Barely two weeks after the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) endorsed President Jonathan as the sole candidate for the presidency for a second term, the Niger state chapter of the party also on Tuesday unanimously adopted Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu as its sole candidate for the Niger East Senatorial District come 2015.
The adoption of Governor Aliyu followed a solidarity rally in the nine local government areas of the zone organised by a political group, Talba Success Movement (TSM) where over 500,000 signatures were collected calling on the Governor contest the 2015 senatorial election.
The signatures of over 500,000 party faithful from Niger East Senatorial zone cut across party elders and youths from the nine Local Government Areas that made up the zone.
The state Coordinator of the Talba Success Movement, Alhaji Hamisu Jankaro while briefing newsmen in Minna on the outcome of the group’s two weeks tour of the zone to rally support for the governor, disclosed that most youth organisations in the zone have already endorsed the Governor as the sole candidate to contest the 2015 election.
Also over the weekend, no fewer than 250,000 women from the zone under the auspices of “Niger Women in Politics”, endorsed Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu for senate.
According to the Coordinator, Honourable Fati Abubakar “the women believe that Governor Aliyu has given so much to women and deserves to represent us at the senate come 2015”.
She disclosed that the women have also vowed to match to the residence of the Governor if he refuses to heed to their demand to contest for the senate, adding that additional 250,000 signatures will be collected before this weekend for an onward delivery to the Governor.
However, Hamisu Jankaro said that the solidarity rally took the TSM to all the nine local government areas in the zone where it had consultations
When asked of what becomes the faith of the recently elected senator for the Zone in just concluded bye election in August, Dr Shem Nuhu Zagbayi, he said Governor Aliyu like any other citizen of the country is free to contest election into any elective position in the country.
“The people of Suleja through the Vice Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Mamman Gombo has said that the Suleja Emirate has conceded the contest to Governor Aliyu if he wanted to contest even though Dr Zagbayi is from the Suleja Emirate.
“Moreover, the Chief Servant never come out to say he wanted to contest the Governor’s seat he is occupying today but the people of the state asked him to come and contest, and the same people are now asking him to come again and represent them at the Senate come 2015” he declared.