Governor of Niger state Dr. Mua’azu Babangida Aliyu on Sunday refuted a report credited to him in some national dailies that he has opted for anointed Jigawa state Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido as the Peoples Democratic candidate for next year Presidential election.
Aliyu, who made the clarification through his Chief Press Secretary Mr. Israel Ebije said the PDP presently has a sitting President adding that it is not his constitutional duty to anoint anybody as Presidential candidate.
He expressed dismay over published report in some newspapers insisting that he was quoted out of context.
According to Aliyu “I did not opt for him. I only wished Governor Lamido well in whatever endeavour of his choice after the completion of his governorship tenure.
“I did not say what some papers allegedly published and its not for me to tell anybody to vie for political office. After all we have a President. Unless there is any reason to which there is none presently.”
“What I told him was to prepare for greater responsibilities. We have a party with a structure and a process in place for anybody who wants to go for any position. I respect the wishes and opinion of the governor on whatever he wishes to do next but am not asking him to go for President”.
The Niger state governor intimated that since they refused to leave the PDP, people have been working hard to push them out of the party trying to explore unfounded insinuations such as the statement credited to him.
He further added that “those who are professional blackmailers are already connecting cables of lies to ignite tension between us and the party at the national level.
“My resolve to remain in PDP and continue to be useful to the party is a matter of principle. It is unfortunate that since our refusal to leave PDP, some people have been trying to malign us in any way possible. We have resolved to remain in the PDP and that is regardless of our position on some issues which we have resolved already.
“I am therefore, strongly of the opinion that the party is stabilizing and as a party in need of good hands, I have pledged to ensure PDP is strong and ready with all the political goodwill to win elections in 2015.”
Aliyu, who made the clarification through his Chief Press Secretary Mr. Israel Ebije said the PDP presently has a sitting President adding that it is not his constitutional duty to anoint anybody as Presidential candidate.
He expressed dismay over published report in some newspapers insisting that he was quoted out of context.
According to Aliyu “I did not opt for him. I only wished Governor Lamido well in whatever endeavour of his choice after the completion of his governorship tenure.
“I did not say what some papers allegedly published and its not for me to tell anybody to vie for political office. After all we have a President. Unless there is any reason to which there is none presently.”
“What I told him was to prepare for greater responsibilities. We have a party with a structure and a process in place for anybody who wants to go for any position. I respect the wishes and opinion of the governor on whatever he wishes to do next but am not asking him to go for President”.
The Niger state governor intimated that since they refused to leave the PDP, people have been working hard to push them out of the party trying to explore unfounded insinuations such as the statement credited to him.
He further added that “those who are professional blackmailers are already connecting cables of lies to ignite tension between us and the party at the national level.
“My resolve to remain in PDP and continue to be useful to the party is a matter of principle. It is unfortunate that since our refusal to leave PDP, some people have been trying to malign us in any way possible. We have resolved to remain in the PDP and that is regardless of our position on some issues which we have resolved already.
“I am therefore, strongly of the opinion that the party is stabilizing and as a party in need of good hands, I have pledged to ensure PDP is strong and ready with all the political goodwill to win elections in 2015.”