By Aisar Fagge

The Zamfara State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) raised the alarm that the Nigerian Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba has deployed a team of special forces to rig the Zamfara governorship election.

The Peoples Democratic Party in a statement today in Gusau through the Dauda Lawal Media Office accused the Inspector General of conniving with governor Matawalle to rig the governorship election in his favor.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the results of 11 local governments out of 14 local government areas of the state.

The People’s Democratic Party polled 325, 238 votes while the All Progressive Congress polled 251, 006.

“As it stands, we have won nine local governments while the APC won two local governments. We are waiting for the official announcement of three local government areas: Kauran Namoda, Maradun, and Birnin Magaji”.

“From the announced results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), we are winning with a margin of 74,232.

“Our major concern is the interference of the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba. We raised the alarm on election day that there was no police presence across the state. It was a plot by the Zamfara state commissioner of police to aid the ruling APC in manipulating the process.

“Our verified sources have confirmed to us that the Inspector General of Police has deployed a team of special forces to Zamfara. They were flown to Sokoto from Abuja. We have learned that they are on their way to coming into Zamfara to cause chaos and create tension in the state capital.

“The Inspector General of Police in connivance with the Zamfara state government hellbent on manipulating the successful announcement of the result. They want to create a scene that will lead to the loss of lives and properties in Zamfara.

“We call on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu to call the Zamfara State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to order. We have lost confidence in him.

“Zamfara State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) is intentionally delaying the process of the announcement of the result, giving the governor room for manipulation.

“All collated results from 14 local government areas are ready and in the state collation center. We don’t know why they are delaying the process.

“The president, security agencies, and international observers should pay close attention to the process in Zamfara state.”

By Umar Ahmad El-Rufai

Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil is a renowned Islamic scholar. However, as a gubernatorial candidate in Kano, he didn’t hide under religion to win an election.

Whether you know it or not, he didn’t beg others to endorse him due to his identity as an Islamic scholar. He regards himself as a politician. Every politics is local.

He campaigned like everyone and participated in politics. That’s his constitutional right. However, he neither sought donations from his students nor others dignitaries.

As a result of Malam’s political journey, anyone among our Islamic scholars is free to venture into politics now. Nobody should hide under religion to achieve his political goals.

Sheikh Ibrahim Khaleel became chairman of the Northwest Nigeria Council of Ulama, an organisation of Muslim religious leaders. He has been opening big doors with small keys. 

I regard him as a winner that reforms the system. As a result, nobody will come to get cheap popularity under religion. That’s a victory for everyone.

Politics is good to some. Mallam will be remembered as a political reformist. So do your politics; don’t hide under religion. The game is over.

Umar Ahmad Rufai wrote from Kano via umarahmadrufaijr@gmail.com. He is a student at Dala College of Education.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 
 
Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress was defeated in the Kano governor’s race by Abba Yusuf, a candidate for governor from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
 
Gawuna, the state’s deputy governor, is Abdullahi Ganduje’s chosen candidate, and Rabiu Kwankwaso, the former governor of Kano State and the NNPP’s presidential candidate, is a strong supporter of Abba Yusuf.
 
At the conclusion of the collation across 44 local government areas (LGAs) in the state, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Yusuf the winner.
 
The returning officer, Ahmad Dokko Ibrahim, declared that Yusuf got 1,019,602 votes, while Gawuna got 890,705 votes.
 
In 2019, Yusuf ran against Ganduje in what was viewed as an extremely contentious election that was considered rigged.
 
 
 

By Uzair Adam Imam

As votes were cast yesterday, the Kano State people continue to wait for the official announcement of the Governorship and the State House of Assembly elections` results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The umpire electoral body has this evening started the official announcement of the result today as returning officers of various polling units across the 44 local government areas submitted their elections results to the INEC.

However, some supporters of Eng. Abba Kabir Yusuf, the gubernatorial candidate of Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso`s New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), have started celebrations, given the wave of success they see from the results of various local government areas of the state.

The supporters took to their various social media platforms to celebrate Eng. Abba Kabir Yusuf said they foresee a better Kano under his administration, adding that they voted for him to continue the good work of his political godfather, Eng Rabi`u Musa Kwankwaso.

