed to political leaders in Nigeria to ensure that social justice prevailed, saying that it was the “condition for sustainable peace and unity”.

"We should all fear God and regard leadership as a trust and we will be accountable to Him,” he said.

"We are also commending Gov. Aliyu Wamakko for initiating and successfully implementing various welfare programmes for the people of the state," he added.

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