APC senatorial primaries: Barau, Gaya, Zaura win tickets in Kano

The chairman Senate Committee on Appropriations, Barau Jibrin and chairman Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kabiru Gaya, have won their return tickets on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

They are for Kano North and South senatorial zones. 

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Abdulsalam Abdulkarim Zaura emerged winner of the Kano Central zone respectively.

Barau emerged the winner unopposed after the state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, withdrew from the contest and endorsed him to return to the red chamber.

Gaya also emerged unopposed after his only challenger, Kawu Sumaila, dumped the party for New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

But the Kano Central senatorial primary poll had a twist, first with the withdrawal of a former Youth Leader of APC, Ismaeel Ahmed, few minutes before the election began leaving the contest between Senator Basheer Lado, who was hoping to return to the red chamber after an eight-year hiatus and Zaura, who earlier attempted to contest for the governorship of the state.

At the end of the election, Zaura polled 758 votes to defeat Lado who polled only 70 votes. 

While rejecting the results, Lado accused Governor Ganduje of intimidating the delegates to vote for Zaura, saying “I have it on audio record where the governor was telling the local government chairmen and delegates that Zaura has been elected by him and that any one that did not vote for Zaura will be doing so at his own risk.”

He added, “We did not participate in the process because what we saw at the venue confirmed what we already knew. What this means is that no election took place in Kano central.” 

He said he has written a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, the national chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and the Inspector General of the Police to call their attention to the “injustice” that took place in Kano which, he said if not properly and immediately addressed, could lead to break down of law and order.

But an aide to Governor Ganduje, who asked not to be named, said even if the governor endorsed a candidate, canvassing for votes for such candidate cannot be considered intimidation.