The supporters predicted that Abba would win the election, and their posts, “Abba is coming, in sha Allah”, went viral on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, among many other social media platforms, including Tiktok.

Eng. Abba Kabir Yusuf, popularly known as Abba Gida-Gida, has been the major opponent of Dr Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Gawuna, who is the Deputy Governor of the state, was nominated by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to succeed him.

During the BBC`s debate for the governorship candidates in the state, Gawuna was also reported to have said that he would continue the good works of all his predecessors, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, Eng. Rabi`u Musa Kwankwaso and Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Other candidates include Sadiq Wali of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sha`aban Sharada of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), and Malam Ibrahim Kalil of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), among other candidates.

By Iranloye Sofiu Taiye

Gone are the days when most people in our society were contented with little they had and a time when we slept with our two eyes closed; it was a communal state characterised by collectivism. Then we were our brother’s keepers when travellers were safe to journey at night without any security threats, a time when meritocracy prevailed over mediocrity when criminals were not sympathised with, and an epoch when elderly people were highly respected and venerated. 

The situation is quite catastrophic currently with the substitution of collectivism with individualism. We are now dwelling in a society where everyone minds his business with no form of a collective check on the excesses of our people, especially when it comes to criminal actions. I can vividly recall when we were juveniles. Generally, few people had cars, televisions, fridges, and generators.

Children had fewer clothes bought during the festival period and ate the best dishes (rice and chicken) during the festive season or special events. Yet, we are not frustrated. On the contrary, both day and night, the entrance and doors to the house of the rich are wildly often open to play and eat together with their children, and the rich also tolerate their children eating together in the less privileged homes and vice-versa. 

Children always troop into the room of anyone who has a television whenever there’s light to watch movies and listen to the news with no intimidation from anyone. In our community, we are always proud and happy if someone has a car in our area because, during any festival, all children in that community will go to the praying ground with that car. No one is under a burden to amass what they couldn’t afford just to oppress others.

Society has a culture of contentment though people strive to improve their living conditions within their means. Owing to contentment and collectivism, the crime rate was meagre because the notion of ‘i-must-make-it-anyhow’, which has ravaged our societies today, isn’t the order of the day then.   

Pathetically, our society of today has been polarised and characterised by social class disparity anchored on economic buoyancy, where those who are wealthy don’t tolerate the less privileged. Thus, the relationship only exists if the poor are ready to kowtow to the dictate of the rich to advance their oppression. 

Youths commit crimes including; kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, rape, internet fraud, money ritual, and alcoholism because they want to wear designer, drive the latest cars, use the latest iPhones, and party with open Street girls. Sadly, many members of our society today are abetting this aberration and terror, demonising our communities of which the parents, guidance, religious clerics, and even the bad eggs within our security personnel and government officials are not left out.  

The rise in the rate of internet fraud, known as Yahoo-Yahoo! and kidnapping is one of the major causes of carnage across our communities today, but all our hands are at akimbo as if what’s happening is normal in our communities today even though we are all aware the perpetrators of this evils engage in human parts harvesting for money rituals.

Many young men on our streets today are into drug abuse, cultism, and alcoholism, which have continued to pose a severe threat to the peace and security of our communities, thus, increasing the crime rate. Our parents, known to be a model before, had soiled their integrity and never cared to know the source of the wealth of their children today. Alas, we now have the ‘yahoo-yahoo mother association’ organised to support their children who are into cybercrime and internet fraud spiritually. Let alone ladies freely engage in advanced prostitution (hook-ups) to compete and oppress others. 

The schools and institutions known to be an avenue for character modelling before are nothing to write about today. People only attend school for academic accomplishment, devoid of character. Stealing and misappropriating the public commonwealth by those occupying public offices, including politicians and civil servants, is now a culture.

Regrettably, the court system and the judiciary are now blemished with conspiracies and marred with corruption. The supposed last hope of the masses has become the fortress for the rich, where the highest bidder gets the desired judgment.

How did our esteem values and norms get substituted, and why is criminality on the rise despite our religion and high level of education? I believe it’s already too late to continue to point fingers at colonialism, globalisation, or westernisation as our problem currently. But the main issue is that our values and norms have been neglected. Hence this dilemma and nightmares befall us.

As a Yoruba aphorism says, “if you know not where you’re heading to, you should know where you are coming from” Revival of our culture; norms and values are pertinent now to arrest and stem this risen criminality in our society.

