Kebbi governorship election is just formality, Bamanga Tukur says

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bamanga Tukur, says the re-run election in Kebbi fixed for this Saturday is a mere formality because the former governor of the state, Saidu Dakingari, had done enough to deserve re-election.

“I have no doubt in my mind that this election is a formality as our candidate has delivered so much in the last term, enough to make his victory very possible,” Mr. Tukur said.

Mr. Tukur who was speaking at a rally organised by the party at the township stadium in Birnin Kebbi also said Mr. Dakingari should be sworn in immediately after being re-elected to continue from where he stopped.

The national chairman equally announced that his tenure of office would be characterized by the 3Rs policy of ‘Reconciliation, Reformation and Rebirth agenda’.

Mr. Tukur said that his leadership would ensure that all the feuding parties in PDP are reconciled within the shortest possible time to  move the party ahead.

“I am glad that this policy is already gaining ground in Kebbi state. The presence of the former governor Adamu Aliero with all his supporters at the rally is an indication of greater things to come,” he said.Mr. Dakingari was sacked by the Supreme Court who also ordered for fresh elections by the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Premium Times had earlier reported that the two main opposition parties of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) had both lost their gubernatorial candidates in the persons of Abubakar Mallam and Kabiru Tanimu to the ruling PDP, which led to speculations that the elections might  be postponed to enable the parties select fresh candidates for the election.

However, Attahiru Jega, INEC Chairman, Wednesday after a meeting with stakeholders announced that the elections would go ahead because no political party had  informed the commission of withdrawal by any contestant and that time for substitution had  lapsed.

Mr. Jega also said all candidates who ran for elections in the April 2011 election  would still be candidates in this Saturday’s election.

Fifteen candidates ran for the office of governor during the gubernatorial election held in April 2011 including Messrs  Malam and Tanimu for CPC and ACN respectively.