Masari, Lado clinch APC, PDP tickets in Katsina

Governor Aminu Bello Masari and Yakubu Lado were early Monday morning announced as the winners of the Guber Primaries for their parties, the All progressive Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, respectively.

The Chairman of the Katsina State APC Gubernatorial Primaries Committee, Dr Isa Adamu, while announcing the result of the primary which held at the Muhammad Diko Stadium in Katsina, said Governor Masari scored 5,562 votes to beat his closest challenger Abubakar Ismailia Isa Funtua who polled eight votes and the third contestant who entered the race late: Garba Dankali had one vote.

Dr Adamu further disclosed that the election was free and fair without blood letting and that none of the aspirant brought any formal complaints to his committee.

He said ’’the total number of delegates to the election was 5959, while the number accredited to vote was 5627; there were 56 invalid vote casts’’

In his acceptance speech the Governor commended the process which he said was transparent and called on his opponents to join him in building a new Katsina state and the party.

He said “I promise the people and the party that I will not let them down .I shall work to unify the party and develop the state even to a greater level than it is now.’’

‘’I am also grateful to the members of the primaries committee who arrived the state at about 3am on Saturday morning for a job well done’’

In another development, the PDP  at about 3am this morning announced Senator Yakubu Lado as the winner of its Guber primaries held at the premises of its party headquarters in Katsina.

The Chairman of the PDP primaries committee, Senator Bala Adamu Kadiya while announcing the result of the election which according to him was contested by six  aspirants, showed that Senator Lado polled 33485 votes, to beat his closest challenger Architect Ahmed Yar’Adua who polled 233 votes with the other contestants scoring no votes, with the exception of Musa Natsuni who had one vote.

Former governor of the state Barrister Ibrahim Shema, who stayed throughout the night to monitor the process, promised to fund the electioneering campaigns of Yakubu Lado.

Earlier the state Chairman of the Party, Salisu Yusuf Majigiri denied bribery allegations which has been trailing the decision of the party to adopt the consensus arrangement which produced Lado, challenging any one with a proven evidence to come forward.