The immediate past Secretary to the Sokoto State Government (SSG), Sa’idu Umar Ubandoma, has emerged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
However, there are dissenting voices from some party members and supporters about his emergence which followed the withdrawal of other aspirants from the race during a reconciliatory meeting held at the government house.
Before Ubandoma’s emergence, the aspirants were the current Deputy Governor of the state, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya; a former Deputy Governor and Minister of Water Resources, Barrister Mukhtari Shagari; the state’s Chairman of PDP, Bello Goronyo; and the eldest son of a former Governor of the state, Sagir Dalhatu Bafarawa.
At the meeting, it was disclosed that the other aspirants ceded their aspiration for Ubandoma, with Sagir Bafarawa as his running mate, while Dan’iya was allocated the senatorial ticket for Sokoto North.
However, immediately after the affirmation of the consensus at the International Conference Centre, Kasarawa, some members and supporters protested against the arrangement, with some of shouting “Bamayi Wallahi”, meaning we are not in support of the arrangement.
Similarly, another protest took place at the gate of the government house, where some people are seen in a viral video expressing anger with the governor’s choice, with some using disparaging words against the governor.
Speaking at the International Conference Centre, Governor Tambuwal thanked the delegates for a smooth conduct of the exercise right from state assembly, National Assembly to the governorship primaries.
He commended the members and leaders of the PDP in the state for their patriotism and loyalty in all of the process, assuring that he would work assiduously in order to ensure that the party won all the seats in the forthcoming general elections.
He also commended the officials that came from national headquarters of the PDP and staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who conducted and monitored the exercise respectively.
In his address, the Sokoto state PDP Chairman, Alhaji Bello Aliyu Goronyo thanked the governor for giving all the necessary support and cooperation to the party.
While congratulating all the winners of the primary elections for various seats, he thanked the party’s supporters for the cooperation towards the successful conduct of the exercise.
In his remarks, the gubernatorial flag bearer, Ubandoma, thanked the governor and party supporters in the state for giving him the opportunity to be its representative in the 2023 general elections.
He said Gov Tambuwal had in the seven years of his administration laid foundation for the transformation of the state to the highest level, stressing that his emergence as the PDP governorship candidate in the state showed the great leadership qualities of Gov Tambuwal in demonstrating the unity among party members in the state.
He enumerated the achievements recorded by the current administration in education, youth development, healthcare delivery, agriculture, among others.
He assured the people of the state that he would continue to improve and maintain what Gov Tambuwal had achieved, particularly his legacies of consensus building, team work and inclusiveness.
Ubandoma also assured party faithful that he would join hands with party supporters in order to win during the 2023 general elections.
