A former Governor of Kebbi State and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the rerun election, Alhaji Saidu Dakingari, has been declared the winner of the election.
Dakingari won the poll, in which he was regarded as the lone contestant, with 875,492 votes.
The two parties that could have given him a run for his money, the Congress for Progressive Change and the Action Congress of Nigeria, did not present candidates for the election.
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, have both congratulated the governor-elect.
Jonathan expressed gratitude to the old and returning members of the PDP in Kebbi State for heeding calls by the leadership of the party for reconciliation and unity in the party, which led to the overwhelmingly victory in Saturday’s election.
Jonathan, in the statement by his spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, added: “As he prepares to return to the Governor’s office in Birnin-Kebbi, President Jonathan urges Alhaji Dakingari to do his utmost best to ensure that the people of Kebbi State who gave him and the PDP a landslide victory are rewarded with an effective and efficient administration that will deliver good governance and rapid statewide development.
“The President assures Alhaji Dakingari that the efforts of his incoming administration to continuously improve the living conditions of the people of Kebbi State will receive all possible support and assistance from the federal government.
“President Jonathan also commends voters in Kebbi State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its personnel, as well as national security agencies for playing their parts in ensuring that the re-run election ordered by the Supreme Court was peacefully and successfully conducted.”
Mark, in his own statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, commended the resilience of Dakingari, adding: “Your election has proved doubting Thomas’s wrong. The people have decided and reposed their trust and confidence on you. It is incumbent on you therefore to justify the mandate by working assiduously to improve the economic and infrastructural development of the state. The people expect much from you; put them first in all you do.
“I earnestly implore you to bring your wealth of experience to bear to transform state and leave a positive legacy that will endure.”
Mark reminded the governor-elect of the need to bring all stakeholders on board in the onerous task of administering the state.
In the same token, Mark advised those who lost to accept the result in good fate and join hands with the governor-elect to develop the state.
He said Kebbi State is endowed with enormous potentials yearning to be tapped.