New PDP leaders mobilise support for Dakingari

The newly elected National Executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Thursday, stormed Kebbi State to muster support for the party’s’ candidate in Saturday’s rerun governorship election, Alhaji Usman Saidu Dakingari.

The visit to Kebbi is the first major assignment that the recently elected national executives of the PDP would be performing since they emerged from the national conference of the party last Saturday.

This is coming just as a group of local observers, numbering 80 and approved by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), stormed Kebbi State preparatory to Saturday’s election.

Some retired customs officers, led by former Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Chief Ade Fadahunsi, are also in Kebbi on a solidarity mission and to galvanise support for Dakingari, who is equally a former customs

officer.

Saturday’s election looks as good as won by the PDP as key members of the main opposition party, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) recently defected to the PDP, even as the CPC candidate, Abubakar Gari Mallam, is also set to dump the party.

Tukur, who attended the grand finale of the PDP campaign, which held at Birnin Kebbi township stadium was accompanied by some members of the national executive of the party, which include the National Publicity Secretary, Mr Olisa Metu and National Treasurer, Honourable Bala Kaoje.

Former National Chairnan of PDP, currently the Defence Minister, Dr Bello Muhammed, former governor of Kebbi, Alhaji Adamu Aliero, Former Sports Minister, Alhaji Sumaila Sambawa, the State Acting Governor, Alhaji Aminu Jega were among the dignitaries who graced the occasion.

Aliero had been key figure in the CPC until recently when he decamped into the PDP along with his supporters, citing advise from elders of the party including President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo strong reason for his decampment.

Bamanga Tukur had urged the PDP in Kebbi state to vote massively for the party on Saturday in demonstration of the party’s strength in the state, just as he called on stakeholders to remain steadfast in their service to the party.

The new PDP chairman on arriving Brinin Kebbi paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Abdullahi Fodio who prayed for success of his tenure.

The Emir had urged the PDP Chairman to always use his good office to make meaningful contributions to the progress of the North which he said required urgent attention of the federal government.

However, one of the Observer Groups, Right Monitoring Group in a statement in Kebbi said since INEC had set machinery in motion for the conduct of the governorship re-run election; it was incumbent on observers to be on ground to ensure free and fair conduct notwithstanding the nature of politics in the state.

-Tribunewp_posts