Former governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, yesterday said he had no money to buy governorship nomination forms for the 2003 election and had to obtain a loan to buy the form fixed at N5 million naira at the time.
He said it was the late elder statesman, Malam Magaji Dambatta, then chairman of Kano Forum whom he approached and got a loan of N1 million from.
Speaking at the maiden memorial lecture in honour of the late Magaji Dambatta, Shekarau recalled how the N1.5 million raised by his friends and political associates for his governorship aspiration was not enough to buy him the nomination form and had to approach the late Danbatta for a loan.
“In 2003, my party, the APP, fixed its nomination forms at N5 million and I did not have even N500,000 but my co-contestant Ibrahim Little was a millionaire and we learned he had already bought the forms. We managed to raise N1.5 million and N2.5 million was mysteriously raised but the money was still not complete.
”I approached the late Malam Magaji Dambatta, explained my situation and wanted him to support me with a loan to complete the money. He asked me to write and then approved and minuted to the DG Kano Forum to pay,” Shekarau said.
He said the mantra of administration built on human capital development and social justice was partly an idea of the late elder statesman.
On his part, former governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Mu’azu, said he holds the late Dambatta in high esteem for his contribution in resetting Bauchi State Public Service through a workshop that he personally attended.
The former PDP national chairman however said Nigerians have the habit of celebrating the departed ones without taking life time lessons from the past leaders.
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