Iranloye Sofiu Taiye (Optimism Mirror) is reachable via iranloye100@gmail.com.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Yakubu Dogara, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, alleges that there was widespread vote-buying yesterday during the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in some local councils in Bauchi State.

Dogara made this claim after casting his ballot in Gwarangah 007 Polling Unit in Bogoro Local Council.

He said, “There is massive vote-buying going on across polling units; security agencies have been briefed. From the information I have received, we saw what is going on in Darazo local council, the same thing in some local councils in Bauchi North.

“I’m also aware from the security team that lots of vote-buying is going on in Alkaleri local council. I hope the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and security agencies will be on their toes to deal with this so that we can have free, fair elections,” Dogara said.

He added that it took him five hours before he could vote during the last election, but there was an improvement this time around.

By Muhammad Suleiman Yobe

Speaker Yobe State House of Assembly, Hon. Ahmed Lawan Mirwa of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, has lost his seat in the just concluded governorship and state house of assembly elections held yesterday, Saturday, March 18, 2023.

Lawan Mirwa, representing Nguru outside constituency in the Yobe State House of Assembly since 2003, has lost his seat to People’s Democratic Party, PDP, candidate Musa Lawan Majakura.

Majakura got 6,648 votes, Mirwa got 6,466 votes, Bukar Jatau of New Nigeria People’s Party got 23 votes, while Mai Zare Idriss Idriss of APM Party got 14 votes followed by Isah Sa’idu Shehu of the ADC party who got 30 votes.

While declaring the election results, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC’s returning officer, Nguru Outside state Constituency, Alhaji Mahdi Damaturu, announced Lawan Musa Majakura of the PDP as the winner.

“Musa Lawan Majakura of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and return elected”, he added.

Musa Lawan Majakura, who is 29 years old, obtained a diploma from Atiku Abubakar College of Legal and Islamic Studies Nguru, Yobe state. Before winning this election, the ruling party APC did its best to force him to withdraw his candidacy, but he refused.

Recalled that the Speaker, Ahmed Lawan Mirwa, first came to the Yobe State House of Assembly in 2003 and became the Speaker of the House in 2019.

By By Abdullahi Khairalla

In the early hours of today, the people of Maiduguri, Borno State, woke up with the sad event of an unfortunate mishap of fire incident at Maiduguri Gamboru market, which led to the destruction of properties worth millions of Naira.

This has thrown the people of the metropolis into a frenzy as they are yet to come to terms with the losses incurred by the Monday Market inferno a few weeks before.

Similarly, another fire accident occurred in Biu local government area. The town’s central market was also engulfed by fire, bringing chaos to the people in the area and surrounding.

This is happening days before Ramadan, a period associated with hikes in the prices of goods and services, which may lead to untold hardship.

Authorities have yet to speak about the incidents as during this report. However, this might be due to ongoing gubernatorial and state assembly elections today.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Reports from Katsina in northwest Nigeria indicate that bandits had attempted to sabotage elections in the state, in which one person was allegedly burned to death.

According to a report by Channels TV, the person who was set on fire was a member of the bandits who arrived to sow chaos.

The incident happened at a polling unit along the General Hospital Road in the Batsari Local Government District of Katsina State.

According to witnesses, a squad of security forces intercepted the suspected bandit and a member of his gang.

There was no more information about the incident when this report was filed.

By Abdussamad Ahmad Yusuf

While political support entirely is a choice, governed by emotion and often guided by personal aggrandisement, it is surprising if putting it written dismisses intellectual-based assessments and analyses coming from a scholar, even though a public relations consultant. So let me be clear here. I expect, yes, from a political PR consultant to sweet mouth his principal.

However, an assignment of this colour requires an honest appraisal of factors and challenges that might impede the principal’s success and how to mitigate them. Anyway, I rise to the task of unravelling the concoction of emotion and politics wrapped in the last article of Mallam Adnan Mukhtar Tudunwada titled Why Gawuna will win Kano Governorship.

The people of Kano are, at the moment, out at the polling unit to choose the next state governor between the quartet: Ibrahim Khalil; the charismatic Kano Malam, Abba Kabir Yusuf; Kwankwaso-backed candidates, the ‘born-again’ Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, and the carrier of the old school PRP; Salihu Tanko Yakasai!

Unlike Adnan, I do not have a personal relationship with any of the four. Therefore, my response is purely based on the analysis of his candidate, Hon. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna. Readers will believe me that an analysis of Gawuna should never be unconnected with the un-ceremonial Ganduje administration, especially since he is the number two.

The bane that will eventually cost Gawuna the Kano gubernatorial seat is, to list very few of the significant;

First. The Gawuna’s involvement in the Kano black history of ‘inconclusive’. It was exactly one year when the citizens of Kano, tired of the reckless and unthoughtful administration of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, after parting way with his old political ally Rabiu Kwankwaso, came out en masse to vote out the administration.

However, Gawuna disrupted the final collation of Nasarawa LG results and eventual cancellations effected by INEC, leading to the declaration of the election as inconclusive. Then, as though this is not enough, Gawuna and cohort mobilised for the re-run, thugs that banned legitimate voters from exercising their enfranchise. One!

Two. After assuming office, Gawuna was party to the crimes committed by the Administration of his principal, Ganduje. The vendetta set out by their reign cost the revered emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, his throne. It didn’t stop at the elite; the vendetta did not spare even the proletariats. The story of ‘Yan Adaidaita Sahu is permanently fresh with traps to whittle their business network. It became a gist that ‘yau baba wa kuma zai sosa’ people expressed their fear.

Salaries were slashed. Pension became uncertain. KAROTA unleashed to markets where they apprehend business allies as they set out to leave Kano in vehicles after transactions at Kwari, Singa, Wambai, Galadima, etc. Of all these shams, Gawuna has proven himself to be with the Talakawa. Neither him expressing disappointment on how Ganduje massacres the future of the state. We have known of the ‘Yan tebura mall and the corruption there. The butchery of Kwari and Kofar Wambai markets, the persecution of Farm Centre phone marketers, and the Kano Cancer Centre corruption charges led to the lay-off of Engr Muaz Magaji.

Third. It is even wiser not to talk of education, health and the civil service. The statistics and data by both Governmental and Non-governmental tracking bodies are something to give you tears.

Fourth. Respect and dignification for elder statesmen Gawuna pretend to have. Where was he when his principal, in his front, called the Kano elders ‘Dattawan wukari’? Where was he when he shunned the Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, et al., mediation to dethrone Emir Muhammadu Sanusi? Where was he when Adaidita Sahu riders were called Yan Iska, rascals by the MD KAROTA – Baffa Babba?

Where was he when a grand allegation of corruption was being unearthed left, right and centre in the government? He’s a second. Where was he when pensioners and civil servants were denied their full salaries, wages and pension? Where was he when businesses and traders in the state are being pauperised deliberately? These are some of what will cost Gawuna the seat of Governor and why he will fail.

Fifth. The ‘youth constituency’ became the major ‘enemy’ of Gawuna politically, not by coincidence, because their administration has shown indifference to the plight of the youth. They first fizzled out the foreign scholarship program they inherited neither continue to age-long domestic scholarships to tertiary institution students. There was no ‘Youth empowerment’ program such as the Tukwui’s Fish and Poultry, nor Gabasawa’s school for security studies or Kura’s Sport.

No ‘Gawuna or Gandujiyya’ taxis or the Garman Shanu rural-farming boost programs exist—zero youth-centred human capital development. So what was/is the future of youth under the Ganduje-Gawuna and Gawuna-Garo administrations? This is a one-billion-dollar question! Answer with reference to his past antecedence.

The Kano citizens under Ganduje were subjected to hardship and stern corruption. They no longer trusted the government and its officials. This prompted them to have launched a search for alternatives in 2019. Shaaban Sharada emerged, who soon garnered reception, Mallam Khalil made a deep inroad, and Dawisu in the race, among others.

If these third forces could become something to reckon with in the Kano polity at the moment, how about the Kwankwasiyya ‘bloc’ that had given Ganduje-Gawuna a hard knock in 2019 and 2023 they re-strategizes and already won two senators out of three, and more than 18 seats for REPs out 24 in the state? These are factors that won’t allow Gawuna to emerge victorious today.

Abdussamad wrote via abdussamadahmad69@gmail.com from Abuja, monitoring the election.